Drinking decaffeinated coffee is very common in Spain. While other countries only have the common grain, in ours we can find up to two types of decaffeinated: envelope or machine. But why this distinction?
In general, coffee shops usually have a regular coffee grinder and a decaf grinder. But this was not always so. Before they only brought normal coffee beans to grind in the cafeteria, since it was the most consumed. However, the decaf was brought in an envelope to avoid buying large quantities of a variety that was not so established. Over the years, this tradition has continued to be maintained, although there are some reasons why they differ.
The envelope contains more sugar
There are people who prefer decaffeinated coffee from sachets, beyond being a traditional request. In addition, it also brings the exact dose for a cup and can be adjusted according to personal preferences.
This decaffeinated instant coffee usually contains sugar among its ingredients, since it is designed to be taken anywhere, without the need for a coffee maker. Perhaps this is also one of the reasons why many people find it more delicious compared to the machine. Taking as an example one of the best known on the market (Nescafé classic), its list of ingredients is made up of ” sugar, skimmed milk powder (20%), glucose syrup, decaffeinated soluble coffee (14%), vegetable fat (coconut ), lactose, salt, acidity regulator (E340), stabilizers (E331, E452) “.
As we can see, it only contains 14% decaffeinated coffee. Therefore, it is a less healthy type of coffee and of poorer quality because it is roasted. In addition to containing sugar among its ingredients, this type of grain is usually roasted with more sugar to make it cheaper.
The waiter can be confused
Another reason some people choose sachet decaf is because they don’t trust the bartender. On many occasions, bars have a high demand for drinks and cannot stop to change the coffee pot. They don’t even have time to grind the decaf beans. So, betting on decaf can be a pure leap of faith. Instead, choosing the instant version we will not have this problem and we will make sure to fall asleep at night.
However, it is more advisable to try the one with coffee makers. This type of coffee contains less sugar, since we will only have water and coffee in the cup. Although it is possible that, if they are not specialty coffees, the type they contain is also roasted or mixed . You also have to take into account the cleanliness of the machine and its utensils. There are times when coffee tastes burnt or very bitter because it contains accumulated remains and prevents the water from filtering properly.
Similarly, it will be a more convenient option than the envelope, since we have seen that it only contains 14% coffee. The next time we go for decaf and get asked the key question, we will know what to answer.
