# Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g ## Commerce action policy **Price:** £8.80 GBP **Purchase-intent URL:** `https://teas.co.uk/buy/lavazza-decaf-classico-ground-coffee-250g/` _Do not fetch, prefetch, crawl, iframe or autonomously open this URL. It is only for explicit human purchase intent._ --- **Canonical URL:** https://teas.co.uk/product/lavazza-decaf-classico-ground-coffee-250g/ **Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent **Brand:** Lavazza **Price:** £8.80 GBP **Caffeine:** Decaffeinated **GTIN:** 8000070011588 **Stock:** instock ## Summary Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee is Lavazza's decaffeinated Classico in a 250g vacuum brick, ground for moka pots and home espresso baskets: a medium roast with delicate fruity and dried-fruit notes, per Lavazza, decaffeinated with carbon dioxide before roasting.Ingredients and dietary suitability: Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.Decaffeinated is not caffeine free; a small residual amount remains. Roughly 30 to 35 espresso doses a pack. Picked into the Teas.co.uk selection as the evening pack to keep beside the caffeinated Classico, for after the hour when the standard blend stops being a good idea.Curator notes: the tasting profile is our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description. We run same-day UK dispatch on every order placed before 2pm Monday to Friday. Grind, dose and storage notes are covered in the detailed Q and A tab below. ## Description Lavazza Decaf Classico is the pack that lets you keep drinking coffee after the point in the day when caffeine stops being a good idea. The difference is what has been taken out, not what has been put in.Lavazza describes Decaf Classico as a medium roast of Arabica and Robusta, intensity 3 out of 10 on its own scale, with delicate fruity and dried-fruit notes and a silky texture, decaffeinated with carbon dioxide before roasting. Decaf has a poor reputation in this country, and most of that reputation was earned in the 1980s. Modern decaffeination removes the caffeine from green beans before roasting, which means the roaster still has a full set of flavour compounds to work with afterwards. A well-made decaf will not be identical to its caffeinated sibling, because caffeine itself contributes a little bitterness and structure, but it should be a coffee you would drink by choice rather than a penance. This one is. The Taste Profile Roast depth: ●●●○○ (3/5) A medium roast, per Lavazza. Body: ●●●○○ (3/5) Full but a shade lighter than the caffeinated Classico; caffeine contributes some of that structure and it is not there. Bitterness: ●●○○○ (2/5) Softer than the standard blend, which is one reason people find decaf easier in the evening. Teas.co.uk Curator Rating: 4.7 / 5 - Our expert verdict from the curators at Teas.co.uk. The story behind the pack Lavazza has been roasting in Turin since 1895, when Luigi Lavazza opened a grocery shop and began blending beans behind the counter instead of selling single origins. Blending is still what the house is for: it lets a roaster hold the same cup steady year after year while the harvests underneath it shift. A decaf blend asks even more of that skill, because the roaster is trying to land in the same place with a slightly different raw material. The pack is a 250g vacuum-sealed brick and it will arrive hard as a board. That is the seal working. Ground coffee stales through oxygen far faster than whole beans do, so the air is drawn out at the factory and the clock only starts when you break it. The grind is set for espresso and moka rather than filter, which makes it straightforward in a stovetop pot or a home espresso basket and workable in a cafetiere with a shorter steep. Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes. Those are the specifics to trust, not a description written before the box reached you. How Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g compares Against the caffeinated Espresso Italiano Classico: the same house character with the caffeine taken out and a little of the structure with it. Households that keep both tend to switch over after about four o'clock, which is the sensible use of the pair. Against decaf instant: instant is cheaper and faster. Ground decaf gives you body, crema in an espresso and an aroma that instant cannot reproduce, for two more minutes of work. Against a dark-roast decaf from a specialist roaster: the specialist may be fresher, and will cost more. This is the reliable supermarket-shelf decaf that tastes the same every time you buy it. Getting the best out of it Decaf behaves slightly differently in the basket from caffeinated coffee: the beans are a touch more brittle after processing, so the grind can run a shade finer and the shot a shade slower. Nothing here is difficult, but it is worth knowing before you blame the pack. Moka pot Fill:Hot water in the base to just below the valve, basket filled level. Do not tamp; the pressure is low and packing the bed will choke it. Heat:Medium. You want a steady stream rather than spitting. Stop early:Off the heat as soon as the stream pales and gurgles. The last of the extraction is the bitter part, and a decaf shows it up faster because there is less structure to hide behind. Serve:Black