What I got Wrong About Decaf 

Fussy and nitpicky about coffee is exactly why I'm here. Please don't stop being both.

Corrections and andendums are exactly what a make a great enthusiast channel.

This is why I love scientific communities like this because an essay that essentially boils down to "You're wrong" is accepted, appreciated, and celebrated instead of leading to petty online fights. The more information we know, the better, thanks for putting this video out to continue the knowledge that's out there about decaf!

It’s a real shame that 99% of the other RU-vid posters don’t hold themselves to this level of honesty, accuracy and self-scrutiny.

As a decaf drinker I’m so glad you are focussing on decaf and it’s amazing to see you talking about this and making these amendments and addenda is a huge part of why we are all here 😊

A RU-vidr who admits their mistakes. A gem to be treasured!

Admitting errors and addressing them is absolutely the right thing to do. As a scientist in industry, I and my peers (should) hold ourselves to high standards but mistakes do get made. It happens and there's a temptation to continually berate ourselves over it. Providing there are no serious outcomes from that error then it's a learning experience, we correct and we move on, hopefully improved. There were no serious outcomes here. Thank you (and the team) for these videos.

As someone who can no longer have caffeine, I’m so happy to see decaf content on your channel. I still love coffee and look forward to seeing your segments on the decaf process.

I've actually found myself drinking more decaf since watching your video. Keep up the great work!

No harm, no foul. We are just glad you are making more videos.

You have my respect as a man who not only admits when he got it wrong, but does so publicly, calling attention to your "mistakes", and thanking the person who corrected you. Imagine how much better our world would be if everyone took this approach!

Can't wait for the decaf tours...! Thank you!

Based in your last video I bought my first pack of decaf. A pretty good one at that. All I can say: It grinds exactly the same as regular (in a Uniform) and brews exactly like regular (in a V60) - it’s among the best coffees I’ve ever had and I thank you for expanding my coffee horizon.

As a decaf drinker, medically required, these few videos have been nice. I've had a similar experience in having to grind a bit finer to get best results, but only a tiny bit finer. Can not wait for the process plant video(s)!

Yet another demonstration of how deserving you, James, are of the respect you have garnered from your audience-myself included. Looking forward to the decaf tours!

It is nice that you went back and added the correction information to the decaf video, with it below the fold, not as many people are going to notice it on both desktop and mobile. Perhaps a pinned comment might be helpful in showing greater transparency. Otherwise love the work and the channel, all of you put a lot of love and effort into it and it shows! :D

As a coffee nerd and former academic I love how you dealt with this! Yeah I think more people should admit where they made mistakes. Absolutely love this video and all of your content!

VERY excited about the 3 decaf method tours

The fact that James is so open about making mistakes only makes me love his work more. Thank you for always being so honest and transparent!

Thank you! Since I recently had to switch to decaf because of some medication I need to take, I am very very grateful for every video you make about it. Even more so in times where it's becoming harder to trust online sources and search engines by the day.

The level at which you care about transparency and information is just outstanding and amazing. I truly admire you for it, and hopefully it affects just a little part of the world. Stay strong!

I've recently returned to home espresso after a long spell with just a moka pot (which I've learned from James I was using very wrongly, hey ho) and I found the decaf video really interesting because as a side effect of cancer treatment I seem to have become extremely sensitive to caffeine. I'm therefore going through the triple challenge of relearning espresso brewing, learning about all the things that have been invented since I was last paying attention (WDT tools, levellers, puck screens, weighing to 0.1g etc etc etc) AND getting to grips with decaf. It's been great fun, much to the bemusement of my non-coffee-drinking wife, but I'm still not very happy with the shots I'm pulling, so I'm really keen to hear more about decaf and especially decaf brewing techniques. Props for the corrections. It's a sign of a true seeker and propagator of knowledge to admit and correct your mistakes.

Thank you for being serious about journalistic integrity. So many channels would add a "corrections" at the bottom of the description in a video.

Super excited for the decaf tours! I'm transitioning away from caffeinated drinks to reduce general anxiety, so I'd love to learn more about how decaf works to get the best out of those cups.

How lovely it is that this channel brings together passionate people with friendly intentions from around the world for us all to learn more and understand better. ❤

This is why we trust you---you care about accuracy and truth.

Kudos to James for having this level of accountability and for his thrive for excellence, on a level that even the companies that manufacture these products don't have

More videos from James Hoffmann are always welcome and a blessing.

And this is why we love your channel! Thank you so much for making the coffee nerd community so much brighter and more informed!

