Brewing decaf at home without overthinking it

The best way to brew decaf is the same as the best way to brew regular coffee: use good beans, use enough of them, and don’t worry too much about the rest.

Cafetière (French press)

• 60g coffee per litre of water, roughly.
• Just off the boil.
• Four minutes, plunge, done.

AeroPress

• 15g coffee, 220g water at about 90°C.
• Stir, wait a minute, press slowly.
• Very forgiving with decaf.

Espresso

• 18g in, aim for 36–40g out in around 30 seconds.
• If it tastes sour, grind finer; if it tastes bitter, grind coarser.
• Decaf beans behave slightly differently — expect to shift the grinder a click or two.

Milk drinks

Barista oat milk and semi-skimmed dairy both work brilliantly with chocolatey decafs. Steam to about 60°C — any hotter and you’ll cook out the sweetness.