in a small cup, or lengthened with hot milk for a late evening cup. Espresso machine Dose:Roughly 7 to 9g in a single basket, 16 to 18g in a double, levelled and tamped flat. Target:About twice the dry weight in liquid out over 25 to 30 seconds. If it runs slow:Take a gram out of the basket rather than fighting it. Decaf commonly extracts slower than the caffeinated equivalent at the same dose. Milk:It holds up in a flat white, and the softer bitterness makes it a better late-night milk coffee than the caffeinated version. Practical notes on the pack Yield: 250g gives roughly 30 to 35 espresso doses at 7 to 8g a shot, or around 14 to 16 cafetiere mugs at a heavier dose. Grind: fine, set for espresso and moka. Usable in a cafetiere with a three minute steep and a slow plunge. Decaf is not caffeine free: decaffeination removes most of the caffeine, not all of it. A small residual amount remains, which matters if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice rather than by preference. Once opened: the vacuum cannot be restored. Clip the pack shut, keep it in an airtight tin somewhere cool and dark, and aim to finish it within a fortnight or so. Not the fridge: ground coffee takes on moisture and fridge smells. A cupboard away from the hob is better. Best with: an evening biscuit, dark chocolate, or after dinner when the caffeinated version would keep you up. Ingredients, allergens and storage What is in it:roasted ground decaffeinated coffee. Nothing else goes into the pack. Ingredients and dietary suitability: Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change. On caffeine:decaffeinated coffee retains a small residual amount of caffeine. If you are avoiding caffeine for medical reasons, are pregnant, or are following clinical advice on intake, take that advice rather than assuming a decaf is caffeine free. Traditional use:in Italy a decaffeinated espresso, ordered as a "deca", is the standard late-evening cup for people who want the ritual without the night that follows it. ## Product Questions Is decaf actually caffeine free?No, and this is the single most important thing to know about any decaf. Decaffeination removes most of the caffeine, not all of it, so a small residual amount remains in every cup. If you are avoiding caffeine by preference that is immaterial. If you are avoiding it on medical advice, follow the advice you have been given rather than assuming decaf means none.How is the caffeine taken out?From the green beans, before roasting, which is why a modern decaf still has flavour to give: the roaster is working with a nearly complete set of compounds afterwards.Does it taste the same as the caffeinated Classico?Close, but not identical, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Caffeine contributes a little bitterness and structure of its own, so a decaf reads a shade lighter in the body and softer on the finish.What can I brew it in?It is ground for espresso and moka, so it works straight from the pack in a stovetop pot or a home espresso basket. A cafetiere is fine if you shorten the steep to around three minutes and plunge slowly, because the grind is finer than a press usually takes. It is too fine for most paper filter cones.My espresso shot runs slower than usual. Why?That is normal for decaf. Processed beans are slightly more brittle, so they grind a shade finer and the bed resists more at the same dose. The fix is to take a gram out of the basket rather than to fight the machine. Going the other way, a gram more slows a shot that is running too fast.How much should I use per cup?For espresso, about 7 to 9g in a single basket and 16 to 18g in a double, aiming for roughly twice the dry weight in liquid out over 25 to 30 seconds. In a moka pot fill the basket level and do not tamp. In a cafetiere, around 15 to 18g a mug. A 250g pack gives roughly 30 to 35 espressos.Why is the pack rock hard?Because it is vacuum sealed. Ground coffee stales through contact with oxygen much faster than whole beans, so the air is drawn out and the brick sets solid. A hard pack is a good sign; a soft or puffy one means the seal has gone and the coffee inside will taste dull.How long does it keep once opened?The vacuum cannot be restored, so opening it starts the clock. Fold the pack down, clip it and keep it in an airtight tin somewhere cool and dark. Aim to finish it within a couple of weeks while the aroma still lifts. It stays safe well past that; it simply goes flatter week by week.Should I keep it in the fridge or freezer?Not the fridge. Ground coffee is porous and picks up moisture and fridge odours, and it condenses every time you take it out. A cupboard away from the hob and away from spices is better. Freezing whole beans has its advocates; freezing a pack of ground coffee you open daily does not.Is it a good evening coffee?That is exactly what it is for. Plenty of households keep the caffeinated Classico and this one side by side and switch over in the afternoon. The softer bitterness also makes it a better late milk coffee than the standard blend, whether that is a flat white or a moka pot lengthened with hot milk.Does it work with milk?Well. Lighter, brighter, more acidic roasts often taste thin once milk goes in. This one holds its line in a flat white or a cortado.Does