Submitted 10 months ago by The_Mike_Drop@lemmy.world to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
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
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’m convinced the “ugh, decaf, what’s the point?” people don’t actually like coffee lol.
I used to spout this when I was in my early 20’s and had no fucking clue about the acute anxiety and palm-sweatiness of being 30 and over-caffeinated
Coffee/beer/alcohol are disgusting and consumed for other purposes than taste.
Fight me.
they’re just caffeine addicts
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.
this all assumes it’s going to be mixed with some “base”, like milk or water
As opposed to what? Dry crushed/ground coffee beans?
I don’t get any sort of milk in my coffee, so it would be strange for it to taste like milk. But it’s true that a lot of people want a coffee milkshake with a ton of sugar, like a Frappuccino.
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.
Doey it change the taste of the coffee? If I order a coffee with a shot of espresso it’s because I like strong tasting coffee.
This is probably it.
Decaf has about 3% of the caffeine, and espresso tends to be stronger in flavor than a standard drip.
maximum of 0.3% in the EU
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.
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). 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.
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: youtu.be/F4wrUP4c5P4
I don’t really understand either. Caffeine wise, I’d think decaf + a shot = 1 shot, not 3.
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?
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.
Is it really flavorless? I’ve always had the impression it adds a bit of a bitter flavor
Isn’t it just a component of coffee, not specifically 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.
I’m aware of how espresso drinks work. I was picturing the decaf being brewed decaf, not an espresso drink. So in terms of flavor, it contributes, in terms of caffeine, it does not.
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
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…
You can make espresso with decaf coffee beans.
I wonder if they make their coffee more like an Americano, so you do a shot (or two, or three) or espresso and then add some hot water. This takes the traditional espresso shot, which is more concentrated, and changes it to a more drip/filter style taste.
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 hot. In a moderately busy bar excess espresso shots are not really a problem.
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.
Been drinking decaf (instant + filter) for a while, due to causing anxiety and crashing badly after. And it’s only when someone doesn’t have decaf and you drink normal coffee (exact same strength, even if made by self) that one realises how bitter the caffeine itself tastes. (Don’t drink sugar, just milk.)
So perhaps they want that bitter bite, which decaf doesn’t do naturally, which the caffeine being the most bitter part of the drink.
There are people who order on shot espresso + one shot decaf. Source: personal experience.
Does it cost the same? Could just be the “no ice” concept… No ice, more actual drink. Maybe they feel like they’re getting more of what they’re paying for with an extra shot added.
I never really saw no ice as a cost saving thing, just as a “my drink won’t taste like water in 5 minutes” thing.
They usually charge for the extra shot
New research is suggesting caffeine’s stimulant effects are caused by the placebo effect anyway. The idea of decaf is kind of void if true.
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.
Rodeo@lemmy.ca 10 months ago
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.
gnate@lemmy.world 10 months ago
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 20% of the original caffeine content.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decaffeination
Fermion@feddit.nl 10 months ago
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.