Decaf coffee was made in the 1900s. The story goes on like, a shipment of coffee was once soaked in seawater during its transit. This way, it extracted some of the caffeine. The merchant of the ship recreated these beans into decaf coffee.
Now, let us study what is decaf coffee, and how is it made?
What is decaf coffee?
Decaffeination, as we all know, is the removal of caffeine from coffee beans. It can be enjoyed just as much as regular coffee. It has also proven to be healthy and safe as per its new methods of preparation. What makes this coffee really special is the fact that caffeine has been removed from the beans, that is, this coffee is decaffeinated. To be precise, it has 97 percent less caffeine.
In today’s world, decaf coffee is very famous. There are various methods for preparing this special kind of coffee. All of which are safe and healthy.
Let’s know more about the preparation methods:
SWISS WATER PROCESS
This process is famous for its charcoal filter. The charcoal is generally used with the conjunction of a carbohydrate solvent. This ensures that only the caffeine gets absorbed. Here, the green beans are put in hot water and soaked; thereafter, the first batch of the coffee beans is discarded. After that, the caffeine is stripped from the solution of the activated carbon filters. This solution is then used to soak the next batch of decaf coffee beans.
CARBON DIOXIDE METHOD
In the CO2 method the flavour of the coffee beans remains safe and intact. Throughout the process, the steamed beans are soaked in the compressed form of CO2. After that, the caffeine is removed using charcoal filtering. As mentioned, the flavour remains in the coffee beans throughout the process and even after the whole process is complete. This specific method of decaffeination was developed by Kurt Zosel, a famous scientist working in the Max Plank Institute.
USING CHEMICAL SOLVENTS
This method involves steaming the beans for about half an hour. First, the green coffee beans are soaked in water, and then they are rinsed with solvents, i.e. ethyl acetate and methylene chloride. Ethyl acetate is the ester that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables, especially in bananas, apples and as we can see, in coffee. After draining the chemicals out of the coffee beans, the coffee beans are once again steamed. Further, the solvent is added repeatedly and then also drained equal times to achieve the accurate level of decaffeinated coffee.
Both of these processes are considered safe and healthy. However, the steaming process can extract up to 96-97% of the caffeine. The process of making decaffeinated coffee is very special as each coffee tree takes about five years to reach full maturity. Only after reaching maturity, the coffee tree bears 1-2 pounds of the beans. The method is also given so much importance because the amount of caffeine present in a cup of coffee depends on the method and the type of coffee.
Many people claim that coffee is unhealthy. However, that is not the case. In fact, consuming it reduces the risk of gout, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease mortality; keeping you fit and active.
Do not let the uniqueness of the coffee scare you, as mentioned above the ensure that decaf coffee is just as safe as regular coffee.
So you can have your cup of decaf coffee, without a worry, now that you know how it has been made!
Ready for a fresh cup of coffee?
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