Really interesting in learning more about decaf and I hope it gains more popularity so roasters put more effort in creating interesting decafs! I love making a good coffee in the evening without worrying about having trouble getting to sleep.

One of (the many) things I love about this channel is the commitment to integrity and clarity about the subject. It’s increasingly rare to find sources of information that aren’t solely driven by ‘creating content’. ❤

As a decaf drinking I'm super excited for the decaf production tours! I'll be keeping and eye out for those videos!

Absolutely mad respect for how you respond to being alerted about mistakes/criticisms. As a decaf drinker, I really appreciated the original video and I can't wait to see the tours of the various decaffeination processes!

Appreciate the transparency and definitely appreciate bringing the positives of decaf to light.

Hey James, after your positive decaf video I went and bought some good quality decaf green beans, gave them a nice and light roast in my home setup, and the result was a very sweet, chocolatey and smooth cup. A lot better than I had imagined. Now I can enjoy coffee in the evenings as well!

I can't wait to see your next decaf videos! I just recovered from covid and it attacked my heart, so I have had to switch to decaf. I still love my coffee and I really want to learn as much as I can from someone who I can trust to do the right thing!

common James Hoffman W. As a half-caf drinker, I'm looking forward to more decaf videos! I just got into coffee a few years ago and love it, but I want to enjoy it without making my brain buzzy every time and developing a reliance on caffeine.

Very well done. It’s not easy to apologise but all credit to you for having the courage and humility to do so. Your honesty and integrity is part of what makes your channel so successful. Keep up the great work!😊

The decaf video will forever have a special place in my heart because it was the one that started me on my coffee journey. ❤ (Thanks to YT realising that I would be totally into coffee even though I never watch anything related to food or drink 😂).

Awesome that we're finally getting more decaf stuff

The humility involved in the way you address those mistakes is what coffe lovers and/or professionals love about your work. Thank you for your videos and for all effort, James. Regards from Chile!

This is the best way to issue corrections. A quick, short, descriptive video explaining the corrected information.

Thanks for the detailed correction James. Would love to see an interview with Samo in the future!

Thanks for taking seriously expert's feedbacks! The previous video was extremely precious to me for a single point: storing decaf in the freezer! Game changer.

Awesome about the decaf factory tours! So excited! I found a local roaster that roasts light, medium, and dark roasts. They invite people to watch their roasting process every Thursday and they sell beans by the pound. They had a light medium decaf and because I no longer have a grinder had him grind it for me. He asked how I was going to brew it so he could choose the right grind size. He obviously took many factors into consideration: the fact that it was decaf, light medium roast, and would brew pour over because when I got home I was shocked to see that it was much finer than I thought it should be, but it brewed perfectly. So what you said about grinding decaf finer is my experience as well.

Updates are good! Thanks for the update

Yet another RU-vid that confirms my appreciation of your constant quest to produce quality and informative videos. I am glad to be a patron and look forward additional videos on decaf. Thank you and your staff.

Thank you for taking the time to film and edit an addendum. This has been such and interesting topic and I love having an enthusiast and scientist such as yourself delving into it on our behalf. So looking forward to the factory tours!

Oh I am excited about the manufacturers agreeing to tour their facility! 🤩

Super excited for those tours. On-location examination provides a lot of context to presented information.

I signed up for a Decaf filter subscription based purely on your last video, so thank you and thank you for your amazing videos, I love being notified there is a new one to watch. This correction demonstrates why I value your content so highly.

It's always great to see when people admit errors. Can't wait for the decaf tours!

My regular cafe here in Melbourne Australia just closed down so I went to a new one today. Ordered my decaf latte and watched as the barista fossicked around in the shelf above the grinder and eventually found the Tupperware container full of pre-ground decaf coffee. A little part of me just dies whenever I witness that...anyone else with me? And yes the coffee was banal to put it nicely. Keep up the good work @James Hoffman ... we need a quiet revolution...

I am so glad you are ever more enthusiastic to dive into decaf coffee and the decaffeination process. Thank you for addressing errors and forging forward! You are doing this with integrity, and to me, this feels like the best parts of community working well.

You a freakin' delight. Thank you for being awesome, James.

This is why I love watching your content.

I am beyond thrilled to see you talking about decaf! Thank you for including those of us who also drink decaf in your content.

I am ecstatic to hear about the tours! Thank you as well for this video and you/your team's integrity!

James, me and my husband both just adore you. Your commitment to quality and detail is still so amazing, even here. ❤️

I just like the information and the way it’s presented. Thanks for striving to get it correct, and keep putting out the videos. They’re both entertaining and informative. And your “bad” video effort is still miles ahead of most “good” video efforts by other channels.

