Wake-up call

The habit of having coffee to kick-start the day can be as much about the pleasure of the routine as the chemical changes in the body.

Coffee affects people in different ways. Some research has shown that coffee in moderation can boost your health, helping with pain relief, asthma and migraine.

But experts warn the good effects can be outweighed if you drink more than five cups over a day.

Drinking some decaffeinated coffee is one way of having the pleasure and health benefits without the potential problems.

Coffee is a complex beverage, containing an estimated 400 chemicals to create its taste and aroma. Removing the caffeine, while leaving the flavour intact, is challenging.

Several processes have been developed, one is using water which is believed to be the healthiest but takes time and is therefore costly. Most often employed, particularly in instant coffee, is a chemical process for which it is difficult to find exact substances used. In the samples we surveyed most of the beans were decaffeinated using the water method but not the instants.

I asked some coffee lovers, most of them new to decaffeinated coffee, to join me for this tasting.

Illy Espresso Decaffeinated Coffee Beans, 250g €9

This was the firm favourite of all the samples. Well-balanced, it tasted as good as any caffeine-rich coffee. Very good and worth the money. In a solid tin which seals well and can be reused.

Score: 8.5

Marks & Spencer Decaffeinated Cafe Gold, Fairtrade, 100g €4.39

Full-flavoured, this was the favourite of the instant coffees with no bitterness, but a real coffee taste. Not cheap, but tasters would be happy to pay the price.

Score: 8

Kenco Millicano Wholebean Instant Caff Free, 85g €3.14

‘Decaffeinated’ coffee can have anything from 2% to 20% caffeine in it, so this one, labelled as ‘caffeine free’, may have less. Quite toasty, this tasted of coffee and had some aroma too. Not as flavoursome as regular coffee, but tasters liked it. Rainforest Alliance approved. Expensive.

Score: 7.25

Cork Coffee Roasters, 275g €6

The last time we tasted this one, it seemed a lot better but, this time around, the tasters found it lacking in full-bodied flavour compared to this brand’s regular coffees which they like. However, it is smooth, and the tasters liked the idea that the coffee beans are soaked in water, not chemicals, to remove the caffeine.

Score: 7

Maher’s Swiss Water De-Caff, 100g €3.65

This coffee speciality shop has plenty of delicious coffees for sale, but tasters felt this one lacked any kind of rich flavour. It’s a nicely smooth coffee and soaked only in water to remove the caffeine. Maybe the flavour was soaked out too?

Score: 6.75

Nescafé Alta Rica Decaff, 100g €5.59

Lacking in flavour, tasters thought this one was ‘thin’ and when they saw the price were taken aback. No nasty aftertaste though.

Score: 6.5

Tesco Original Decaf Freshly Ground Coffee 227g €3.15

Rainforest Alliance certified, this coffee lacked real coffee flavour and had a bitter aftertaste. Not half as good as the brand’s regular coffee.

Score: 6

Aldi, Alcafe Freeze Dried Gold Decaff, 100g €1.99

Not a huge amount of difference here from an instant caffeinated coffee. ‘A reasonable substitute’ was the consensus of tasters. Not a special coffee but not bad for the price.

Score: 6