# Do decaf and regular coffee taste the same? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [February 1, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733 "2017-02-01T06:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trapezoidal_jellyfish)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/1 "2017-02-01T06:08:40Z")
Please help me settle a debate! Actually, there isn’t really a debate, but it came up in conversation, and I’m curious what people think. A friend of mine claims that decaf coffee always tastes too watered down. I drink a lot of decaf, because I’m sensitive to caffeine, and I have never noticed a difference in flavor. This Huffington Post [article](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/decaf-vs-regular-coffee-taste_n_3430681.html)doesn’t seem to come out too strongly one way or another. What say the Dopers? ETA: Mods, I couldn’t decide if this should go here or in IMHO. Please move it if I guess wrong! ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/2 "2017-02-01T06:14:16Z")
That’s a _lot_ of pictures of coffee cups. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/3 "2017-02-01T07:01:09Z")
I’ve never found a decaf that tastes as good as regular, even if it is the decaf version of the regular (decaf folgers vs regular folgers for example). ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/4 "2017-02-01T07:01:32Z")
The ruder you are to strangers who work in the service industry the better you are telling the difference between the decaf you ordered and the decaf you were given that you think is full caf and the wiser you are to strangers who work in the service industry purposely trying to send you to the hospital with heart palpitations. Because you know, you’re you and they hate people who speak up for themselves. Or not. Honestly, I don’t think I can tell the difference, but I’m not sure. The irony of that article is that the testers equated bitterness with decaf coffee. Caffeine is naturally bitter, so you’d think decaf would be less bitter. But [according to scientists](http://www.livescience.com/9514-chemists-find-coffee-bitter.html) only 15% of the bitterness of coffee can be attributed to caffeine. Bitterness is really created in the roasting and brewing processes. It has very little to do with caffeine one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/5 "2017-02-01T09:30:14Z")
As always, [Alton Brown explains it best.](https://youtu.be/bKEnX9kP50w?t=1108) In short: due to economic factors, Decaf will always taste worse than regular coffee at the same price. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/6 "2017-02-01T12:36:16Z")
Speaking as someone who works in a coffee shop, I can smell the difference between decaf and regular, but I don’t think I can reliably taste it. This is after working in two different places, with a variety of decaf and regular bean blends, and to me, all the decaf had a distinctive (slightly sour) smell component that was not noticeable in any of the regular beans. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/7 "2017-02-01T13:15:45Z")
I’ve talked with several friends and a couple relatives that waited tables. Never trust the pot with the orange handle. 😃 Waitresses put coffee in the orange handled pot. It may be decaf or it could be regular. Depends on how busy they are. Do they have time to brew a pot of decaf for the two or three special customers that request it? The customers rarely notice. It all tests pretty much the same. I can’t tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/8 "2017-02-01T16:03:03Z")
I’ve found decaf tastes more bitter. I’ve heard that especially the cheaper companies, use the ‘off’ beans, the rougher, more irregular ones for the de-caffeination process. The more high-end and high quality a brand, the more they’re likely to use similar beans for each. That could account for taste differences. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/9 "2017-02-01T16:59:55Z")
There is something, I can enjoy several cups of regular coffee, but decaf I rarely finish more than 1/2 a cup. It’s just I don’t care to have more. It’s somehow (taste, aroma, the effect of the drug itself?) not as satisfying, and somewhat boring. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/10 "2017-02-01T18:52:37Z")
Something gets lost in the making of even the fancy “swiss water method” decaf. I can’t say what, but as **kanicbird** said, decaf is somehow just not as good. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/11 "2017-02-01T18:59:35Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Speaking as someone who works in a coffee shop, I can smell the difference between decaf and regular, but I don’t think I can reliably taste it. Interesting. I never worked in a coffee shop, but I worked in a restaurant that served caf and decaf coffee and will say that my own observations match yours - I can smell the difference far more easily than tasting the difference. Coffee in general is one of those things that tends to smell a little better than it usually tastes IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/12 "2017-02-01T19:07:37Z")
Not the same, but it can certainly be good if you get the right stuff. My wife bought a bag(1 lb.) of Dunkin Donuts decaf. We keep it at the house for when people come over. I made some at Christmas and honestly, it was solid. I can’t say it was the same as the regular version, but I thought it tasted really good. So, different, but not inherently worse. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/13 "2017-02-01T19:50:23Z")
Caffeine is not flavorless. This is like asking if nonalcoholic beer tastes the same as regular. It cannot possibly, because the alcohol affects the flavor. Maybe all the other stuff tastes the same, but the main psychoactive ingredient will certainly be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/14 "2017-02-01T20:30:50Z")
I can feel the difference in my nerves after only one cup. I can taste a little extra bitterness in regular. But the “flavor” itself is the same. (I think of the bitterness as an added flavor, not part of the intrinsic flavor. It’s like adding a packet of anti-sugar.) (I know this is the opposite of the actual decaffeinating process!) ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/15 "2017-02-01T21:12:13Z")
Personally, I’ve never had decaf that tasted like anything except hot water, but I’ve only tried it like twice in my life on a lark from places that didn’t have the best caffeinated coffee either. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/16 "2017-02-01T22:24:27Z")
We had a staff member that needed to cut down on caffeine. The Dept head started buying half caff for the break room. It was OK. Still got a bit of a jolt to start the morning. She retired a year later and regular coffee returned to the breakroom. I’d buy half caff if regular coffee ever starts to bother me. Or my doctor told me to cut back on caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/17 "2017-02-02T01:47:34Z")
Most of the time, I can’t usually tell the difference by taste (for coffee, anyway. I can for espresso). But while I’ve had some great tasting cups of coffee, I can say that I’ve never had a really _great_ tasting cup of decaf. So if it tastes really good to me, I know it’s not decaf. ---
**Author:** ![trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trapezoidal_jellyfish)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/18 "2017-02-02T02:44:46Z")
Thanks for the feedback! This is interesting to me. I have pretty plebeian taste when it comes to coffee in the first place. Maybe my palate just isn’t sensitive enough to taste the caffeine, or lack thereof. It also seems highly plausible that people don’t bother making _good_ decaf that often, since it’s much less popular. **DrCube** , you might have a point about caffeine itself not being flavorless, but I don’t think the flavor is anywhere near as strong as alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![CurrlyD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CurrlyD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurrlyD)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/19 "2017-02-03T04:36:35Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Personally, I’ve never had decaf that tasted like anything except hot water, but I’ve only tried it like twice in my life on a lark from places that didn’t have the best caffeinated coffee either. I’m a decaf drinker. In my experience a pot of decaf made with the same measure of grounds as normally used for a pot of regular coffee ends up tasting weak. I use about 50% more decaf for a decent strength, and I can’t taste a difference between my decaf and my husband’s regular coffee. He says he can, though. I have found the same to be true with decaf tea bags. Depending on the brand, it takes at least two tea bags to make a decent cup. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733/20 "2017-02-03T04:48:59Z")
Decaf?! Blech. Weak, muted, nonexistent flavor. _And_ without a caffeine “buzz”?? On the question of decaf vs regular, I’m definitely on the ‘regular’ side. _My_ only question is, why in the world would anyone subject themselves to such misery-in-a-cup known as ‘decaf’?? ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-decaf-and-regular-coffee-taste-the-same/778733.md?page=2)