OH MY GOSH I'm so excited for this project. I'm trying to move away from caffeine, but coffee is life, and anything that adds to the decaf conversation is a great step forward. I also love that you're a part of the conversation, not just telling us things, but actually engaging with the things and taking us along

Thank you for the update! As a caffeine sensitive person, look forward to every venture into learning about decaf!

Thank you for the follow up! Loved the other decaf video as well. I've pretty much given up on most caffeine for health reasons so decaf is all I got. Can't wait to see the in-depth videos on the different decaf processes. That sounds awesome!

In James Hoffmann we trust. Irrespective of right and wrong, love your work!

Well, I finally clicked "notifications" because of your promise for future videos on the decaf factory tours. Thank you! Love your channel.

I love the honesty of you. Thank you for being so transparent.

James, thank you for taking the time to produce a correction video. This sets a good example for RU-vidrs.

I love the humility and informative nature of your videos. Not pretentious, no ego, just really informative and warm even. Science is best made when there are changes or further revisions/clarifications to said concept/subject, and I do see the science of coffee as just that: a science, albeit a fun (and tasty) one at that! It's great to see this addendum to your previous video, and I'm looking forward to videos on the factory tours soon!

It's great to see this kind of video, thanks to both you and the people who sent corrections !

Correcting your information just makes me appreciate and respect you even more. I’m looking forward to the factory tour.

Top objectivity focus as always :) your openness to refinement of the things you've said is a great credit that so few share, least of all in social media. Looking forward to more decaf content!

Yes, thank you. I drink Swiss Water decaf about 20% of the time. I am really hoping to perfect my decaf brewing. Cheers!

Can't wait for what's in store. Thanks for the consistent level of detail and taking time to admit what was wrong and what needs to be right.

James leading the way in terms of transparency and leading by example when it comes to knowledge sharing on coffee. James you are a man of class.

Thank you for being so thorough and calling yourself out. It raises your credibility.

OK, this just showed up as a link and I didn't even know it would be about coffee- but it held my attention all the way. Terrific, informative, willing to correct and be corrected, willing to explore and explain nuance. Simple, superb content.

I so appreciate that you took correction in stride. You rock, James!

Respect for making things right to the dot! It takes a true genuine human to go back and correct oneself when a mistake is noticed. Stay true Hoffster … we love you!

So impressed with your attitude to the truth, as well as correcting yourselves! I wish every channel were as honest as you guys! Well done! keep up the amazing work, really looking forward to the factory tour decaf videos!! Subscribed and liked! 👍

Appreciate the willingness to create a video like this! Dedication to educating your audience and not just puffing up your ego! Great work.

You have an unusual level of scientific/academic humility. Pretty refreshing. Keep up the good work.

Fantastic response James and team, looking forward to the future videos on this topic.

Interesting. I grind my decaff beans at exactly the same fineness as full fat beans. Both give good shots. Looking forward to learning more about the different processes.

Absolutely excited that the Decaff Project is finally HERE!!! Thank you so much for investing in this subject, acknowledging mistakes, updating the information and especially giving it its much deserved spotlight, as a Colombian who can no longer drink caffeine this is GOLD!!! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE TOURS!❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

It's great to expect more content on decaf. Go, James, Go!

Love that instead of cyber yelling and defensive posts and blogs a content creator/expert allowed for other scientist/experts to make added information available to your audience. Thank you 🙏🏽

Wonderful! This level of integrity deserves at least two thumbs up so I've scattered some in the comments too.

RESPECT!!! Love the channel - professional and simply proper.

thank you for the corrections, i really appreciate the dedication to high standards and clarity of information and sources of information.

This is the best RU-vid apology video

Humble and gracious as always 😊

Thank you, James! Your original video about decaf convinced me that it would be possible to make a good cup of decaf coffee at home without spending too much money, so I bought coffee making stuff for the first time. This video is just more information. Can't wait for the factory tours!

Thank you for both your expertise and humility, James. I greatly appreciated your decaf video as well as the corrections follow up.

Really looking forward to the decaf tours. Thank you for these corrections, too!

If every creator was willing to make videos like this the internet would be a better place. Well done.

So excited about these upcoming decaf facilities and process videos!

Awwww, that's nice! An apology and admitting you got something wrong, then setting the record straight. I like that! How refreshing! Thank You.

So excited for the factory tours!!

The beauty of making a mistake is that you get to show everyone (inc yourself) how good you are at accepting and correcting your errors. In this you have excelled.

The only acceptable and perfect RU-vid apology video