Most people searching for Lavazza decaf want to know two things: how the caffeine actually gets removed, and whether the cup at the end is worth drinking.
The first answer is straightforward. CO2 process. No solvents. The same method Kenco uses on their instant range and the same method most specialty roasters use on theirs. That puts Lavazza in the better half of the supermarket decaf aisle by some distance.
The second answer depends on which Lavazza decaf you mean. The range splits three ways and the verdicts are not identical.
How Lavazza removes the caffeine
Supercritical CO2. Pressurised carbon dioxide at around 300 times atmospheric pressure, warmed to roughly 70°C. At that combination of pressure and temperature, CO2 behaves as both a liquid and a gas, penetrates the cell structure of the green bean and binds selectively to caffeine. The caffeine loaded CO2 then moves to a second vessel where the pressure drops, the caffeine separates out, and the gas is recirculated for the next batch.
No methylene chloride. No ethyl acetate. No chemical solvents at any stage. Lavazza’s own phrasing on the My Easy Day product page is “a natural method exploiting the qualities of carbon dioxide, preserving aromas and the iconic taste of Lavazza”. The marketing copy is slightly florid but the chemistry behind it is honest.
Why this matters: most mass market UK decaf still uses solvent methods. The cheapest brands lean on methylene chloride. Lavazza pays more to use supercritical CO2, which is a deliberate quality decision and the most concrete thing separating their range from the cheap end of the shelf.
The Lavazza decaf range
Three products, all CO2 processed, with meaningfully different cups.
| Product | Format | Size | Typical UK price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Easy Day | Ground | 250g | £5.50 to £6.50 | Filter, moka, French press |
| Caffè Decaffeinato | Ground (espresso grind) | 250g | £5 to £6 | Espresso machines |
| Dek | Whole beans | 500g | ~£11 | Espresso, moka, grinder owners |
My Easy Day is the everyday ground. Medium roast, intensity 3 out of 10 on Lavazza’s own scale, an Arabica and Robusta blend with origins in South America and Southeast Asia. Flavour notes lean dried fruit and what Lavazza describes as “delicate”. Stocked across the major UK supermarkets, with availability on lavazza.co.uk varying through the year.
Caffè Decaffeinato is the espresso grind sibling, ground finer for moka pots and home espresso machines. Sold widely through Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Robert Dyas and others. Amazon reviews on this product skew more polarised than the rest of the range, with several reviewers preferring the Dek beans over this ground variant. Worth knowing before buying a multipack.
Dek is the whole bean. 500g bags, Arabica and Robusta blend, sourced primarily from Brazil, with caffeine confirmed at 0.1% by dry weight on multiple trade listings. This is the product that gets specialist recognition. Countryfile placed the Lavazza range second overall in their July 2025 test. Decadent Decaf’s review concluded “not a complex coffee, but you don’t buy Lavazza for complexity”, which is a fair summary.
For anyone running an espresso machine at home and wanting a default decaf that tastes recognisably Italian, Dek is the pick of the range.
What’s in it
Roasted decaffeinated coffee, and nothing else. An Arabica and Robusta blend across both the My Easy Day ground and the Dek whole beans. No additives, no flavourings, no anti caking agents.
Robusta in the blend keeps the price down and adds body and crema, which suits the Italian espresso style Lavazza is built around. It is also part of why Lavazza decaf has never tried to be a single origin specialty product. The blend is the house style.
Origin on the current My Easy Day product page reads as South America and Southeast Asia. The Dek beans come primarily from Brazil. No specific certifications (Rainforest Alliance, organic, Fairtrade) are confirmed on current packaging for the UK decaf range, though Lavazza maintains broader sustainability commitments at the group level.
How much caffeine is left
Roughly 2 to 5mg per cup, depending on grind and brew strength.
| Drink | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|
| Lavazza decaf (any format) | 2 to 5 |
| Regular tea | up to 75 |
| Single espresso (caffeinated) | 60 to 65 |
| Regular filter coffee | 95 to 140 |
| NHS pregnancy daily limit | 200 |
Both the My Easy Day ground and the Dek whole beans confirm 0.1% caffeine by dry weight. That is the maximum permitted for roasted decaffeinated coffee under the UK Coffee and Coffee Products Regulations (SI 1987/1986), the long-standing 0.1% threshold retained after Brexit. Lavazza states their decaffeination cuts caffeine by around 97% versus a regular cup, which lines up with the numbers above.
For pregnancy, the NHS limit is 200mg of caffeine per day. At 2 to 5mg per cup you would need to drink 40 cups or more of Lavazza decaf to approach that limit. The CO2 process also means no chemical solvent residue. Standard advice applies (check with your midwife if unsure), but on caffeine and chemistry alone, Lavazza decaf is comfortably inside the safe zone.
Lavazza vs Kenco vs specialty decaf
The two mainstream CO2 brands on UK shelves, with specialty included for reference.
| Lavazza (Dek and My Easy Day) | Kenco Decaff | Specialty decaf (via the directory) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | CO2 | CO2 | Swiss Water, CO2, sugar cane EA |
| Format | Ground and whole bean | Instant | Whole bean and ground |
| Origin transparency | Region (blend) | Not disclosed | Single origin, traceable |
| Price | ~£6.50 | ~£5 (instant) | varies; often £9 to £18 |
| Best for | Espresso, moka, filter | Quick cup | Flavour complexity, origin interest |
Kenco is the better instant. Lavazza is the better real coffee. They use the same decaffeination method and they are competing for different use cases, so the choice is fairly easy. If you brew with a machine, moka pot or filter, Lavazza. If you want a teaspoon and hot water, Kenco.
Specialty decaf is a different conversation again. The Decaffeinate directory currently lists over 80 active decaf coffees from independent roasters, primarily UK and Ireland. Single origin, small batch, tasting notes that range from blueberry and jasmine to butterscotch and dark chocolate. Pricing typically lands in the £9 to £18 range, so the gap to Lavazza is real but not vast. The drink at the other end is.
Who makes Lavazza
Luigi Lavazza opened a small grocery at Via San Tommaso 10 in Turin in 1895 and started blending coffee from different origins to even out supply and improve flavour. The blending approach was unusual at the time and became the house style. Four generations of the same family still run the business today.
The company is now the seventh largest coffee roaster in the world by revenue, holds over a third of the Italian retail coffee market, and operates in more than 140 countries. Decaf is a relatively small slice of the range but a long established one. Dek has been part of the Lavazza catalogue for decades.
Is it any good
For what it is, yes. With caveats.
Lavazza decaf is among the best mainstream supermarket decaf you can buy in the UK. CO2 processed, properly roasted, and available in formats that suit espresso machines, moka pots and filter brewers rather than just a teaspoon. The Dek whole beans are genuinely worth a look for espresso machine owners and are the strongest product in the range.
What Lavazza decaf is not: a specialty coffee. The beans are commercially sourced and blended, the origin is region level rather than farm level, and the flavour profile lands squarely in familiar Italian espresso territory. That is a category Lavazza owns. It is also a different game to single origin specialty, and Lavazza isn’t trying to play it.
If your criteria are “CO2 process, available at Tesco, tastes like the Lavazza I already drink”, this is the right answer. If you want to find out what your espresso machine can really do on decaf, browse the directory. Over 80 decafs from independent roasters, primarily UK and Ireland, all vetted, all linked direct. The ceiling sits a long way above the supermarket aisle.