How Are Decaf Coffee Beans Processed_Which Cafes Serve Decaf Coffee_Decaf Coffee Bean Price Guide

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Many Americans have started trying decaffeinated coffee, hoping to get a "perfect" cup that has only coffee flavor but doesn't stimulate the nervous system.

But does decaf coffee really have no caffeine?

What's the difference between "caffeine-free" and "naturally caffeine-free"?

Are the chemicals used to remove caffeine from coffee absolutely safe?

Before understanding what your decaffeinated coffee is, you first need to understand what it doesn't contain.

The FDA specifies that the standard for decaf coffee is that 97% of the original caffeine must be extracted from the coffee beans. So, yes, decaffeinated coffee still contains caffeine. But it's not much, right?

Caffeine Content Varies Greatly Among Different Coffee Beans

In the United States, coffee on the market generally comes from two types of beans—robust Robusta coffee beans and subtle Arabica beans.

Robusta coffee beans typically contain two to three times as much caffeine as Arabica coffee beans. Their astringent taste is often considered a sign of inferior quality. Instant coffee brands like Folgers and Maxwell House often use Robusta blend extracts, while brands like Caribou and Starbucks insist on using 100% Arabica coffee beans.

After decaffeination, Robusta beans retain more caffeine than decaffeinated Arabica beans, requiring 97% caffeine removal to meet FDA standards.

The FDA doesn't specify exact caffeine content standards for decaf coffee products. If you're looking for decaf coffee, you should first pay attention to the type of coffee beans you choose.

A 12-ounce cup of decaf coffee—Starbucks grande—typically contains 3-18 milligrams of caffeine.

In comparison, an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine.

The average caffeine content in coffee varies greatly, typically ranging from 140 to 300 milligrams.

In 2007, a Consumer Reports study surveyed decaf and regular coffee from popular chain coffee shops. While most chain stores' decaf coffee contained less than 5 milligrams per cup, Dunkin' Donuts had as much as 32 milligrams, and another Seattle's Best Coffee shop's decaf reached 29 milligrams—certainly not the best choice for decaf coffee. Among these samples, McDonald's decaf coffee had the lowest caffeine content.

Nutritionist Maria Bella, who founded Efficient Balance Nutrition, a weight management and healthy eating consulting center in New York City, says that people sensitive to caffeine will easily feel nervous after consumption, and it may be affected by other factors such as diet and daily routine.

She emphasizes that there's no such thing as zero-caffeine coffee.

"If a drink can be considered 'caffeine-free,' it must have no caffeine components added. Coffee and herbal tea should not be labeled as caffeine-free," she said.

How to Get Completely Caffeine-Free Coffee?

Caffeine is removed from green coffee beans through various processes that must be done before coffee roasting. Each step affects the roasting process and how long the coffee stays fresh. Decaf coffee spoils almost twice as fast as regular coffee.

The earliest decaffeination method, developed in the early 1900s, used repeated washing with benzene assistance. This method is no longer used for decaf coffee because it was later identified as a carcinogen.

Today, like experienced wine merchants, coffee bean processors have begun using different decaffeination methods to achieve the best coffee taste and quality.

Many coffee brands directly use chemical methods involving methylene chloride.

Two other methods are natural processes, using plant hormones like ethyl acetate or carbon dioxide, or direct water washing processes. The last water washing method uses no chemicals—only pure water.

The carbon dioxide and water washing processes, pioneered by SWISS WATER®, are considered the most natural decaffeination processes and currently the only organically certified method.

Zhihu Expert Discussion on Swiss Water Processing

Swiss Water processing decaf is very popular. The entire process only uses water, and the final caffeine content is less than 0.1% of dry weight, meeting the ICO definition of low-caffeine coffee (below 0.3%).

Raw bean bags look like this—

Decaf is indeed processed from raw beans as follows:

Give the raw beans a bath, soaking them in water.

Soluble substances dissolve into the water (including coffee flavor substances and caffeine).

Lignocellulose, chlorogenic acid, etc., which are insoluble in water, remain in the raw beans while caffeine is extracted.

Here comes the key part: in the water, there's a powerful caffeine terminator that continuously filters out dissolved caffeine, while the concentration difference between the solution and raw beans continues to help caffeine dissolve into the water.

After 8-10 hours, the raw coffee beans are thoroughly soaked, and caffeine content is reduced to only 0.1%.

Finally, I guess drying and dehydration are performed. Because I have some raw beans, and they look like this.

Finally, about the flavor: because I don't have conditions to compare with precisely the same batch of untreated raw beans, subjectively speaking, water-processed coffee beans have weaker body compared to similar regions, with slight astringency (maybe it's my roasting problem, because the moisture content is obviously not very normal), and the richness of flavor is relatively thin. I forgot to test with TDS after brewing. Under the same conditions, whether water-soluble substances are lower, subjectively it feels lighter to drink. If TDS is low, you can compensate with a higher powder-to-water ratio.

Although low-caffeine coffee beans are increasingly popular, they are still difficult to find in most supermarkets.

Safety Concerns and Health Considerations

Methylene chloride, a chemical directly used in the decaffeination process of raw coffee beans, is listed as a possible carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute, but the FDA considers 10 ppm (ppm) to be a safe intake level. Tracing these trace chemicals in decaf coffee beverages found that most blend concentrations reach or below 1 ppm.

Lorenzo Perkins, Vice President of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, certified Level 2 barista, and founder of Cuvee Coffee in Austin, Texas, who has been in the coffee industry for 13 years, says the small amount of methylene chloride in decaf coffee rarely causes concern.

Understanding all aspects of decaf coffee production, he said: "Methylene chloride least affects the original taste of coffee because it's also the chemical bond of caffeine alkaloids. It can strip away other organic substances to achieve the desired coffee taste."

Despite this, coffee producers quickly felt that consumers are increasingly sensitive to additives. Starbucks uses methylene chloride to remove most caffeine from their blends.

Now, Sumatra, Indonesia offers a better "natural processing" decaffeination method. Caribou Coffee uses chemical-free water to produce decaf coffee, ensuring no chemical residues from the process it uses.

Final Tips About Low-Caffeine Coffee

Research shows that daily consumption of regular coffee can reduce the incidence of high blood pressure, lower bone density, and help balance stomach acidity.

Switching to decaf helps relieve insomnia. Coffee lovers who want to avoid insomnia problems might try drinking low-caffeine coffee.

Bella says, "Because phytochemicals still partially remain during the decaffeination process, long-term consumption of decaf coffee may cause many health conditions."

Potential results from these residual chemicals may include increased stomach acidity (heartburn or GERD), interference with mineral absorption (especially iron), and increased incidence of rheumatoid arthritis.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

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