6 Most Common Questions About Decaffeinated Coffee

When someone mentions decaffeinated coffee, the reaction is usually a negative one. People think it’s not as tasty, not as healthy or not as cool to drink as regular coffee. 

But, does decaf truly deserve its reputation as the mediocre stand-in for regular coffee? 

To help shed some light on the subject, here are the six most common questions about decaffeinated coffee.

What’s the History of Decaffeinated Coffee?

In 1903, a German coffee merchant by the name of Ludwig Roselius accidentally discovered how to decaffeinate coffee. It happened when one of his shipments of beans became unintentionally soaked in seawater.

In the process of trying to salvage his cargo, he noticed that the caffeine had leached out, but most of the coffee flavor remained. Thus, he developed a system where coffee beans are soaked in a saline solution. Then, he treated the beans with benzene to remove the caffeine and create the original decaf coffee.

Since that time, healthier methods for removing caffeine from coffee have developed, so benzene is no longer used.

Does Decaffeinated Coffee Have Caffeine?

In truth, not all of the caffeine from the coffee beans separates out during decaffeination. It’s impossible to remove one hundred percent of it. So, even the best decaf coffee beans can still have around 3% of the original caffeine present.

Of course, this also depends on the method of decaffeination deployed. The Swiss Water Process is the most effective, as it removes 99.9% of caffeine. Unfortunately, it also takes some of the flavor with it!

How Is Caffeine Removed From Coffee?

There are two basic ways to make decaf coffee: chemical methods and natural methods. These can be further broken down into four processes.

Chemical Methods

Firstly, there are direct and indirect chemical processes. In the Direct Process, beans are treated with ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. For the Indirect Process, ethyl acetate or methylene chloride is diluted in the water in which the beans are soaked. Both of these methods remove about 97% of the caffeine.

Natural Methods

Secondly, we have the natural processes called the Swiss Water Process and the Carbon Dioxide Process. For both of these, coffee beans are soaked in water. Of course, carbon dioxide removes the caffeine in one process. But for the Swiss Water Process, caffeine is removed with a charcoal filter.

Is Decaffeinated Coffee Safe to Drink?

Even though the chemical processes are the most popular and economically viable methods to decaffeinate coffee, coffees made using these processes are still safe to drink.

Like I mentioned before, the classic method of benzene extraction was discontinued long ago. As research and technology advanced, benzene was found to be a carcinogen.

As for the modern chemical methods, there may be trace amounts of the chemicals left behind in the final product. But, they are far too small of a measure to cause anyone health issues.

That said, if you’re looking to avoid chemicals altogether, the natural processes for decaffeination are the best bet. The Swiss Water Process is the healthiest option.

Does Decaf Coffee Taste Good?

By now you know that decaf coffee has gotten a bad rap, and honestly, it makes sense as to why. After all, it was originally created with benzine!

The decaffeinated coffee of today is worlds apart from what Ludwig Roselius created. However, it is true that both the Indirect Chemical Process and Swiss Water Process remove a little bit of the flavor because of the water involved.

That said, you can compensate for this loss by slightly increasing the amount of coffee grinds you use per cup. Alternatively, using decaffeinated beans to make a cafe americano is a great way to create a cup that tastes like the full octane version you’re used to drinking. 

Just keep in mind that understanding the science of grinding coffee beans at home as well as the type of coffee grinder you use can contribute to the taste of your drink. 

How Does Decaf Coffee Affect Your Health?

Health wise, decaffeinated coffee does indeed have its pros and cons.

Studies suggest that decaf coffee affects cholesterol in a negative way, in that it can raise LDL cholesterol. This occurs because the beans used have a higher fat content than caffeinated coffee beans. On the contrary, some research has proven that there’s no causation at all.

In general, decaffeinated coffee consumption offers more positive effects than negative ones. Research suggests that drinking decaf coffee reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, decaf is believed to help with some cardiovascular diseases and even certain cancers.

So it’s safe to say that drinking decaf can be a good part of your morning routine. Because one thing is for sure, decaf coffee will not have a negative impact on your sleep. Without a doubt, productive sleep is beneficial for everyone.

The Bottom Line

In short, decaf coffee has evolved over time. Since its inception, a lot of research has been conducted on ways decaf coffee can be produced. As a result, changes have been implemented. The decaffeinated coffee of today is not the same as the decaf from fifty years ago.

If you’ve been shying away from trying decaf because of the things you’ve heard, I encourage you to sample a cup. It surely offers some benefits that can be good for your well being similar to consuming some of the superfoods in this list. Technological advances in the coffee industry are truly a wonderful thing!

Author Bio

Arne Preuss is a former barista and founder of Coffeeness. Launched in 2008, Coffeeness is a popular online resource for all things coffee-related, with content in five languages. When Arne isn’t testing out super automatic espresso machines, putting grinders through their paces or sampling a new crop of specialty coffee beans, you’ll find him relaxing with a tall glass of cold brew.