Ludwig Rosilious created decaf coffee. He created it in 1906 in Germany because he thought his father had died due to excessive caffeine consumption. So he thought why not make a such coffee which does not have any damage and also has good taste?
One of the most popular drinks in the world is coffee. Because it contains high levels of caffeine, people like it more. Caffeine is a natural energizer that gives us an energy buzz. Some people use less caffeine for their health or other reasons. Decaffeinated or “decaf” coffee is available. Decaf coffee is best because it contains less caffeine.
How to make Decalf coffee?
Removing caffeine while retaining the aroma and flavor of the coffee bean is no easy task. Decal coffee takes out its caffeine content from green, unroasted coffee beans and relies on the fact that caffeine dissolves in water.
Here are the three main methods of removing caffeine from beans. Because of the extra steps required in this method, decaf is quite expensive. Let’s discuss this in detail.
- Using solvent-based method
There are two types of this method as under:
Direct method
This method relies on steaming the coffee beans and then soaking them in a chemical solvent (often ethyl acetate or methylene chloride) that attaches to caffeine and draws it out of the beans.
The coffee beans are steamed again to get rid of any remaining chemical solvent once the caffeine has been extracted, which takes a preset amount of time.
Indirect method
The chemical solvent used in the indirect process is still used, but it is not in direct contact with the coffee beans. Alternatively, the beans are soaked in hot water, and the water is burned with a chemical solvent after the beans are separated from it.
Caffeine changes after forming a binding with the water’s solvent. The coffee flavors and smells are re-absorbed by the beans when the water empty of caffeine is added.
There is discussion over decaf coffee because of the solvent chemicals—methylene chloride in particular—that are employed in these processes. This is due to the theory that excessive doses of methylene chloride may be slightly carcinogenic. Paint remover, nail polish remover, and degreaser are common products that contain methylene chloride and ethyl acetate.
Nonetheless, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States and the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code both approve the use of these solvents in the decaf processing process.
Furthermore, the maximum amount of chemicals that can remain on the beans is strictly regulated, and almost no solvent is left behind.
- Using Non-solvent-based methods
In non-solvent-based method, we use liquid carbon dioxide and or water are becoming increasingly famous because they don’t involve chemical-based products.
In the CO2 process, beans are placed in a high-pressure chamber with liquid carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide connects to the caffeine and is then collected through high pressure, leaving the decaffeinated beans behind.
The water method also referred to as the Swiss water process, is exactly as it says it does: it uses water to extract caffeine from coffee beans. This method includes multiple changes, but these are the main steps.
Green coffee beans are first soaked in hot water to create an extract that is high in flavoring chemicals and caffeine (the flavorless beans are disposed of). Activated charcoal filters are used to filter this green coffee extract, keeping the caffeine molecules while allowing the flavors flow through.
Once created in this way, the extract is free of caffeine and can be used to soak clean green coffee beans due to the flavors have already absorbed the extract and the caffeine will be the only element that separates from the beans.
Is caffeine fully removed from decaf?
Decalf coffee is almost 97% free from caffeine, but 3% caffeine is present. Research has found that other coffees contain almost 95g of caffeine, but decaf coffee contains almost only 2g of caffeine, so this is what makes it stand out from the rest.
Best decaf coffee
I experimented a lot of decaf coffee, but Counter Culture Slow Motion was an amazing decaf coffee(In my opinion) and won both of our taste tests outright with mind-blowing clarity. Its medium roast had a large amount of sweetness, pleasant acidity, and a full body with flavors of dark chocolate, cherry, and almond.
Decaf coffee benefits
Like all coffee, drinking decaffeinated coffee has been related to multiple important health benefits, such as a longer lifespan and a lower risk of getting multiple cancers.
Is decaf coffee safe?
The natural caffeine found in coffee beans is removed using chemistry in all decaffeination methods, which have been verified as safe by food safety authorities in the United States, Europe, and other countries. Decaffeinated coffee is safe to drink and can be a part of a nutritious diet, just like regular coffee.