All About Decaf Coffee Beans

If you are like me, sometimes you are already wired and just want a cup made with decaf coffee beans for the taste. Do not get me wrong, now; coffee is a great pick-me-up for in the morning. But sometimes, people just want to drink a nice cup of coffee and enjoy the flavors and taste without getting the caffeinated jolt that comes with it. Thus, decaf coffee beans were created. This article will tell you all about decaf coffee beans and how they give you the great flavors of coffee without the kick.

The Principle Behind Decaf Coffee Beans

Decaf coffee beans are normal coffee beans that have had the caffeine removed from them via a variety of methods. Coffee has a tremendous amount of caffeine, enough to perk just about anyone up. But some people cannot take too much caffeine, and just want to drink coffee. Others may not want the caffeine kick at that moment. For these people, decaf coffee beans were made. Note that removing the caffeine from beans results in a slight loss of flavor in some cases, but the vast majority of the time, you will not notice a difference in the taste at all. Now we will discuss five different methods for creating decaf coffee beans.

Decaf Coffee Beans Process #1: the Swiss Water Process

This method was created by the Swiss in the 1930’s (but the only plant still operating is in Canada). Green coffee beans are soaked in hot water, which causes the caffeine to leave the bean. The water (containing coffee solids and the caffeine) passes through a filter made of carbon, which lets everything pass through except for the caffeine. This water is then filtered again with new beans. This is repeated over and over again until almost all of the caffeine has been removed.

Decaf Coffee Beans Process #2: Direct Method

In this method, the coffee beans are steamed for half an hour. They are then rinsed over and over again with a chemical known as methylene chloride (or dichloromethane or DCM), over a 10-hour period. Ethyl acetate may also be employed. After removing the solvent, the beans are rinsed off and are ready for roasting. Most decaffeination facilities use DCM because ethyl acetate is more difficult to extract and use.

Decaf Coffee Beans Process #3: Indirect Method

With the indirect method, the beans are soaked for a longer time in hot water – around 10 hours. The beans are then removed and ethyl acetate is used with the water, which in turn is used with another batch of beans. After a certain number of repetitions, the caffeine is almost completely removed from the beans and is in the solvent itself.

Decaf Coffee Beans Process #4: Carbon Dioxide Method

The fourth method of the five discussed in this article involves the use of compressed carbon dioxide. Beans that have already been steamed are subjected to what scientists call supercritical carbon dioxide at extremely high pressures – resulting in the carbon dioxide being in the stage between liquid and gas. At this point, one of two things may be done. The pressure is lowered so that the carbon dioxide can evaporate. Or, the CO2 is run through filters made of charcoal or water to get rid of the caffeine. The facility then uses this mixture for another set of beans. This method actually works better than water to get the caffeine removed without chemicals.

Decaf Coffee Beans Process #5: Triglycerides Method

This last method may sound complex, but it is actually fairly simple. The maker takes unroasted coffee beans and soaks them in water. This makes the caffeine come to the surface of the bean. The beans are then placed in a solution containing coffee oils, which strip away the caffeine. The beans are then dried off, and no caffeine remains. This method is particularly popular because coffee oil is the solvent – which means no flavor is lost.

 

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