L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g
This is the capsule to keep for after dinner. A short shot is the format that flatters a decaf, because a decaf has less in reserve and the longer you stretch it the more obvious the gap becomes, and L'Or has put theirs into the shortest build a capsule machine offers rather than hiding it in a mug of water. It behaves like a proper after-dinner coffee at ten at night, which is the entire point of owning it.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, in brief.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g is a decaffeinated ristretto capsule for a Nespresso Original machine: a short, thick, concentrated shot for the part of the day when a full-caffeine one is a bad idea. Picked into the teas.co.uk selection as the decaf that refuses the usual decaf compromise.
Machine check: these fit Nespresso Original machines. A Vertuo takes another, barcoded format altogether, so these will not work in one.
Intensity 9 is L'Or's own roast and strength scale, not a caffeine rating. Decaffeinated is also not caffeine free: a small residual amount remains, so check the pack figure if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice.
L'Or describes it as intensity 9 on its own scale, with lively woody aromas, toasted almond and sweet marzipan undertones, fresh citrus highlights, a creamy texture and a subtle touch of spice.
The interesting thing about this capsule is that it refuses the usual decaf compromise. A ristretto is the shortest and most concentrated extraction a capsule machine will give you, roughly 25ml against the 40ml of an espresso and the 110ml of a lungo, and it is the build that shows up a thin coffee fastest. Putting a decaf into that format is a statement of confidence. Intensity 9 on L'Or's own scale is not a caffeine rating; it describes roast depth and perceived strength, and the number is the same kind of number the caffeinated capsules carry.
Curator notes: our tasting scores here are judgement calls, made against the current decaf carton and the woody, almond and citrus notes L'Or describe. Our dispatch window for the Intensity 9 decaf: 1 to 2 working days. The questions underneath explain what Intensity 9 means on a decaf, how much to pull and how to recycle the capsules.
Curator’s notes
Read the full write-up
The Story Behind L'Or
The range is organised by named profile and intensity number so a customer can pick by strength without learning a new vocabulary, and the decaf lines sit inside that same system rather than being shunted into a separate, quieter corner of the shelf. That matters more than it sounds. Decaf has historically been treated as the afterthought of a coffee range, and the giveaway is usually a decaf offered in only one, softer profile. Offering a decaf ristretto at all says the opposite.
About decaffeination: the caffeine is removed before roasting, from green beans, and the process used is stated on the current UK pack rather than here. What is worth knowing generally is that decaf has improved enormously as a category, because the older methods stripped flavour compounds along with the caffeine and the newer ones are far more selective. A modern decaf should taste like coffee with the caffeine missing, not like coffee with the character missing.
Decaffeinated is not caffeine free. A small residual amount remains in any decaffeinated coffee. For most people that is immaterial, but if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice rather than by preference, check the figure on the current pack rather than assuming zero.
Packaging: What the decaf carton says, and what your council allows, decide this. Aluminium is widely accepted for recycling, though the everyday kerbside bin will seldom take capsules that still hold their spent coffee, and box and capsules generally go different ways.
What A Ristretto Actually Is
A ristretto is not a small espresso, in the same way that a lungo is not a weak one. It is the same coffee stopped early, at roughly 25ml, so you take the first and most soluble part of the extraction and leave the rest behind. What comes out first is the sweetness, the body and the aromatic compounds. What comes later, in the tail of a longer shot, is more of the harsh and drying material. Stopping early therefore gives you a cup that is sweeter and rounder than a full espresso, not simply a smaller and stronger one.
This is why a ristretto capsule is dosed and ground differently from an espresso capsule, and why the button matters. Run this capsule long and you push water through a bed set up for a short extraction, pulling the bitter tail it was designed to leave behind. If your machine has a programmable volume, setting a ristretto at about 25ml and leaving it there is the single most useful adjustment available to a capsule drinker.
Getting A Consistent Cup
- Descale on schedule: scale lowers the water temperature at the group, and a short shot shows that up faster than a long one.
- Keep the capsules sealed: nothing but the seal on each capsule keeps this decaf fresh, so leave them boxed until they go in.
- Empty the capsule bin: a full bin is the commonest cause of a capsule not piercing cleanly and the shot running short.
- Filtered water: with hard water at the tap, a jug filter will lift this decaf more than switching capsule ever would.
- Do not re-run a used capsule: a repeat run brings through only the bitter leftovers of the first shot.
- Caffeine note: decaffeinated, not caffeine free. A small residual amount remains; check the current pack if you need the figure.
- Best with: dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream, after dinner, or as the last coffee of the day.
Ingredients And Suitability
What is in it:decaffeinated roasted ground coffee in a sealed aluminium capsule, and nothing else. No added flavourings, no sweeteners, no preservatives.
Ingredients and dietary suitability: Before you buy, read the current UK carton for this decaf, since its recipe, certification marks and allergy advice may all change.
Caffeine:decaffeinated. Suitable for the evening for most people, but not a caffeine-free product, and worth checking the pack figure if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice or during pregnancy.
Child Safety:Little ones should never be within reach of the machine, a hot cup or the capsule box.
Source: teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g, please cite teas.co.uk.
The story behind L'Or
Packaging: Decaf ristretto in ten aluminium capsules per carton, about 5.2g of coffee in each and 52g overall.
