What is decaffeinated coffee? what does decaffeinated coffee mean? decaf coffee contains caffeine.

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[what is decaf]

Decaf refers to the removal of 96% to 98% of caffeine from coffee beans before they are sent for roasting. The removal of caffeine will cause changes in the physical and chemical nature of coffee beans, which will more or less affect the original flavor of coffee beans. According to EU standards, decaffeinated coffee is defined as having no more than 0.1% caffeine by weight of raw beans. The Starbucks standard (also the general international standard) is removed to less than 3% of the original content, which can only be called decaffeinated coffee, not decaffeinated coffee.

[methods of removing caffeine]

1. Direct / indirect contact method: at present, the most commonly used is to use chemical solvents such as dichloromethane (methylene chloride) and ethyl acetate (ethylacetate, EA) to dissolve caffeine. Although there are standards for extremely low residues, many people still have doubts that dichloromethane is a possible carcinogen and ethyl acetate can cause skin problems. Maybe how much caffeine remains in decaffeinated coffee will not be a concern, but organic solvents will be.

two。 Swiss washing method: Swiss Water, this is patented. In short, soak the raw beans in water, filter out the caffeine with activated carbon, and then soak the beans with the filtered oversaturated water.

3. Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) treatment: coffee beans expand after absorbing water, caffeine molecules are loosened in the bean body, carbon dioxide is added and given more than 100atmospheric pressure (Atm) in the water, which is to create an environment of high pressure and low temperature soda water. When caffeine is captured by carbon dioxide, it begins to move. Carbon dioxide is highly selective and does not capture carbohydrates and proteins in coffee beans, which are the main components of flavor and smell in coffee beans.

In general, Arabica beans contain about 1.3% caffeine, while Robusta beans are 2 to 3 times higher. To make Decaf coffee beans, chemical solvents, water treatment and carbon dioxide are three technologies, but most coffee beans can not achieve zero caffeine, always contain no more than 0.3% of the residual caffeine.

[decaf coffee tastes]

Compared with ordinary coffee beans, because after treatment, the fragrance is indeed easily volatilized, if it is slightly sealed and oxidized, which reduces sweetness and bitterness, and makes decaffeinated beans from full flavor to dull and tasteless, maybe it will be reimbursed in a little more than a week.

There is also a certain difference in taste, because low-caffeine coffee beans have to be processed before baking to extract the caffeine that brings fragrant flavor. therefore, some people may think that the taste is lighter. Decaf coffee also has its unique taste, with different levels of fragrance, softness, acidity and so on. Like Indonesian coffee and Kenyan coffee, they are also very different in flavor, as long as they are roasted properly and freshly, they are also delicious coffee. However, there are not many low-caffeine coffee beans to choose from, generally only in Brazil and Colombia. As it is easy to oxidize and deteriorate, the shelf life of low-caffeine coffee is shorter than that of ordinary coffee, and it is best to enjoy it within one week. The best duration of untreated coffee is one to three months from the date of baking.

[recommended brewing parameters of decaffeinated coffee in Qianjie]

V60ap90 ℃ / 1 15 / time two minutes