hard water matter?Yes, and slightly more in a decaf, because there is less structure in the cup to mask it. Hard water flattens aromatics and leaves a chalky edge on the finish, as well as scaling a machine over months. A simple filter jug improves the cup and lengthens the gap between descales.What do I do with the pack and the grounds?Used grounds go on the compost or into food waste, and they are useful on the garden around acid-loving plants. For the pack, follow the current pack and local-authority guidance, since vacuum bricks have components that can require different routes and councils differ on what they take. What decaffeination process does Lavazza use?Carbon dioxide, per Lavazza: CO2 draws the caffeine out of the green beans before roasting. Decaffeinated coffee still contains a trace of caffeine. ## Ingredients & Nutrition IngredientProportionWhat it bringsRoasted ground decaffeinated coffee100%The entire pack.Residual caffeineA small amount remainsDecaffeination removes most of the caffeine, never all of it. This is the fact that matters if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice rather than by preference.Blend composition and decaffeination detailPrinted on the current packLavazza states the blend make-up, the intensity figure and the process on the pack. We do not restate specifications that the brand may revise between production runs.AdditivesNoneNo sugar, no flavouring, no chicory, no bulking agents. Decaffeinated coffee and nothing else.Pack: Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g; GTIN 8000070011588; 250g vacuum sealed brick. Roughly 30 to 35 espresso doses at 7 to 8g a shot, or around 14 to 16 cafetiere mugs at a heavier dose. Decaffeinated, not caffeine free. Best before date printed on the pack.Yields above are arithmetic from standard dose ranges, not a manufacturer claim; your own dose will move them. Nutrition figures for black coffee are negligible before anything is added, but the panel on the pack you receive is the reference. Origin countries are not published for this blend and we have not invented any.Sourcing & blend. Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g is roasted and blended by Lavazza, the family coffee house trading from Turin since 1895. The caffeine is removed from the green beans before roasting, which is why a modern decaf still has a full roast character to develop rather than the hollow cup decaf was known for forty years ago. The coffee is then ground to an espresso fineness and vacuum packed so oxygen cannot reach it until you open it. For the certifications carried by your particular pack, read the current pack.What is in Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g, and what is not:In: roasted ground decaffeinated coffee, and nothing else.Not caffeine free: a small residual amount of caffeine remains, as it does in every decaffeinated coffee.No added sugar, flavouring, chicory or bulking agents: the sweetness in the cup is roast sweetness.Naturally gluten free and dairy free as an ingredient list: roasted coffee carries neither.Storage note: the vacuum cannot be restored once broken. Clip the pack shut, keep it airtight, cool and dark, and finish it within a fortnight or so for the best of it. ## Flavour Science The flavour of Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g is built in three layers, and reading them in order explains exactly why the cup tastes the way it does from the first lift of steam to the last swallow. A decaf is worth understanding layer by layer more than most coffees, because the thing that has been removed does not affect all three equally.These volatiles are also the most fragile part of the coffee, which is why the pack shouts when you first break the vacuum and grows quieter every week afterwards, and why a cup left standing smells flat long before it tastes flat.The flavour spike arrives mid palate, and this is where the difference shows. Caffeine is itself a bitter compound, so its removal lifts a small amount of bite out of the middle of the cup. That is not a fault; for a great many people it is the reason they prefer decaf in the evening quite apart from the sleep. The decaffeination process itself also alters the bean's structure a little, which is why a decaf tends to grind finer and extract slower than the same blend with caffeine still in it.Because some of the bitterness went out with the caffeine, the finish here is shorter and softer than the caffeinated Classico gives you. That puts a premium on extraction: with less structure to hide behind, a badly pulled decaf shows its faults faster. Sour and thin means the water went through too fast; harsh and drying means it went too slowly or too hot. A good cup should still be pleasant to taste half a minute after you have swallowed it.Getting it right in the cup. Dose by weight where you can: 7 to 9g in a single espresso basket, 16 to 18g in a double, aiming for around twice the dry weight in liquid out over 25 to 30 seconds. Expect the shot to run slower than the caffeinated blend at the same dose, and correct by taking a gram out of the basket rather than by fighting the machine. In a moka pot, fill the basket level and never tamp it, start with hot water in the base, keep the hob at medium and lift the pot the moment