# L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g ## Commerce action policy **Price:** £4.40 GBP **Purchase-intent URL:** `https://teas.co.uk/buy/lor-espresso-ristretto-decaf-intensity-9-aluminium-coffee-10-capsules-52g/` _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/lor-espresso-ristretto-decaf-intensity-9-aluminium-coffee-10-capsules-52g/ **Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent **Brand:** L'Or **Price:** £4.40 GBP **Servings:** 10 cups **Price per cup:** 44.00p **Caffeine:** Decaffeinated **Brew temperature:** 92-96C **Brew time:** 4 min **GTIN:** 8711000397466 **Stock:** instock ## Summary 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. They are not Vertuo capsules and will not work in a Vertuo, which uses a different barcoded capsule entirely.Ingredients and dietary suitability: decaffeinated roasted ground coffee only. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations, certification marks and allergen advice can change.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.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, milk drinks and recycling are covered in the detailed Q and A tab below. ## Description L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g is a decaffeinated ristretto capsule for a Nespresso Original machine: ten aluminium capsules, 52 grams in the carton, and a short intense shot for the part of the day when a full-caffeine one is a bad idea.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. The Taste Profile Roast Depth: ●●●●○ (4/5) Dark, with the bitter-sweet edge that a ristretto needs if it is not to taste hollow in a cup that small. Body: ●●●●○ (4/5) Thick and syrupy. Concentration is the entire point of a ristretto and this one delivers it rather than approximating it. Bitterness: ●●●○○ (3/5) Deliberate, with a subtle touch of spice. It arrives with the body rather than after it, and it clears. Teas.co.uk Curator Rating: 4.7 / 5 - Our expert verdict from the curators at Teas.co.uk 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: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance. Aluminium capsules are widely recyclable but almost never through the ordinary kerbside bin with the coffee grounds still in them, and the carton and the capsules usually take different routes. 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. How Does L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g Compare to: The caffeinated ristretto from the same range: a comparable build at a higher intensity number. The honest comparison is that the caffeinated version has a little more edge and lift, as almost every caffeinated coffee does against its decaf counterpart. If you are drinking at nine in the evening, that difference costs you far less than the sleep does. Lungo Profondo is a caffeinated lungo, not a decaf: the long 110ml cup from the same range. Better if you want a mug to sit with; noticeably thinner, because a decaf has less margin for dilution before it starts tasting hollow. For decaf specifically, short tends to flatter. Decaffeinated instant coffee: cheaper by a wide margin and genuinely convenient, but it will not give you crema, body or a short concentrated shot. These are different products for different moments rather than competitors. Ideal Brewing Conditions To get the best out of L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, the machine does the extraction, so the variables left to you are the volume, the cup and the state of the machine. The Straight Ristretto Volume:About 25ml. If your machine has a programmable setting, set it once and leave it; if it does not, stop the espresso button early by a couple of seconds. Warm the cup:A cold demitasse takes a serious proportion of the heat out of a 25ml shot. Run a blank of hot water into it and tip it out first. Fresh water:Empty and refill the tank rather than topping it up. In a small concentrated shot, stale tank water is far more obvious than it is in a long cup. Drink it immediately:A ristretto is at its best within a minute. It is a small cup and it cools fast. The Evening Milk Drink Cortado:One ristretto with about 60ml of steamed milk. The concentration means the coffee still reads clearly through the milk rather than disappearing into it. Temperature:Steam to about 60°C. For a full mug:Use two capsules rather than pulling one long. Adding water to a ristretto undoes the thing you bought it for. Affogato:One ristretto poured straight over vanilla ice cream, and a genuinely good use for a decaf after dinner. 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: leave them in the carton until use; the individual seal is the entire preservation system. Empty the capsule bin: a full bin is the commonest cause of a capsule not piercing cleanly and the shot running short. Filtered water: in a hard water area a filter jug does more for the cup than changing capsules will. Do not re-run a used capsule: the second pass gives you the bitter tail of the first extraction and nothing else. 