What is decaf coffee?

Decaffeinated coffee is made from the same beans as regular coffee. There are no plantations of genetically modified beans that do not contain the stimulant. They are still the same coffee beans, but processed in one of four ways to remove the alkaloid.

"Decaf" does not mean 0% caffeine, but rather 1 to 3%. To get the "Decaf" mark, at least 97% of the alkaloid must be removed, which is verified by special tests. If you want 0% caffeine, choose herbal drinks or chicory drink.

The first batches of processed beans went on sale at the beginning of the 20th century, and benzene was used for this purpose. The beans were steamed in salt water, and then the benzene was used to dissolve the caffeine . The taste was peculiar, but caffeine was considered harmful. However, after a while, benzene's carcinogenic properties were discovered, and the technology was no longer used.

Today, 4 main methods are used: two with solvents (harmless), two without. Methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is used as a solvent. Only green beans are always processed.

The beans are soaked in hot water for several hours, which extracts the caffeine and other aromatic elements and oils. The beans are removed and the water is treated with a solvent for about 10 hours. The solvent molecules selectively bind to the caffeine molecules. The resulting mixture is heated to evaporate the solvent and caffeine. In the final stage, the beans are placed back in the liquid to reabsorb the coffee oils and aromatic elements.

The beans are steamed for about 30 minutes to open their pores. Once the beans are receptive to the solvent, they are washed with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate for about 10 hours to remove the caffeine. The caffeine-laden solvent is then drained off and the beans are steamed again to remove any remaining solvent.

The process begins with soaking a batch of beans in very hot water to dissolve the caffeine. The water is then strained and passed through an activated carbon filter. The pores of this filter are only good enough to capture the relatively large caffeine molecules, and allow the oil and aroma molecules to pass through. At this point, we have decaffeinated and aroma-free beans and oil-saturated water. This batch of beans is discarded.

The new batch is placed in treated water. It already contains oils, so they are not extracted, the beans from the second batch give only caffeine, preserving all the other components.

The latest technology, which uses liquid carbon dioxide instead of liquid chemical solvents. It selectively acts on caffeine, releasing only the alkaloid and nothing else.

In the process, the soaked coffee beans are placed in a stainless steel container called an extraction vessel. The extractor is then sealed and the liquid CO2 is forced out under high pressure. The CO2 with caffeine is then transferred to another container, where the pressure is released and the mixture separates into gas and liquid caffeine. The gas can be reused.

The process of decaffeinating coffee damages many of the aromatic compounds, so the drink will have a milder taste and smell than regular coffee. To compensate, it is roasted more intensely, but this also has its own problem: it is more difficult to control the process. Decaf coffee beans are roasted faster, immediately turn brown, break down more easily, so they turn out darker, and the drink acquires a distinct bitterness.

Decaf coffee is often more acidic than regular coffee. This is especially noticeable if Robusta beans are used – they are usually chosen for instant drinks, and in grain and ground blends the content is from 20 to 60%, however, there is also pure Arabica. Information is usually indicated on the packaging, if this line is not there – there is an unknown blend, and most likely – from Robusta.

Experiment with different brands to find the variety that suits your taste and aroma.

Like many other products, decaffeinated coffee can be beneficial or somewhat harmful, depending on the amount. Don't think that it's just about caffeine - the beans also contain many other components that affect the body, so you shouldn't drink decaf coffee 5-6 cups a day.

Advantages:

Flaws:

Packaging design can vary greatly, but increasingly manufacturers are coming to some standard: it is inconvenient for buyers to read each pack, and it is easier to pay attention to clearly “decaffeinated coffee”.

In most cases, mass-market brands use solvent processing. If you want to buy organic decaffeinated coffee (decaf) processed by the Swiss water method, you will most likely have to either look for large coffee shops or order online.