Posted on: AUG 17, 2023
Posted by: STOKES COFFEE
Did you know that after water, coffee is the most popular drink worldwide with over 400 billion cups being consumed each year? Decaf coffee is great if you fancy a brew, but you don’t want to be up all night -but how is coffee decaffeinated? And is it good or bad? We are going to break it down and explain everything that you need to know about decaf coffee.
Contents
I - Understanding Caffeine in Coffee
II - Modern Decaffeination-Techniques
III - Health Benefits
IV - Evaluating Decaffeinated Coffee
V - FAQ's
Understanding Caffeine in Coffee
Caffeine is very important, and you could argue that it is the main reason coffee is such a popular drink. Caffeine is a psycho-active drug which stimulates the central nervous system.
What benefit does caffeine have for the plant?
Caffeine is a toxin, when caffeine is contained within its natural plant form, it works like a natural pesticide. The caffeine effects the nervous system of insects that try to eat it and effectively stops them from producing essential enzymes.
Caffeine is actually a stimulant, which helps with memory and endurance. This is useful when it comes to pollinating insects, such as bees. Bees that have injected caffeine are more likely to remember the location of the plant. They also communicate through dance; the longer and more vigorous dance tends to win the interest of the hive and so more bees will be sent in that direction.
What benefit does caffeine have for us?
Caffeine is able to break through the blood barrier, so it can affect us in several ways. The main and most noticeable effect, is that it can keep us alert and awake.
As we burn energy, we produce a chemical known as Adenosine. Adenosine builds up on receptors in our brain and tells us that we are getting tired. Caffeine is able to sit in these same receptors, effectively blocking the Adenosine from getting in, keeping us feeling awake.
Modern Decaffeination Techniques
Today there are four major methods of coffee decaffeination: Direct-Solvent Process, Indirect-Solvent Process, Swiss Water Process, and Carbon Dioxide Process.
Direct-solvent process
To make this possible, the beans are steamed first to make them porous and receptive to the solvents. methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to bind the caffeine away from the beans, which can be disconcerting to some folks. However, considering the fact that coffee is roasted at 400+ degrees, and brewed at around 200 degrees, the likelihood of finding any traces of chemicals in a brewed cup of coffee is very low.
Indirect method
Beans are left to soak in hot water and once the water absorbs the caffeine and all the other components in the beans, it is transferred to a different tank where it is treated with a solvent. The solvent consumes only the caffeine, leaving the oils and flavour molecules in the water. The solvent containing the caffeine is then skimmed off the top of the water, never having come in direct contact with the beans. The flavour-laden water is then returned to the tank with the beans, where the beans reabsorb the flavours and proteins from the water.
The Swiss Water System
Using the Swiss Water System; coffee beans are first steamed and then soaked in water, to dissolve anything that they contain, including caffeine. This water is then filtered to remove any caffeine within it. Finally, new green beans are soaked into the filtered saturated water, to ensure they remain flavourful, but without the caffeine.
CO2 Decaffeination
Recommendations
Our decaffeinated coffee beans originate from Brazil. We recommend using the Swiss Water method because you can get all the delicious coffee tastes but not the side effects that caffeine can bring. These coffee beans are roasted slightly darker than the medium roast, giving you a rich cocoa element. If you are going to purchase our decaf Swiss water coffee beans then we recommend using Espresso, Aeropress, Filter or Pour over brewing methods.
Health benefits
The main antioxidants in coffee are hydroxycinnamic acids and polyphenols which can help prevent diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you should consider drinking decaf coffee instead. Decaf coffee is better for people with high blood pressure, sleep issues too. Also, individuals that take certain medications should also think about drinking decaf coffee over regular.
Evaluating Decaffeinated Coffee
Labelling regulations and standards for decaffeinated coffee
For coffee to be classified as decaffeinated, it must reach specific standards, primarily, a low caffeine content. The caffeine content should not exceed the required percentage of the total dry matter of the coffee, i.e., for every 100g of green coffee beans, the caffeine content should be a maximum of 0.1 grams.
Comparison of taste and aroma between regular and decaffeinated coffee
Usually decaffeinated and regular coffee will look and taste the same; both produce a beautiful crema on an espresso and are dark and rich in colour. Sometimes however there can be differences in the taste. Caffeine itself tastes bitter, so decaf coffee may be less bitter. However, this is usually very slight, and many people wouldn’t notice it without really looking for it.
Considerations when purchasing decaffeinated coffee.
There are no set rules of what you should and shouldn’t look for when purchasing decaffeinated coffee, the key thing is to find what works for you. This may be a bean made using a process you agree with, one that is chemical free, or perhaps one that is decaffeinated. The key thing to think about is flavour; to find a flavour you like in a coffee and to go out and search for that bean without caffeine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does decaf coffee have caffeine??
Regular coffee is a stimulant due to the level of caffeine it has in it. However, it is important to remember that decaf coffee is not completely caffeine free, with it usually containing around 0.01% of caffeine.
Does decaffeination affect the flavour of coffee?
Depending on the method of decaffeination used, the favour of the coffee can be affected. This is because the chemical agents used in the process bind to the coffee bean and are present during the roasting process. Processes such as the Swiss water system do not affect the flavour though.
What is the recommended daily intake of decaffeinated coffee?
Research has proven that a moderate consumption of 4-5 cups of coffee per day is in fact safe for the general population. It has also been shown that caffeine can improve concentration, alertness, intellectual effort, and vigilance. For decaf coffee, this number can be higher as there is significantly less caffeine and therefore, less side effects on the nervous system.
You might also be interested in these:
