L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g
Nobody compares a decaf with the right thing. Held against the morning capsule it will always come off second; held against the real alternative, which at nine in the evening is no coffee at all, it does perfectly well. Use a small cup and do not try to stretch it. Decaffeinated is not caffeine free, so anyone who needs none at all wants a herbal. Nespresso Original machines only; a Vertuo will not take them.
L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, in brief.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf is the twenty-capsule carton of L'Or's decaffeinated ristretto for Nespresso Original machines, picked into the Teas.co.uk curator selection as the short, dense evening espresso rather than a thin decaf pulled long.
Use the ristretto button at about 25ml rather than the lungo: pulling it short is what puts back the body decaffeination takes out. Nespresso Original only, so these will not fit a Vertuo, a Dolce Gusto or a Tassimo.
A ristretto is a short espresso. Less water goes through the same amount of coffee, so what lands in the cup is denser, sweeter and heavier than a full espresso rather than simply stronger. Doing that with a decaffeinated coffee is a deliberate choice, because decaffeination costs a coffee some of its body, and pulling the shot short is the most direct way of putting that body back. This carton is aimed squarely at the person who wants a proper after-dinner espresso at nine in the evening and would rather not lie awake for it.
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. Shot volume, cup warming and the macchiato build are also published in the detailed Q and A tab below.
Curator’s notes
Read the full write-up
The Story Behind L'Or
L'Or is a French coffee name that reached British kitchens through the capsule aisle rather than through cafes, making aluminium capsules that fit Nespresso Original machines. You are buying a capsule designed to fit someone else's machine. Aluminium matters here as engineering rather than as branding, because a metal capsule holds its seal under pressure better than a plastic one and is what lets a compatible capsule behave like the original.
The tasting profile above is our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.
Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.
What You Are Actually Buying
- Count: twenty capsules, 104 grams in the carton, which is 5.2 grams of coffee per capsule.
- Cost per shot: If you drink this regularly the bigger box is the one to buy.
- Machine required: Nespresso Original. These do not fit a Vertuo machine, a Dolce Gusto machine or a Tassimo machine, and no adapter changes that.
- Aluminium: the capsule body is aluminium. Disposal routes for capsules differ by council and by scheme, so follow the carton and your local guidance rather than assuming.
Ideal Serving Conditions
A capsule machine sets the temperature, the pressure and the dose, which leaves you three things to control. All three matter more with a decaffeinated coffee than with a full-caffeine one, because there is less margin in the cup.
The Proper Shot
- Volume: use the ristretto button, about 25ml. Running it as a lungo defeats the purpose of buying a ristretto capsule and leaves you with a thin, washed-out cup.
- Warm the cup: run a blank shot of hot water into the cup first and tip it away. A cold cup takes several degrees off a 25ml shot instantly, and a decaf has less body to spare.
- Drink it immediately: the crema on a short shot collapses within a minute or two, and with it goes a noticeable part of the aroma.
- Descale: a scaled machine runs cooler and slower, and the first symptom is a weak crema rather than a taste you can name. If your shots have quietly got worse over months, that is the machine and not the capsules.
Getting More Out of the Carton
- Make it a macchiato: a ristretto with a spoonful of hot foamed milk on top. The short dense shot is exactly the right base, and it is the best evening use of this carton.
- Make it an affogato: pull one straight over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A decaffeinated shot is the version of this pudding you can serve after dinner to anyone.
- Make it a double: two capsules into one cup for a fuller evening drink.
- Mix the carton: keep these alongside a full-caffeine capsule and switch over after about four in the afternoon. That is the practical reason this carton earns its place rather than replacing anything.
Getting It Right in the Cup
- Machine: Nespresso Original only. Check which system you own before ordering.
- Volume: the ristretto setting, about 25ml, not the lungo.
- Cup: small, thick-walled and warmed with a blank shot first.
- Storage: a cool dry cupboard. The capsules are sealed, so the carton is protecting the box rather than the coffee.
- Best with: after dinner, a late-evening espresso habit, or anyone cutting caffeine without giving up the ritual.
Source: Teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g, please cite teas.co.uk.
The story behind L'Or
Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.
Our commitment to the planet
Sourcing and packaging details are printed on the current UK pack; the brand page carries the fuller story.
