For a long time, ordering a decaffeinated coffee was almost an admission of defeat, and a sign of someone who wasn't a true coffee connoisseur.
The scenario is usually the same: someone likes coffee but wants to avoid caffeine, whether due to sensitivity, health concerns, anxiety (seemingly more and more often), or simply because they want to drink a cup at night without spending the next few hours staring at the ceiling (like me as I write this article, at 10:47 PM). The problem is that decaf rarely received the same care as regular coffee.
In most cases, it was a byproduct. Medium-quality coffee, overly dark roasts, and decaffeination processes that left little room for the origin to express itself in the cup.
Fortunately, that is changing. In recent years, decaf has finally started to receive the attention it deserves, particularly within the specialty coffee sector. And the truth is that some of the best coffees we've tasted recently are precisely decaffeinated.
In fact, this article came about for a very simple reason: we are looking for a decaf, and during the tests we've been conducting, we realised something again: the world of decaf has evolved far more than most people imagine.
Decaf drinkers can be the biggest coffee connoisseurs
There's a curious idea in the coffee world. Many people assume that those who drink decaf like coffee less. But often the exact opposite is true.
Someone who chooses decaf is often just looking for the flavour. They're not looking for the stimulus, they're not looking for the energy, they're not looking for the effect of caffeine.
They're looking for coffee for coffee's sake; they want to be able to drink a cup after dinner. They want to make a V60 late in the afternoon. They want an espresso after a meal without compromising sleep.
What exactly is caffeine?
Caffeine doesn't exist in the plant to help us wake up. In nature, it primarily functions as a defence mechanism. The coffee plant produces caffeine as a natural repellent against insects and other threats. It's a type of natural pesticide created by the plant itself.
Interestingly, the amount of caffeine varies depending on the species and also on the growing conditions. Generally, coffees grown at higher altitudes grow more slowly. Typically, coffees grown at higher altitudes have slightly lower levels of caffeine.
Arabica vs Robusta: the big difference
Arabica coffees typically contain between 0.8% and 1.5% caffeine. Robustas, on the other hand, can easily reach 2% to 2.7%.
In other words, a Robusta coffee can have almost double the caffeine of an Arabica.
This is also why commercial coffees use Robusta: it contributes to a perceived higher intensity, more bitterness, and more caffeine.
How much caffeine is actually in a cup?
The values vary depending on the origin, variety, preparation method, and recipe used, but we can talk about quite acceptable averages.
A single espresso prepared with about 9 grams of coffee typically contains between 60 and 80 mg of caffeine.
A double espresso with 18 grams can easily reach between 120 and 160 mg.
As for filter coffee prepared with 20 grams of coffee, it can range between 180 and 250 mg of caffeine, depending on the extraction.
This surprises many people because there's an idea that espresso is "stronger". In reality, espresso is more concentrated, but a filter coffee often contains more total caffeine in the cup.
Decaffeination process
The goal is simple: remove most of the caffeine while preserving as many of the aromatic compounds as possible.
In practice, it's not an easy process. Caffeine is inside the bean along with many of the compounds responsible for flavour. Separating one from the other requires technology and care. Currently, the three most respected processes in specialty coffee are:
CO₂ Process
It is considered one of the most advanced methods available. It uses carbon dioxide under pressure to selectively extract caffeine from green beans. Since CO₂ has a high affinity for caffeine, it can remove it while preserving much of the aromatic compounds responsible for flavour. It is a method widely used for higher quality coffees.
Ethyl Acetate (EA or Sugar Cane Process)
Currently very popular in Colombia and perhaps the most used process in specialty coffees in Portugal. It uses ethyl acetate, a compound naturally present in fruits such as banana and sugarcane. When well executed, it produces sweet, clean coffees with excellent flavour retention.
Swiss Water Process
Probably the most well-known method. It uses only water, temperature, and activated charcoal filtration to remove caffeine. It is a process without added chemical solvents and continues to be a benchmark in the industry.
Does decaf taste the same as regular coffee?
The honest answer is no. Even today, it's virtually impossible to remove 97% to 99% of caffeine without slightly altering the coffee. Anyone who claims otherwise is probably exaggerating. But it's also true that the difference is no longer what it was ten or fifteen years ago. The best modern decafs manage to preserve a huge part of the origin's identity.
In the Czech Republic, we have tasted decafs with citrus and fruity notes, and extremely clean profiles. Things that would have been hard to imagine a few years ago.
Furthermore, roasting decaf usually requires even more care. The bean has already undergone additional processing and reacts differently inside the roaster. Small decisions during roasting can have a significant impact on the final result.
The future of decaf is much more interesting than it seems
For years, decaf was seen as an alternative. Today, it is finally starting to be seen as a category of its own.
As processes evolve, producers invest more quality in batches destined for decaffeination, and roasters dedicate more attention to them, the difference from conventional coffee continues to diminish.
Perhaps it will never completely disappear.
But we have already reached the point where an excellent decaf can surprise even the most demanding coffee geeks.
Sources:
Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
National Coffee Association USA
Swiss Water® Process
Coffee Quality Institute (CQI)
0 comments