What is decaf coffee?
If you’ve ever been coffee shopping, you have undoubtedly seen the green bar across bags and cans that announce DECAF beans. But have you ever wondered how decaf coffee is made? Or what the potential benefits of drinking decaf coffee are? Look no further! We have all those answers – and a surprise – to share with you below.
How is decaf coffee made?
There are a few ways to extract the caffeine from the green coffee beans, but two are most common: the use of solvents and the Swiss Water Process.
According to Britannica, when beans are decaffeinated with solvents the most common solvents are ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. The beans are steamed and then rinsed with the solvent to extract and wash away the caffeine. After the caffeine is removed, the bean-flavored water is added back to the beans so they can reabsorb some of the oils and flavors that leeched.
The solvents are rinsed or evaporated away from the green beans and further removed in roasting, leaving only trace amounts deemed safe for consumption.
When beans are decaffeinated with the Swiss Water Process, they are immersed in hot water to extract the caffeine. The water then passes through a carbon or charcoal filter that catches the caffeine molecules. Afterwards, it follows a similar process to that of the solvents method and manages to rid 94-96% of the caffeine.
Depending on the decaffeinating method, the flavor and aroma of the coffee might become milder than the caffeinated counterpart.
What are the health benefits of decaf coffee?
It is important to note that decaf coffee is often not completely caffeine free. But instead of the usual 95 mg of caffeine in an average cup, it is reduced to 0-7 mg.
One major benefit is that it can help reduce acid reflux and heartburn. Because the caffeine carries the acidity, it is much gentler on your stomach to drink decaf coffee. Many of the additional benefits are observational. For several people, caffeine can make them feel anxious and jittery so drinking decaf can reduce those symptoms while still offering great flavor and the comforting aspects of coffee.
If you are someone who likes to drink coffee all day, switching to decaf after lunch and in the evenings can also aid sleeping. Caffeine keeps you awake and sends signals to your brain that keep it firing. Drinking decaf will allow you to enjoy the last cup of the day and still go to bed.
Healthline also notes, “Excess caffeine may also overwhelm the central nervous system, cause restlessness, anxiety, digestive problems, heart arrhythmia, or trouble sleeping in sensitive individuals.” If you are someone who drinks coffee and is struggling with any of these issues, try switching to decaf and see if it makes a difference.
What’s the SURPRISE?
Most companies and brands have a decaf line of which several (from past experience) taste good and often like the caffeinated coffee itself! You can reduce your caffeine without compromising on the flavor. To help alleviate your search, we are going to highlight several great decaf options throughout September. Our mission is to find decaf options for all coffee drinkers while we take a break from our own caffeine overload.
I can’t wait to share some of the decaf coffees we have lined up this month. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew