How to Choose Decaf Coffee Beans - Decaf Coffee Recommendations and Characteristics

The Story of Decaf Coffee

Legend has it that the renowned German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a coffee enthusiast, yet he suffered greatly from sleeplessness after drinking coffee. This love-hate relationship led Goethe to seek help from his friend Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, asking him to analyze the components of coffee beans and identify what caused sleep interference. Around 1820, Runge identified caffeine as the factor affecting sleep and developed a method to separate caffeine from coffee beans, thus becoming the pioneer of decaffeinated coffee.

Although Runge had discovered the factor affecting sleep, the caffeine extraction technology at that time could not support mass production of decaf coffee. It wasn't until 1903 that German coffee bean importer Ludwig Roselius discovered that coffee beans soaked in seawater lost significant caffeine content. He then commissioned a team of chemists to research and develop caffeine extraction technology, leading to a major breakthrough in extraction methods. Only then did mass production of decaffeinated coffee begin.

What is Decaf Coffee?

Decaf is short for decaffeinated coffee. At least 97% of the caffeine from coffee beans has been removed. There are many methods to remove caffeine from coffee beans. Most involve water, organic solvents, or carbon dioxide. Coffee beans are washed in solvents until caffeine is extracted into them, then the solvent is removed. The beans are decaffeinated before roasting and grinding. Aside from caffeine content, the nutritional value of decaf coffee should be nearly identical to regular coffee. However, depending on the method used, the taste and aroma may become slightly milder and the color may change. This can make decaf coffee more enjoyable for those sensitive to the bitterness and aroma of regular coffee.

Does decaf coffee mean completely caffeine-free? Not exactly. FrontStreet Coffee believes that while decaf coffee has had most of its caffeine extracted, it still retains 2-3% caffeine, meaning each cup of decaf espresso contains about 0-7 milligrams of caffeine. Although caffeine is still present, compared to regular espresso, the caffeine in decaf coffee has no effect on most people.

Decaf Coffee Processing Methods

There are many methods to remove caffeine, which can be broadly categorized into direct/indirect solvent processing, supercritical carbon dioxide processing, and Swiss water processing.

Direct Solvent Processing

Direct solvent processing uses chemical solutions such as dichloromethane and ethyl acetate to dissolve caffeine. First, steam opens the pores of the raw coffee beans, then dichloromethane solvent is added directly to the coffee beans. After the solvent merges with the caffeine, the caffeine-filled solvent is washed away, and the coffee beans are steamed again to remove all residual solvent.

Since dichloromethane has been suspected of increasing cancer risk with long-term exposure, there are concerns about using it as a solvent. However, the FDA limits dichloromethane content in decaffeinated coffee to 0.001%, which is actually much lower in practice, with minimal side effects. The process using ethyl acetate as a solvent is the same. Ethyl acetate typically comes from sugarcane, so when used, the direct solvent method is sometimes called the sugarcane decaffeination method. Colombian decaffeination processing typically uses this method. However, ethyl acetate is highly flammable, making it more dangerous.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processing

This method first allows coffee beans to absorb water and expand, putting caffeine molecules in a loose state within the beans. Liquefied carbon dioxide is added and pressure greater than 100 atmospheres is created in water. Carbon dioxide is highly selective, dissolving caffeine without "harming" the carbohydrates and proteins in the coffee beans, ensuring that the coffee's flavor is not destroyed. The liquid carbon dioxide that carries away the caffeine can be reused after removing the caffeine.

Coffee decaffeinated using carbon dioxide places less burden on the human body, and according to research, this method extracts more caffeine than the direct solvent method. However, this method costs much more than the direct solvent method.

Swiss Water Processing

Swiss Water Processing was developed by the Swiss company Coffex in the late 1970s, and SWISS WATER is now a registered trademark. This method soaks raw coffee beans in hot water, during which some caffeine is already partially removed. The soaked solution is then filtered through activated carbon, and finally the solution is poured back into the coffee beans. This series of steps more effectively removes caffeine. Besides not using chemical solvents, the soaked solution can be reused in different batches of processing, but the coffee still loses flavor during the filtration process.

This method can achieve a caffeine removal rate of 99.9%, making it the method with the highest caffeine removal rate.

FrontStreet Coffee's Decaf Coffee Selection

Based on the decaf coffee processing methods above, FrontStreet Coffee believes that poor-tasting decaf coffee is not caused by the processing itself. Most decaf coffees use inexpensive, commercial-grade coffee beans as raw materials. To ensure decaf coffee maintains its flavor, bean selection becomes crucial. The reason decaf coffee flavor suffers is mainly due to the steps of soaking or steaming coffee in water during caffeine removal. Today, dedicated coffee roasters are seeking coffee bean varieties that can preserve their aroma, maintaining their acidity and viscosity even after undergoing the rigorous decaffeination process. Of course, coffee beans are agricultural products, and the longer the time from farm to cup, the more the flavor of decaf coffee naturally diminishes.

FrontStreet Coffee's decaf coffee comes from the Huila region of Colombia, with specific details as follows:

Region: Huila, Colombia
Altitude: 1750 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing: Swiss Water Processing
Flavor: Berries, citrus, cocoa, nuts

Brewing Parameters

Due to differences in the fiber structure of these beans, brewing parameters need to be adjusted as follows:

Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Water Temperature: 88°C
Grind Size: Coarse grind (62% pass-through rate with #20 standard sieve)
Dripper: Kono dripper

Brewing Steps

1. Pour in the coffee grounds and inject 2x the water volume (30ml) for a 30-second bloom.

2. Then perform the second water injection, gently pouring in a circular motion with 150ml of hot water to raise the coffee bed and create a golden crema layer on the surface.

3. Wait for the water level to drop slightly, then add the final 45ml. Remove the dripper after all the coffee liquid has flowed into the lower pot to complete extraction. Total extraction time is 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

This bean delivers classic Colombian washed coffee flavor with nutty dark chocolate aroma, gentle citrus acidity, and rich creamy chocolate notes.

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