In solvent-based processes a chemical solvent is added either directly or indirectly to selectively remove the caffeine. Solvents used in decaffeinationĪs I’ve mentioned above, the decaffeination of coffee involves the use of a decaffeination agent. On the other hand, in the indirect method, the caffeine-laden water is transferred to a separate tank and treated with a solvent in this case, the solvent never touches the beans. In the direct method caffeine is removed by soaking the materials directly in a solvent the solvent is directly applied to the beans. Those solvent based processes in turn can be divided into methods using the “direct” method versus the “indirect” method. Solvent based processes are those in which the caffeine is removed from the beans with the help of a chemical solvent, such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. In order to keep things nicely organized, let’s group the four processes into two general categories, each containing two methods. The Four Main Methods of Decaffeination Used Today

This process, however, is no longer used due to the fact that benzene is known to be a human carcinogen. The “Roslius Process” involved steaming coffee beans with a brine solution (i.e., water, saturated with salt) and then using the organic chemical compound benzene as a solvent to extract the caffeine. Legend has it that his quest for decaffeinated coffee was motivated by the belief that excessive coffee drinking had poisoned his father. The first commercially successful decaffeination process was invented by the German coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius in 1903 and patented in 1906. These agents help speed up the process and minimize the “washed-out” effects that water alone would have on the taste of decaf coffee. Therefore, all decaffeination processes use a decaffeinating agent (such as methylene chloride, activated charcoal, CO 2, or ethyl acetate). Water is not a “selective” solvent and therefore removes other soluble substances, like sugars and proteins, as well as caffeine.

However, water by itself is not the best solution for decaffeination.

Since caffeine is a water-soluble substance, water is used in all forms of decaffeination.

This is not easy since coffee contains somewhere around 1,000 chemicals that are important to the taste and aroma of this wonderfully complex elixir.

The greatest challenge is to try to separate only the caffeine from the coffee beans while leaving the other chemicals at their original concentrations.

Coffee is always decaffeinated in its green (unroasted) state.

What All Decaffeination Processes Have in Commonīefore we look at any specific decaffeination process let’s see what they share in common as a group. cup of decaffeinated coffee, which originally might have been packed with 180 mg of caffeine, now only would contain 5.4 mg of caffeine. In fact, a decaf coffee only needs to be 97% caffeine-free according to the USDA. PS: I’ve written another article that covers other methods to cut down on caffeine.Ĭan it be done? Can you really have a GOOD cup of coffee that has been subjected to a decaffeination process? Read on and make up your own mind whether it’s possible.ĬAVEAT EMPTOR: “decaffeinated” does not mean 100% caffeine-free. Yet there are about 10% of coffee lovers who would like to enjoy a good cup of coffee without the stimulating effect of caffeine. Some go even so far as claiming that it goes against the natural order of things… Caffeine occurs in coffee naturally, so any method of decaffeination (no matter how good it is) is considered by many aficionados unnatural.

Folgers decaf coffee caffeine content