Decaffeinated Coffee: Everything You Need to Know
In recent times, there has been a notable rise in the consumption of decaffeinated coffee. The surge in decaffeinated coffee consumption is believed to be primarily driven by younger generations, particularly in the United States and Canada. Surveys indicate that over 60% of individuals aged 18 to 24 prefer beverages with reduced caffeine content.
But what exactly is decaf coffee? And what are the reasons that specialty roasters should consider incorporating it into their beverage programs?
What is decaf coffee?
Caffeine, an alkaloid naturally present in coffee beans, is responsible for the majority of coffee's stimulating effects. However, it also plays a role in the coffee's characteristic bitterness. The coffee plant produces caffeine as a defense mechanism against insect consumption. This is why arabica coffee, which is grown at higher altitudes with fewer insects, generally contains lower levels of caffeine compared to robusta coffee.
The amount of caffeine in a single cup of coffee depends on a number of factors, including species, roast profile, and brewing method. Generally, the average 225g cup of coffee brewed using a pour-over method contains around 95mg of caffeine.
Decaffeinated (decaf) coffee refers to coffee made from beans that have undergone a process to remove at least 97% of the caffeine content. The decaffeination process involves extracting the easily soluble caffeine from the unroasted green coffee beans.
In 1900, Ludwig Roselius, the founder of the German coffee company Kaffee Hag, invented the first commercial decaffeination technique. This method, designed for elderly customers sensitive to caffeine's effects, involved steaming the coffee beans in saltwater and subsequently rinsing them multiple times with benzene.
Since then, three primary processes have emerged for removing caffeine:
#1 Chemical Solvents Process
In the chemical solvent process, a solution (usually methylene chloride) is applied to unroasted beans that have been treated with steam or water to draw the caffeine to the surface. The methylene chloride then removes the caffeine, and the beans undergo another round of steam treatment to eliminate any remaining solvent. It removes around 97% of the caffeine content and is thought to be one the best ways of maintaining the coffee’s flavor.
#2 The Swiss Water Process
The Swiss Water process, initially discovered in Switzerland during the 1930s, gained commercial usage when Swiss Water Decaffeinated Co. introduced it in 1988. This process stands out for its chemical-free approach. It begins by thoroughly cleaning and soaking the coffee beans to prepare them for caffeine extraction. Subsequently, the beans are immersed in water saturated with soluble coffee components, known as green coffee extract (GCE). A proprietary carbon (charcoal) filter system is then employed to extract the caffeine from the GCE. The carbon, containing the extracted caffeine is incinerated in a regeneration furnace, leaving behind the caffeine for potential reuse.
The significant advantage of the Swiss Water process is its ability to minimize the extraction of the coffee's flavor and oils. Additionally, this method is highly efficient, removing up to 99.9% of the caffeine content. Compared to the chemical solvent processes, the Swiss Water process is generally regarded as more effective in achieving thorough decaffeination.
#3 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Process
The carbon dioxide (CO2) process, patented by German chemist Kurt Zosel in 1970, entails immersing the green coffee beans in highly compressed CO2 for around ten hours to extract the caffeine. The caffeine is subsequently separated from the CO2 using activated carbon filters.
Unlike the Swiss Water process, the CO2 process generally keeps the flavor components within the beans throughout the decaffeination process without the need to extract and reintroduce them.
What was once confined to an instant sachet and a cup of hot water has now found its place on the menus of specialty coffee shops worldwide. Although the demand for decaf coffee may still be smaller compared to its caffeinated counterpart, there is no denying that specialty roasters who choose to offer decaf options to their customers can gain a competitive advantage in the market.