People who order "a decaff coffee with an extra shot" - why?
3 years ago by The_Mike_Drop to c/nostupidquestions
All our coffee is served with two shots by default. We're not some fancy coffee shop, just a motorway service station that makes coffee to go. We have some regulars who order a decaff with an extra shot. I explain thats going to have three shots total, and they're happy with it.
But I keep thinking, if you have three shots of decaff, isn't that going to be as strong as a normal coffee? Whats the point?
Please forgive my ignorance
Decaf coffee (or tea) will still have more than zero caffeine. Allowable amounts vary between US and EU, but multiple repetitions of the process are needed to achieve either 97% or 99.9% caffeine free respectively.
A single pass through a decaffeination process can result in leaving up to 20% of the original caffeine content.
All the decaf coffee I've tried has less flavor than normal. The soaking process to decaffeinate it presumably also removes some of the flavorful compounds. If I use 3 shots decaf it ends up tasting close to as flavorful as using 2 shots of normal.
As strong as in what? Flavor or caffeine? I doubt three shots of decaf have as much caffeine. If you mean flavor, you know people like just the flavor of coffee right? That's why they're drinking decaf in the first place.
I don’t drink alcohol, so I cannot comment on that.
But that said, I kind of think of coffee as being pretty similar to chocolate. It’s an earthy but bitter flavour that can be nice, often when paired with something sweet and creamy. Also there are nice espressos that are kind of fruity and creamy on their own. There’s plenty flavours that are overwhelming on their own, but complement other flavours nicely. People are also known to like intense experiences, like really spicy foods.
Anyway, I won’t fight you if you don’t like it. That’s totally reasonable :).
Are you 12?
I like the hops taste of beer and regularly drink it for just that. I barely get a buzz and no one else is drinking around me so there’s no social pressure. Whiskeys are interesting because if you taste them correctly, you taste all kinds of interesting sweet notes and earthy notes and it’s very cool to taste those things. That comes from a $25+ bottle, but it’s affordable if you enjoy that sort of thing. Again, 1 glass every once in awhile. Now things like vodka? I’m pretty sure that’s just to get you drunk
Most places serve coffee that tastes like warm milk with a hint of beige, by default.
Adding an extra shot is your best hope of it actually tasting like coffee, regardless of caffeine content.
What fucked me up was not figuring out that this all assumes it's going to be mixed with some "base", like milk or water instead of being drinken as just coffee.
I was thinking I'd lost it because I couldn't understand how having more coffee made it stronger lol.
As opposed to drinking your coffee black
🎶 The best part of waking up....
Is chewing your Folger's like nuts. 🎶
maximum of 0.3% in the EU
It says max. 0.3% caffeine content in the coffee dry matter. Roasted Arabica beans have around 1.5% caffeine (although it may vary significantly), meaning that decaf may have as much caffein as 20% of regular coffee.
It's going to be weaker in caffeine content but still stronger tasting. This is ideal if you are trying to reduce daily caffeine intake or just like the taste of strong coffee.
Some people still need a kick of espresso but don't want/need 3 shots worth in a single drink.
Generally they're seeking a specific level of coffee flavor. My spouse does this and its specifically to balance the flavor ratios of the drink.
If the third shot is regular they're likely just managing caffeine intake while maintaining flavor. My spouse also does this.
I'm not a coffee drinker, but help me understand, What is a shot? caffeine? If so, wouldn't a decaf "with an extra shot" just be one shot? since originally it would have no caffeine, but they want to add one shot.
It’s a shot of espresso which is only about 2oz (60ml). A normal serving would be one or two shots.
I’m guessing people are ordering a latte or cappuccino or something similar which is milk and coffee. The extra shot will make the drink have a stronger coffee taste.
Edit: here’s more than you ever asked to know about espresso drinks lol:
A single shot of espresso is only around 20-25ml. A double shot is the most common amount you’ll get when ordering a drink at a coffee shop, and 60ml is on the high end of that. Here’s even more about this topic specifically: https://youtu.be/F4wrUP4c5P4
Seems like it's being used as a measurement of amount of coffee, not caffeine. Normal size is "two shots" and decaf (normal size, so "two shots") with extra shot (of more decaf) would be "three shots".
At least that's what I was thinking happened. Not sure how it would change the taste or anything. Maybe it is shots of coffee in milk or something?
It seems like OP is talking about an espresso drink. Yes, that’s typically espresso in water or milk, maybe steamed milk/froth. The decaf would contribute flavor but little caffeine. I’m not sure why OP is confused about this.
I think they were thinking of it in terms of caffeine when those wanting the extra shot were thinking of the flavour.
Caffeine is a colourless, odourless, flavourless alkaloid that is a component of espresso coffee.
If you could magically remove all caffeine without removing anything else, you wouldn't be able to taste the difference.
Isn't it just a component of coffee, not specifically espresso
Yeah. IDK why I said "espresso".
A 'shot' is a portion in coffee speak, like a shot of vodka is a standard measurement. A flat white has two shots of espresso as standard, for example. Decaf espresso/coffee would be one or two shots of decaf coffee, still won't have any (well, much) caffeine, just makes the flavour stronger.