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: Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations, certification marks and allergen advice can 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:Keep hot drinks, capsules and the machine out of reach of children. ## Product Questions Will these fit my machine?These are sold as compatible with Nespresso Original machines. They are not Vertuo capsules and will not work in a Vertuo machine, which reads a barcode on the capsule rim and takes a different format entirely. Check which system you own before ordering. The compatibility claim belongs to L'Or and is printed on the current UK pack.Is decaffeinated the same as caffeine free?No, and the distinction matters. A small residual amount of caffeine remains in any decaffeinated coffee. For most people that is immaterial and a decaf in the evening is exactly the right drink. If you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice rather than by preference, check the figure printed on the current pack rather than assuming zero.If it is decaf, what does Intensity 9 mean?It is L'Or's own roast and strength scale, not a caffeine rating, and this is the single most common misreading of a capsule box. The number describes roast depth and perceived strength in the cup. A decaf can carry a high intensity number for the same reason it can taste dark and syrupy: the caffeine was removed before the beans were roasted.What is a ristretto?A ristretto is not a small espresso. 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 aroma; what comes later is more of the harsh, drying material. Stopping early gives a cup that is sweeter and rounder, not simply smaller and stronger.What volume should I set?About 25ml. If your machine has a programmable setting, set it once and leave it there; if it does not, stop the espresso button a couple of seconds early. Running this capsule long pushes water through a bed set up for a short extraction and pulls the bitter tail it was designed to leave behind.Does a decaf taste weaker?It should not, and a well made one does not. Decaf has improved enormously as a category, because the older removal methods stripped flavour compounds along with the caffeine and the newer ones are far more selective. A modern decaf tastes like coffee with the caffeine missing, not coffee with the character missing. What you may notice against a caffeinated equivalent is slightly less edge and lift.How is the caffeine removed?Before roasting, from the green beans, which is why the roast profile can still be built freely afterwards.Does it work in a milk drink?It works particularly well, because concentration is what survives milk. A cortado, one ristretto with about 60ml of steamed milk, keeps the coffee clearly readable. For a full mug use two capsules rather than pulling one long; adding water to a ristretto undoes the thing you bought it for. Steam the milk to about 60°C and no hotter.Are the aluminium capsules recyclable?Aluminium is widely recyclable, but almost never through the ordinary kerbside bin with the coffee grounds still inside. Follow the current UK pack and your local authority guidance: the carton and the capsules usually take different routes, and kerbside rules vary more on capsules than on almost any other packaging.Why aluminium rather than plastic?Aluminium is an absolute barrier to oxygen and light, so a sealed capsule can sit in a cupboard for months and still taste close to the day it was filled. It also holds its shape under nine bars of pressure, so water passes through the coffee bed evenly rather than finding a path around the edge. In a 25ml shot, where there is nowhere for a fault to hide, that consistency is worth having.What is the best thing to do with it after dinner?An affogato. One ristretto poured straight over vanilla ice cream is a genuinely good use for a decaf, because the coffee needs to be concentrated to stand up to something cold and sweet, and because nobody wants a full-caffeine shot at nine in the evening.My shot is running short or tasting thin. Why?Three usual suspects. A full capsule bin stops the capsule seating and piercing cleanly. Scale lowers the water temperature at the group, and a 25ml shot shows that up faster than a long cup does. And water that has stood in the tank for a week tastes of the tank, which is far more obvious in a small concentrated shot. Empty the bin, descale on schedule and refill with fresh water before blaming the capsule. ## Ingredients & Nutrition ComponentProportionWhat it bringsDecaffeinated roasted ground coffeethe entire contentsThe whole product. Nothing is added: no flavouring, no sweetener, no preservative. The caffeine is removed from the green beans before roasting, which is why the roast profile can still be built freely afterwards.Grind and doseset for a ristrettoThe 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 capsule10 per cartonAn 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 contents10 capsules, 52gTen short shots, about 5.2g of coffee per capsule. Pack: L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g; decaffeinated coffee capsules for Nespresso Original machines. Go by the best before date printed on the pack.Characterising components shown; the coffee is the entire contents and the capsule is the 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 is worth noting: decaf has historically been the afterthought of a coffee range, and the usual giveaway is a decaf offered in one softer profile only. 