I have been drinking four cups of coffee a day since I was twenty-three. I am now forty-four. That's twenty-one years of a habit so deeply embedded in my daily structure that I don't think of it as a habit at all — I think of it as just how days work. Coffee when I wake up. Coffee mid-morning. Coffee after lunch. Coffee at about four o'clock. The ritual of making it, the smell of it, the first sip of each cup — these are among the most reliable pleasures of my day.
Last year my GP told me to cut back on caffeine. Not eliminate it entirely — she was clear about that — but reduce significantly. I was having trouble sleeping, my resting heart rate was higher than she'd like, and the afternoon coffee was almost certainly not helping either problem. She suggested one cup in the morning and nothing after noon.
I nodded, went home, and spent a week being miserable about it before I started looking for a solution that didn't involve giving up coffee.
The Problem With Most Decafs
I'd tried decaffeinated coffee before. The experience had not been encouraging. Most decafs I'd encountered tasted flat, thin, and vaguely chemical — a pale imitation of coffee that reminded you of what you were missing rather than satisfying the craving. The decaffeination process strips out more than just caffeine; it can strip out the aromatic compounds that give coffee its flavour and body, leaving something that smells like coffee but doesn't taste like it.
The natural decaffeination method is different. Rather than using chemical solvents, it uses water or CO2 to extract the caffeine while preserving more of the flavour compounds. It's a more expensive process, which is why naturally decaffeinated coffees tend to cost more than chemically decaffeinated ones — but the difference in the cup is significant.
Lavazza uses the natural method for their Dek blend, which was the primary reason I chose it. I trust Lavazza as a brand — I'd been drinking their Crema e Aroma for years — and the natural decaffeination process gave me reason to believe this might actually taste like coffee rather than a memory of coffee.
Ordering and First Impressions
I ordered through Altoe in a pack of four — I wanted enough to give it a proper trial rather than a single bag that would run out before I'd formed a view. It arrived quickly and the packaging was intact.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. It smells like coffee — properly, genuinely like coffee, not like a coffee-adjacent product. That sounds like a low bar but it isn't, based on my previous decaf experiences. I made a cup in my moka pot using the recommended two tablespoons per serving and stood in the kitchen while it brewed, which is part of the ritual I'd been worried about losing.
The first sip was a genuine surprise. It tasted like coffee. Not exactly like my usual Lavazza — the Dek is slightly lighter in body, which is expected given the decaffeination process — but recognisably, satisfyingly like coffee. The bitterness was there. The warmth was there. The flavour lingered in the way that good coffee does. I finished the cup and felt, for the first time since my GP appointment, that this was going to be manageable.
Six Months On: My New Afternoon Ritual
I've been drinking Lavazza Dek for six months. My routine is now: one cup of regular Lavazza in the morning, and Dek for everything after noon. I have two or three cups of Dek in the afternoon and evening, which means my total caffeine intake has dropped dramatically while my coffee ritual has remained essentially intact.
My sleep has improved noticeably. I fall asleep more easily and wake up less often during the night. My GP was pleased at my last check-up — my resting heart rate has come down to a range she's happy with. I'm attributing both improvements primarily to the caffeine reduction, though I'm aware that's not a controlled experiment.
The Dek has become something I genuinely look forward to rather than something I drink as a compromise. The afternoon cup — the one I was most worried about losing — is now a Dek, and it satisfies in the same way the caffeinated version did. That's not something I expected to be able to say six months ago.
Storage: The Fridge Tip
The product recommends storing in an airtight, opaque container in the fridge to maintain freshness for up to three weeks. I was sceptical about this — I'd always stored coffee in a cupboard — but I tried it and the difference in freshness between the first cup from a new bag and the last cup two weeks later is noticeably smaller than it used to be with cupboard storage. Worth following the recommendation.
What I'd Tell Any Coffee Drinker Who's Been Told to Cut Caffeine
Don't give up coffee — give up caffeine. They're not the same thing, and the right decaf makes the distinction real rather than theoretical. The Lavazza Dek Decaffeinated Ground Coffee is the first decaf I've tried that genuinely satisfies a serious coffee drinker. The natural decaffeination method preserves the flavour in a way that chemical processes don't, and Lavazza's quality as a brand means the underlying coffee is worth decaffeinating in the first place.
- Natural decaffeination method — preserves flavour compounds that chemical processes strip out
- 100% ground coffee — no additives, preservatives, or colours
- Lavazza quality — a brand with decades of Italian coffee expertise
- Genuinely satisfying flavour — bitterness, warmth, and lingering finish of real coffee
- Pack of 4 x 250g bags — enough for a proper trial and ongoing supply
- Works in moka pot, filter, and cafetière — versatile across brewing methods
- Fridge storage recommended — maintains freshness for up to three weeks
- Caffeine-free lifestyle — enjoy coffee at any hour without affecting sleep
Get yours here: Lavazza Dek Decaffeinated Ground Coffee – Natural Method 250g (Pack of 4)
And if you're building out your coffee collection, these collections are worth exploring:
Martin Szabo is a civil engineer and coffee enthusiast from Manchester who has been taking his morning brew seriously since his early twenties. He writes about the food and drink products that have genuinely improved his daily life — no gifted items, no brand relationships, just honest experience from someone who knows what good coffee tastes like and won't pretend otherwise.
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