So all of this assumes it's being mixed with milk or water, right? Because otherwise having two or three shots wouldn't alter the taste because it would just be more of the same
Yes, there are many types of coffee produced with milk or water, as well as with ice and other ingredients. Some are produced with steamed milk, others with foam, a mixture of the two, one or two shots, in different amounts, with flavoured syrups, ice, or just with a certain amount of water to bulk it out.
You can have a double espresso (two shots only, nothing else), but even that can be short or long, which means there is less or more water used when creating each shot of espresso. Short espressos are popular in Italy, usually cost a euro, and would be taken standing up and finished in a minute or two (or even instantly); the amount would be about the same as an alcoholic shot.
It's interesting to me because for me the coffee (not espresso) as is the default, with no added water. So the idea that it's assumed it is mixed threw me off. Here the assumption the coffee is "regular" (drip, french press, basically not espresso) and if you want water or milk in it, that's extra thing. Nobody puts in water in that coffe though hah, it's just whether you want milk and sugar.
I’m aware of how espresso drinks work. I was picturing the decaf being brewed decaf, not an espresso drink. I guess OP does mean an americano or a cappuccino or something. So in terms of flavor, it contributes, in terms of caffeine, it does not.
I actually thought we were talking about shots of alcohol at first, because I've heard of people putting that in their coffee. Didn't quite make sense why you'd sell every coffee with alcohol, though...
Follow-up question - each portafilter is two shots right? So if you end up adding an third shot to a coffee, what do you do with the leftover fourth one?
(Or do you have a smaller, single shot portafilter?)
All of the bar espresso machines I've worked with have an extra "handle"(I'm not sure how it's called in english) that's half as deep and has a single spout, so yes there is a single shot one, at least for the ones in italy, i don't know if it's the same for the rest of the world
Portafilters for a single shot is pretty standard equipment, but it's also a bit controversial among the snobs. A lot of baristas will stick to making double shots and just throw the second one away if nobody orders an espresso while it's still fresh. In a moderately busy bar excess espresso shots are not really a problem.
… just throw the second one away if nobody orders an espresso while it's still fresh. In a moderately busy bar excess espresso shots are not really a problem.
I used to hang out at a coffeehouse (in high school, I'd go with friends or alone - just to sit and read/write/draw) and the proprietors would always make a fresh pair of espressos for the one shot that would go into the latte or americano, then offer me the leftover shot of espresso (when it wasn't very busy and it would have gone to waste). But yep, two shots were made, every time.
It sometimes pays to be a regular someplace 😸
Well good to know; in all honesty it feels a little weird to see espresso as a snob thing when here in italy you see it everywhere, i literally just came from bringing a couple of cups of it to a couple of my frends working in the constrution site next to my house; it's kinda nice to see this differences
The difference between Italy and the rest of the world in terms of espresso culture is night and day. If you want a decent espresso in most of Europe you have to go to some hipster obsessing over every tiny detail - if you go to a random bar they will give you an espresso shot the size of a glass of milk. I always go for a lungo in Italy, but most espressos I get in other countries still feel a bit ridiculous to me.
On the positive side, the obsessive hipsters might actually be on to something - there's a lot of potential for flavour in the espresso that is generally not explored in Italy. Italian beans tend to be very dark roasted, meaning that the brewing of the coffee is very forgiving but there is less potential for more exciting flavours. Then again, people who want a fruity cup of coffee are arguably better off sticking to other extraction methods.
And there's certainly quality differences in Italy as well! Though I feel like it often boils down to the basics such as keeping the machine clean and preventing soap taste.
Italy and the rest of the world have different ideas of what constitutes espresso, culturally.
Italian espresso is fast, casual, cheap, typically darkly roasted, and a very social experience.
Espresso in the US, Australia, and other countries tends to be more prepared, precise, lightly roasted, and appreciated.
Neither is better than the other, just different cultures!
That's interesting to know, thanks! Most coffee shops where I live would probably never get busy enough to use a spare shot. Perhaps they change out to a single shot portafilter, but I've never noticed.
You mean the basket. The portafilter holds the basket and is inserted into the group head. They can be bottomless (naked) or have spouts.
On to baskets. You can buy single/double/triple shot sizes (typically 7/14/21 grams) but you can also buy 18/20/22/24/25g baskets. You’ll find most serious cafes use 18/20/22g baskets. Barista’s almost always love to chat so don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just be nice and they’ll tell you just about anything you want to know about pulling espresso shots.
I've seen some shops put aside the extra shot if they know another customer has ordered one and they can serve it before it sits around too long. Otherwise, you can dose the portafilter with less coffee for a single.
There are people who order on shot espresso + one shot decaf. Source: personal experience.
I cannot attest to all of science, but anecdotally, that is wack bs. I am very sensitive to caffeine. Know how I know? I got them mixed up once and after 3 cups of black “decaf” (it was the caffeinated) I started low-key tweaking. Hot flashes, cold flashes, sweats, vision blurring. I can’t say all stuff is like that, but I did NOT mix up my caffeine and decaf like that again.
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It will be stronger than a normal coffee, but it still won't have any caffeine.
There is a distinction between flavor and caffeine content. Decaffeinating does change the flavor but that doesn't mean you can't make it strong.
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