How does coffee become decaffeinated?

How does coffee become decaffeinated? There are a few different methods. The primary way is by using solvents. However, a much better decaf coffee can be produced with a process that uses only water.

Traditional methods of making decaffeinated coffee

Traditionally coffee is decaffeinated using solvents that selectively target the caffeine (a solvent is a substance that dissolves another substance to form a solution). When the direct solvent process is used, steam is applied to enable the solvent to penetrate the green coffee beans. Further steam is then applied which removes both the solvent and the caffeine.

The indirect method involves soaking the beans in hot water. The soluble components of the coffee dissolve into the water, including the caffeine, as well as the compounds responsible for all the flavour in the coffee. The solvent is used to strip the caffeine from the water, and the water is then reunited with the beans.

The commonly used solvents are dichloromethane or ethyl acetate. Dichloromethane is use to dissolve a wide range of organic compounds. It is also used to strip paint and as a degreaser. Ethyl acetate is also used as a solvent and diluent. It is used to clean circuit boards and is found in some nail polish removers. By the end of the decaffeination process, very little of these solvents actually remains in the beans. However, there is an alternative method that does not use chemicals at all.

Mexican Mountain Water Decaf

The decaf that I use is from Mexico. It is decaffeinated with pure water from the mountains of Mexico.

As with the indirect process described above, the green coffee beans are submerged in water and the caffeine leaches out. However, instead of a solvent, a special filter is used which removes the caffeine from the water but leaves behind the coffee’s other soluble components. This water is used to soak the green beans again. The result is a coffee that retains all its fantastic flavour characteristics but without the caffeine.

If you are a visual person, go to www.descamex.com/descamexi.html - select the menu “Decaf Processes”, then choose “Natural Process”, and to the right of the page click on Next, for the pictorial representation of this process.

So the choice is yours, what type of decaf would you prefer? Tenth Day Roasters is pleased to offer you Mexican Mountain Water Decaf! Chemical free and absolutely delicious. This decaf is also organically certified & Rainforest Alliance certified.


References

http://www.coffeereview.com/article.cfm?ID=61
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloromethane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_acetate
www.descamex.com/descamexi.html