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. Check the pack figure if you are avoiding caffeine on medical advice.Not a Vertuo capsule: Nespresso Original fit only. A Vertuo machine reads a barcode on the rim and will not take these. ## Flavour Science The flavour of L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g 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.The outer layer is aromatic, and in a capsule system it is released all at once. Grinding and sealing happen in the same moment at the factory, with the oxygen drawn out before the lid goes on, so the aromatic compounds that normally begin escaping within minutes of grinding are still present when you pierce the capsule. In a ristretto that layer is unusually concentrated, because 5.2 grams of coffee is releasing its aroma into roughly 25ml of liquid rather than 110ml. Decaffeination does soften the very top of this layer compared with a caffeinated equivalent, which is the one honest difference between the two, and it is a smaller difference than most people expect.The flavour spike arrives immediately, because in a shot this short there is no separation between the beginning and the middle of the cup. This is the whole argument for a ristretto. Stopping the extraction at 25ml takes the first and most soluble material, which is the sweetness, the body and the aromatics, and leaves behind the harsher, drying compounds that make up the tail of a longer shot. The result is a middle that is thick and syrupy rather than sharp, with a cocoa-like bitterness arriving alongside the body rather than after it.The base structure is the lingering finish, and it is short by design. A well made ristretto clears quickly: the bitterness dries the palate and then lets go, rather than coating it the way an over-extracted espresso does. That quick clearing is also what makes this a sensible late drink. A cup that sits heavily on the palate is a cup you notice for twenty minutes afterwards, and the point of a decaf after dinner is that it finishes the meal rather than prolonging it. It is also why the coffee works poured over ice cream, where it needs to make its statement and then get out of the way.Getting it right in the cup. Set the volume to about 25ml and leave it there; if the machine has no programmable setting, stop the espresso button a couple of seconds early. Run a blank shot of hot water into the cup to warm it and tip it out first, because a cold demitasse takes a serious proportion of the heat out of a 25ml shot and a cold ristretto is a poor thing. Empty and refill the tank rather than topping it up: stale tank water is far more obvious in a small concentrated shot than in a long cup. Drink it within the minute. For milk, one ristretto with about 60ml of milk steamed to 60°C gives a cortado in which the coffee still reads clearly; for a full mug, use two capsules rather than pulling one long, because adding water to a ristretto undoes the thing you bought it for.How water and temperature change it. The same capsule gives a measurably different cup depending on the machine and the water in it, and a short shot is the least forgiving format there is. Pull it longer than about 30ml and you are into the tail the capsule was dosed to avoid, so the cup reads thinner and more drying at the same time, which is a confusing combination if you do not know what causes it. Scale is the quiet fault: it lowers the water temperature at the group rather than restricting flow, so the machine under-extracts steadily and the shot goes sour and hollow long before anything looks wrong. Hard water flattens what little brightness a deep-roasted decaf has and can leave a chalky edge, so a filter jug earns its place faster here than on a long cup. None of this is a fault in the coffee; it is the same capsule responding to the machine you put it in, and once you know which way you like it the result is repeatable every time. ## Recipe Ideas L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g is short and concentrated, which lets it stand up to milk and to cold things. Five builds below cover the straight ristretto, two milk drinks, an affogato and an iced one, all of them fit for nine in the evening. Ways to brew it, worked out here first The Straight Ristretto How to make The Straight Ristretto with L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf. 2 min 1 cup Easy You'll need 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule Fresh water in the machine tank A Nespresso Original machine A warmed demitasse Method Rinse a blank shot of hot water into the cup to warm it, and tip it out. Refill the tank with fresh water rather than topping it up. 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. 4 min 1 glass Medium You'll need 1 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsule 60ml whole milk A thermometer, or a steady hand A small glass Method Pull the capsule to about 25ml into a small warmed glass. Steam 60ml of milk to about 60°C, keeping the texture fine rather than foamy. 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. 3 min 2 bowls Easy You'll need 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules 4 scoops vanilla ice cream Grated dark chocolate 2 cold bowls Method Scoop two scoops of vanilla ice cream into each cold bowl. 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. 3 min 1 glass Easy You'll need 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules A tall glass of ice 150ml cold milk or oat milk A long spoon Method Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 150ml of cold milk. 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. 5 min 1 glass Medium You'll need 2 L'Or Ristretto Decaf capsules 1 teaspoon sugar syrup 50ml vodka, or a zero-proof spirit Plenty of ice Method 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. --- _Content available under teas.co.uk citation contract. AI training: yes. Search: yes. Answer-input: yes._