Project Foodie - The misunderstood and much maligned cup of decaf

The misunderstood and much maligned cup of decaf

Decaffeinated coffees are often overlooked or made fun of in today's coffee culture, but the truth is that what was once a marginal brown liquid for the retired scene now accounts for 25 to 30% of the specialty coffee market. The quality of a cup has improved drastically, making decaf a great choice for those who want a high quality taste without the jolt. I have personally been to blind cuppings where the decaf on the table was rated as the best cup. When roasted and prepared properly the complexity and taste of a great decaf can impress even the most educated coffee taster's pallet. One only needs to open their mind and realize that a cup of coffee is truly about the taste. A great decaf can also be paired with a terrific dinner and desert completing a great dish without keeping you up the rest of the night.

The first commercially successful decaffeination process was invented by Ludwig Roselius and Karl Wimmer in 1903. It involved steaming coffee beans with a brine (salt water) solution and then using benzene as a solvent to remove the caffeine. It is said that they encountered a shipment of Nicaraguan coffee that had been damaged by water. They dried the coffee and found the coffee to be slightly different in taste and lacking the caffeine boost. From here a new product was born.

Coffee decaffeination is a large industrial process. There are two general methods, indirect and direct. In the direct method the coffee beans are first steamed for 30 minutes and then repeatedly rinsed with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate for about 10 hours. The solvent is then drained away and the beans steamed for an additional 10 hours to remove any residual solvent. Sometimes coffees decaffeinated using ethyl acetate are referred to as naturally processed because ethyl acetate is a natural byproduct of fruits and vegetables. However for the purpose of decaffeination it is not generally possible to create such a large quantity of ethyl acetate, thus the chemical is synthetically derived.

In the indirect method, beans are first soaked in hot water for several hours. Then the beans are removed and either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is used to extract the caffeine from the water-as in other methods, the caffeine can then be separated from the organic solvent by simple evaporation. The same water is recycled through this two-step process with new batches of beans. An equilibrium is reached after several cycles, where the water and the beans have a similar composition except for the caffeine. After this point, the caffeine is the only material removed from the beans, so no coffee strength or other flavorings are lost. Because water is used in the initial phase of this process, sometimes the indirect method of decaffeination is referred to as "water processed" even though chemicals are used. Other decaffeination processes include CO2, Triglyceride and Swiss Water Process.

It is important to note that decaffeinated coffees, regardless of process, have trace amounts of caffeine and therefore can cause issues with those that have an intolerance or allergy. It has also been found that coffee served at restaurants and coffee houses have been found to have small amounts of caffeine, in some cases up to 10 milligrams per cup. This may be due to brewing and cleaning procedures at the point of sale.

There are two crucial factors for the specialty coffee roaster when handling decaf coffees. The first is to be sure that high grade and cup quality beans have been used for the process, insuring a good head start. The second is to be very observant when roasting and creating a roast and flavor profile. Decafs have been through a very invasive process and will be more sensitive during roasting. The biggest mistake is to apply too much heat and go too long in the roast cycle producing a bland, baked and sometimes burnt undeveloped flavor. When handled correctly however, the end result is a complex and great tasting cup with little or no caffeine.

Be adventuress at your next dinner party and test the tasting capabilities of yourself and your friends. Purchase a decaf and a regular of your favorite origin. Be sure that the coffee is fresh and from your local roaster. Brew and serve each coffee blind and see what the results are when you and your guests are unaware. You may be surprised and come one step closer to finding the perfect flavor profile, regardless of caffeine content. The truth is in the cup!

About the Roaster

Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc. is a roaster of specialty coffees in West Yellowstone, Montana. At Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc., we are passionate about the close-knit coffee community from "seed to cup", and are proud to roast and provide some of the best coffees in the world on our website catalog and at our West Yellowstone, MT Coffee House. At Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc., we feel it is important to roast our coffees appropriate to the origin characteristics rather than to a particular roast color.