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

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Many people have started trying decaffeinated coffee, hoping to find a "perfect" cup with all the flavor of coffee but none of the nervous-system stimulation.

But does decaf coffee really contain no caffeine?

What is the difference between "caffeine-free" and "naturally caffeine-free"?

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

Before you understand what your decaf coffee is, you first need to understand what it is not.

The FDA's standard for decaf is that 97 percent of the original caffeine must be extracted from the beans. So yes, decaffeinated coffee still contains caffeine. Not much, though.

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 and the more subtle Arabica.

Robusta beans typically contain two to three times as much caffeine as Arabica. Their astringent taste is often taken as 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 100 percent Arabica.

After decaffeination, Robusta beans retain more caffeine than decaffeinated Arabica, so 97 percent removal is required to meet FDA standards.

The FDA does not set exact caffeine content standards for decaf products, so if you are looking for decaf, pay attention first to the type of bean you choose.

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

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

The average caffeine content of coffee varies widely, 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 chains' decaf 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. Among those samples, McDonald's decaf 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 consuming it, and that the effect may also be influenced by factors such as diet and daily routine.

She stresses that there is 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 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 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. It is no longer used for decaf because benzene was later identified as a carcinogen.

Today, like experienced wine merchants, coffee processors use different decaffeination methods to reach the best taste and quality.

Many coffee brands use chemical methods involving methylene chloride.

Two other methods are natural processes, using plant hormones like ethyl acetate or carbon dioxide, or a direct water-washing process. The last of these uses no chemicals, only pure water.

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

Inside Swiss Water Processing

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

Green bean bags look like this.

Decaf is indeed processed from green beans as follows:

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

Soluble substances dissolve into the water, including coffee flavor compounds and caffeine.

Lignocellulose, chlorogenic acid and other substances insoluble in water remain in the green beans while caffeine is extracted.

Here comes the key part: in the water, a powerful caffeine filter continuously removes dissolved caffeine, while the concentration difference between the solution and the green beans keeps drawing more caffeine out into the water.

After 8-10 hours, the green coffee beans are thoroughly soaked and caffeine content is reduced to just 0.1 percent.

Finally, drying and dehydration follow. Because I have some green beans, they look like this.

On flavor: because I have no way to compare precisely against the same untreated batch of green beans, subjectively, the water-processed beans have a weaker body than similar regions, with a slight astringency (perhaps a roasting issue on my part, because the moisture content is clearly not very normal), and the richness of flavor is comparatively thin. I forgot to test with TDS after brewing. Under the same conditions, whether water-soluble substances are lower is hard to say, but subjectively it feels lighter to drink. If the TDS is low, you can compensate with a higher coffee-to-water ratio.

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

Safety Concerns and Health Considerations

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

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

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

Even so, coffee producers quickly recognized that consumers are increasingly sensitive to additives. Starbucks uses methylene chloride to remove most of the caffeine from its blends.

Now Sumatra, Indonesia offers a better "natural processing" decaffeination method. Caribou Coffee uses chemical-free water to produce decaf, 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 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 an increased incidence of rheumatoid arthritis.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you are cutting back on caffeine but still want a serious cup, FrontStreet Coffee's espresso blends are a good place to look, and every bag is shipped within five days of roasting so the flavor is at its peak. The FrontStreet Premium Blend is built for homes, offices and neighborhood specialty cafes: washed Colombian coffee with semi-washed Brazilian coffee, giving nut, dark chocolate and caramel notes, a comfortable bittersweet edge, and a latte that pours smooth and holds steady latte art.

For shops of any kind, the FrontStreet Commercial Blend pairs Colombian washed coffee and semi-washed Brazilian coffee with a small amount of Robusta. It shows nut, cocoa and caramel, with the classic Brazil-Colombia base lifted by the Robusta into complex toast, almond and walnut aromas, good oil flow and a low-acid, full body.

The FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend suits cafes, bakeries, drink shops and home espresso machines. It combines washed Yunnan small-batch coffee with semi-washed Brazilian coffee, mixing the acidity of ripe plum with nut notes; ground, it releases creamy chocolate and cocoa cookie aromas, with a balanced taste and golden crema.

If you are learning latte art, the FrontStreet Classic Blend is the recommended starting point: a medium-dark espresso recipe drawn from three regions, inspired by the old "Mamba" combination of Mandheling and Brazil, with a little Robusta added for aroma and body, so even a beginner can pull an espresso with golden crema. Finally, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend is the floral-and-fruit option, blending three single origins for a very high sweetness with rose, grape, dried blueberry, sweet orange and fruit-candy notes in both Americano and latte form.