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
To get the best out of L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, let the machine handle extraction and put your own attention on three things: how much you pull, how warm the cup is and how well the machine is kept.
The Straight Ristretto
The Evening Milk Drink
Made with this tea
The Straight Ristretto
How to make The Straight Ristretto with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf.
- 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule
- Fresh water in the machine tank
- A Nespresso Original machine
- A warmed demitasse
- Rinse the demitasse with water from an unloaded machine to take the chill off, and discard it.
- Refill the emptied tank with water drawn fresh from the tap.
- Pull the capsule to about 25ml, stopping the espresso button early if there is no ristretto setting.
- Drink it within the minute, while it is still properly hot.
What you'll end up with: Thick, creamy and nutty, and gone from the palate quickly. Pull it past 30ml and you are into the tail it was dosed to avoid.
The Evening Cortado
How to make The Evening Cortado with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf.
- 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule
- 60ml whole milk
- A thermometer, or a steady hand
- A small glass
- Pull the capsule to about 25ml into a small warmed glass.
- Steam 60ml of milk, stopping at around 60°C, and aim for a fine microfoam rather than froth.
- Pour the milk in slowly through the crema.
- Serve without sugar first; the short extraction is already sweet.
What you'll end up with: The concentration is what survives milk, which is why a ristretto makes a better cortado than an espresso does.
Decaf Affogato
How to make Decaf Affogato with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf.
- 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- Grated dark chocolate
- 2 cold bowls
- Scoop vanilla ice cream into both cold bowls, two scoops apiece.
- Pull one ristretto per bowl, to about 25ml each.
- Pour the hot shots over at the table so they are still hot on arrival.
- Finish with grated dark chocolate.
What you'll end up with: The best argument for keeping a decaf ristretto in the cupboard. Nobody wants a full-caffeine shot at nine in the evening.
Iced Decaf Latte
How to make Iced Decaf Latte with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf.
- 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules
- A tall glass of ice
- 150ml cold milk or oat milk
- A long spoon
- Fill a tall glass with ice, then pour over 150ml of chilled milk, dairy or oat.
- Pull two ristrettos, to about 25ml each, straight over the top.
- Stir once so the layers meet.
- Drink before the ice thins it out.
What you'll end up with: Two short shots rather than one long one. Ice dilutes a coffee quite enough on its own without help from the machine.
Decaf Espresso Martini, Alcohol Free Or Not
How to make Decaf Espresso Martini, Alcohol Free Or Not, with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf.
- 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules
- 1 teaspoon sugar syrup
- 50ml vodka, or a zero-proof spirit
- Plenty of ice
- Pull two ristrettos into a jug and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sugar syrup and the spirit, and fill a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for fifteen seconds; this is what builds the foam.
- Strain into a chilled glass.
What you'll end up with: A late-night version that does not keep the table awake. The shot has to be concentrated or the drink goes watery, which is exactly what a ristretto is for.
Brewing the perfect cup
Inside the pack
| Component | Proportion | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Decaffeinated roasted ground coffee | the entire contents | The whole product. Just decaf coffee: no flavouring, sweetener or preservative goes in. The caffeine is removed from the green beans before roasting, which is why the roast profile can still be built freely afterwards. |
| Grind and dose | set for a ristretto | The reason this is not simply a small espresso. Both are chosen for an extraction of about 25ml, which takes the sweet, bodied first part of the shot and leaves the drying tail behind. |
| Aluminium capsule | 10 per carton | An absolute barrier to oxygen and light, and rigid enough to hold its shape under nine bars so the water passes through the bed evenly. In a 25ml shot there is nowhere for a fault to hide. |
| Pack contents | 10 capsules, 52g | Ten short shots, about 5.2g of coffee per capsule. |
Pack: Ten decaffeinated ristretto capsules, 52g in all, made for Nespresso Original machines. Look for the best before date printed on this decaf's carton.
Listed above are the parts that define it: decaf coffee fills each capsule, and the metal around it is only packaging. On a decaf, the residual caffeine figure is the line that matters most to anyone avoiding caffeine on medical advice, and it is deliberately left to the pack.
Sourcing & blend. L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g is put together by L'Or, the capsule and pod arm of the Jacobs Douwe Egberts group. The range is organised by named profile and intensity number so a customer can pick by strength without learning a new vocabulary, and the decaf lines sit inside that same system rather than in a quieter corner of the shelf. That deserves a mention, because decaf has long been the afterthought in coffee ranges, and the tell is usually one softer decaf and nothing more. Offering a decaf ristretto at all says the opposite. Compatibility with Nespresso Original machines is L'Or's claim, printed on the current UK pack, rather than ours.
What's in L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g, and what isn't:
- In: decaffeinated roasted ground coffee in a sealed aluminium capsule, and nothing else.
- No artificial colours, flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives: this is plain coffee, and any sweetness in the cup is the roast and the short extraction rather than an addition.
- Not caffeine free: a small residual amount remains in any decaffeinated coffee. Anyone cutting out caffeine on a doctor's advice should read the figure on the pack.
- Not a Vertuo capsule: Nespresso Original fit only. Vertuo brewers check each capsule's rim for a barcode, and these do not pass.
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Source: teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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