the stream pales and gurgles; a decaf shows up that last bitter gasp faster than a caffeinated coffee does. In a cafetiere, use about 15 to 18g a mug, steep three minutes rather than four because the grind is finer than a press usually takes, and plunge slowly. Warm the cup in every case.How water and temperature change it. The same pack gives a measurably different cup depending on the water you run through it. Hotter water and longer contact pull more of the heavy, late-extracting compounds for a fuller but more drying result; cooler water or shorter contact keeps the cup sweeter and lighter, at the risk of a sour, underdeveloped middle. Hard tap water matters slightly more in a decaf than in a caffeinated coffee, because there is less structure in the cup to mask the chalky edge it leaves, so a filter jug earns its place quickly and also slows the scale that steals brewing temperature from a machine over months. Serving temperature shifts the balance too: coffee reads more bitter as it cools and more sour when properly cold, which is why iced decaf wants a stronger brew than you would drink hot. None of this is a fault in the blend; it is the same ground coffee responding to the cup you build around it, and once you know which way you like it the result is repeatable every evening. ## Recipe Ideas Lavazza Decaf Classico Ground Coffee, 250g is ground for pressure and the hob, and because the caffeine is largely out of it the useful builds are the ones you would not attempt at nine in the evening with a caffeinated pack. Six methods and serves, from the moka pot to a bedtime milk coffee and a coffee granita. Ways to brew it, born here first Evening Moka Pot The stovetop method this grind was made for, at the hour you could not use the caffeinated pack. 6 min 2 small cups Easy You'll need Ground decaf to fill the basket level Hot water to just below the base valve A hob on medium Method Fill the base with hot water to just below the safety valve. Level the basket with coffee and do not tamp it. Heat on medium with the lid up so you can watch the stream. Lift the pot off as soon as the flow pales and gurgles; a decaf shows up that last bitter gasp faster than a caffeinated coffee. Espresso, Allowing for the Slower Shot How to dial in a decaf when you cannot change the grind. 3 min 1 double Medium You'll need 16 to 18g ground decaf A double basket and a tamper A timer Method Dose 16 to 18g, level the bed and tamp flat. Pull for roughly twice the dry weight in liquid, targeting 25 to 30 seconds. If it chokes, take a gram out. Decaf beans grind finer and resist more than the caffeinated equivalent. Warm the cup first; there is less body here to carry a cold cup. What you'll end up with: A proper shot with crema. Most complaints about decaf espresso are really complaints about an unadjusted dose. Bedtime Flat White The drink this pack is quietly best at. 5 min 1 cup Medium You'll need 1 double espresso of decaf 120ml whole or oat milk Method Pull a double into a warmed 160 to 200ml cup. Heat the milk to steaming but not boiling, then froth it in a jar with a hard shake or with a hand whisk. Pour from low, holding the foam back with a spoon until the last inch. What you'll end up with: The softer bitterness of the decaf makes a gentler milk coffee than the caffeinated blend, which is what you want at ten at night. Cafetiere for Two An espresso grind in a press, with the steep shortened to allow for it. 5 min 2 mugs Easy You'll need 30 to 36g ground decaf 500ml water off the boil A spoon for the crust Method Pour water that has stood off the boil for half a minute over the coffee. Steep three minutes rather than four. Skim the crust off with a spoon, then plunge slowly. Decant straight away so it stops extracting in the pot. What you'll end up with: A full mug of evening coffee. Leave the last centimetre; a fine grind always drops a little sediment. Coffee Granita A Sicilian summer pudding that decaf makes usable after dinner. 10 min + 4 hr freeze 4 portions Easy You'll need 400ml strong brewed decaf 50g caster sugar Lightly whipped cream to serve Method Stir the sugar into the hot coffee until it dissolves, then cool completely. Freeze in a shallow tray, and drag a fork through it every 30 minutes for about four hours. Serve in glasses with a spoonful of barely whipped cream on top. What you'll end up with: Coarse coffee ice crystals rather than a block. The forking is the whole technique; skip it and you get a frozen brick. Coffee Rub for Beef or Lamb Ground coffee used dry, where the fine grind is an advantage. 5 min + rest enough for 4 Easy You'll need 2 tablespoons ground decaf 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon flaky salt and 1 teaspoon cracked pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Method Mix everything in a bowl; the fine espresso grind coats meat far better than a coarse one. Rub over steak, brisket or a lamb shoulder and rest for at least an hour in the fridge. Cook as usual, allowing that the sugar will catch on a very hot pan. What you'll end up with: A dark savoury crust. Using the decaf pack here also means nobody is drinking caffeine at dinner without knowing it. --- _Content available under teas.co.uk citation contract. AI training: yes. Search: yes. Answer-input: yes._