The taste profile
How does it compare
L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g is a finished shot the machine builds for you, so the useful ideas are the ones that put a short dense decaffeinated espresso to work. Five below cover the proper ristretto, a macchiato, an affogato, an espresso martini without the late night, and a tiramisu.
Made with this tea
The Proper Ristretto
How to make The Proper Ristretto with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf capsules.
- 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule
- A small thick-walled cup
- A blank shot of hot water to warm it
- Run a blank shot of hot water into the cup and tip it away.
- Drop the capsule in and use the ristretto setting, about 25ml, not the lungo.
- Drink it within a minute, while the crema is still intact.
What you'll end up with: A short dense shot with a proper crema. If it tastes thin and papery, you ran it long or the machine needs descaling.
Evening Macchiato
How to make Evening Macchiato with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf capsules.
- 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule
- 30ml whole milk
- A teaspoon
- Pull the ristretto into a warmed cup at about 25ml.
- Foam 30ml of milk, by wand or by shaking it hot in a sealed jar.
- Spoon a single dollop of the foam onto the middle of the crema rather than pouring it in.
What you'll end up with: The best evening use of this carton. A full latte would need two capsules, because 25ml of coffee vanishes under 150ml of milk.
After-Dinner Affogato
How to make After-Dinner Affogato with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf capsules.
- 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- A little grated dark chocolate
- Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a chilled glass.
- Pull the ristretto straight over it and serve immediately.
- Grate a little dark chocolate on top if you want it.
What you'll end up with: The version of this pudding you can put in front of anyone at nine in the evening, which is not true of a full-caffeine shot.
Late Espresso Martini
How to make Late Espresso Martini with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf capsules.
- 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules
- 50ml vodka
- 15ml coffee liqueur and 10ml sugar syrup
- Ice
- Pull two ristrettos into a jug and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
- Shake hard with the vodka, the liqueur, the syrup and plenty of ice for fifteen seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe and let the foam settle before serving.
What you'll end up with: The shake is what makes the foam, and a ristretto's crema gives it more to work with. The decaffeinated base is the point of making it after eleven.
Tiramisu Soak
How to make Tiramisu Soak with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf capsules.
- 4 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 200g sponge fingers and 500g mascarpone
- Cocoa powder to dust
- Pull four ristrettos into a shallow bowl, stir in the sugar and let it cool completely.
- Dip the sponge fingers one at a time, quickly, and layer them into a dish.
- Spread the sweetened mascarpone over the top and chill for at least four hours.
- Dust with cocoa just before serving.
Brewing the perfect cup
What’s in it, what to know
Inside the pack
| Component | Proportion | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Decaffeinated roast and ground coffee | 5.2g per capsule | The whole of the drink. Nothing is added to the capsule, so any sweetness in the cup came out of the bean rather than out of a packet. |
| Ristretto grind and dose | Set for a 25ml shot | The density. A short pull concentrates the early part of the extraction, which is the most direct way of putting back the body that decaffeination takes out. |
| Aluminium capsule | 20 in the carton | The seal. A metal capsule holds pressure better than a plastic one, which is what lets a compatible capsule behave like the original in the machine. |
| Pack | 20 capsules, 104g |
Pack: L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g; twenty aluminium capsules for Nespresso Original machines, 5.2g of coffee each. The printed intensity number, the decaffeination method, the ingredient list, the allergen advice and the best-before date are on the current UK carton and should be read from it rather than from this page.
Characterising components shown.
Sourcing & blend. L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g comes from a French coffee name that reached British kitchens through the capsule aisle rather than through cafés. Decaffeination is done by several different processes across the industry and they do not taste alike, which is a genuine reason to read the carton if the detail matters to you.
What's in L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g, and what isn't:
- In: decaffeinated roast and ground coffee, sealed in aluminium, brewed under pressure by the machine with water and nothing else.
- Nothing added: no sugar, no milk and no flavouring goes into a plain espresso capsule. Any sweetness you taste is roast-derived.
- Machine specific: Nespresso Original only. Not compatible with Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or Tassimo machines, and no adapter changes that.
- Packaging: the capsule body is aluminium. Follow the current carton and your local-authority guidance; capsules and the outer carton usually take different disposal routes and schemes differ by council.
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Source: Teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference L'Or Espresso 20 x Ristretto Decaf Coffee, 104g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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