With people's pursuit of health, many drinks under the banner of sugar-free and low-fat have appeared in everyone's lives, and coffee, as one of the three major beverages in the world, is no exception. Low-caffeine coffee has also been introduced, which is currently common in coffee shops.Decaf coffee, so what are the characteristics of decaffeinated coffee? Then FrontStreet Coffee will use this article to popularize science with everyone.Decaf coffeerelevant knowledge.
The origin story of decaf coffee
According to FrontStreet CoffeeDecaf coffeeThe origin is related to the famous German ambassador "Goethe". He was an avid coffee lover, but he suffered from the pain of being unable to sleep after drinking coffee. Against this background, Goethe went to his friend Runge to analyze the components of coffee beans and find out why coffee hinders sleep. Around 1820 AD, Longi discovered that the factor that affects sleep is caffeine, and developed a method to separate coffee beans and caffeine. Therefore, Longi became the ancestor of decaffeinated coffee.
However, even though Longhi discovered the factors that coffee affects sleep at that time, the technology for extracting caffeine was unable to mass-produce low-caffeine coffee. It was not until 1903 that German coffee bean importer Ludwig Roselius discovered that once coffee beans were soaked in sea water, the caffeine content would be greatly reduced. So he invited a group of chemists to research and develop technology for extracting caffeine. This led to an important breakthrough in extraction technology, and mass production of low-caffeine coffee began.
What is decaf coffee?
How low does the caffeine content have to be for it to be calledDecaf coffeeWhat? According to FrontStreet CoffeeDecaf coffeeThe beans have at least 97% of their caffeine removed. Therefore, decaf coffee is also called Decaf, which refers to the abbreviation of decaffeinated coffee. But it actually still contains a small amount of caffeine, so decaffeinated coffee does not mean 100% caffeine-free.
And in general, measuring the caffeine content of coffee beans is done using a weight ratio. For example, the caffeine content of Arabica coffee beans is 0.9%-1.4% (average 1.2%), while the caffeine content of Robusta is 1.8%-4% (average 2.2%).
Decaffeinated coffee is divided into natural decaffeinated coffee and artificially processed decaffeinated coffee. For artificially processed decaffeinated coffee, the EU standard for this type of decaffeinated coffee is that the caffeine content after processing does not exceed 0.1% of the green beans, while the US Food and Drug Administration FDA standard is to reduce the original caffeine content to less than 3%, so decaf coffee has zero caffeine. That’s why FrontStreet Coffee often says when explaining decaffeinated coffee to coffee lovers: “It’s a hooligan to discuss the intake of anything without regard to dosage.”
Decaf coffeeTreatment method
So how does decaffeinated coffee chemically reduce the caffeine content in coffee beans? According to FrontStreet Coffee, there are many ways to remove caffeine from coffee beans. Most of these include water, organic solvents or carbon dioxide. The coffee beans are washed in a solvent until the caffeine is extracted into them, and then the solvent is removed. The beans are decaffeinated before being roasted and ground.
For example, the currently common decaffeinated coffee processing methods include Swiss washing method, indirect solvent processing method, supercritical carbon dioxide treatment method, and mountain spring water treatment method. Each of these four processing methods has its own characteristics. Next, FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will learn about the characteristics of these four processing methods.
Swiss Water Treatment Act
FrontStreet Coffee learned that the process of this processing method is to soak the green coffee beans in hot water. The soaking stage has actually partially removed the caffeine. The soaked solution is then filtered through activated carbon, and finally the solution is poured back into the coffee beans. This series of steps will remove caffeine more effectively. In addition to not requiring the use of chemical solvents, the soaked solution can be reused in different batches of processing. The only drawback is that the coffee will lose its flavor during the filtering process.
However, the caffeine removal rate of this method can reach 99.9%, which is also the method with the highest caffeine removal rate. Although the Swiss water treatment method will lose some coffee flavor, it is low cost, easy to operate, and very efficient. So the decaffeinated coffee beans we see now are all based on the Swiss water treatment method.
direct solvent treatment
The direct solvent treatment method is to use chemical solutions such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate to dissolve caffeine. First, steam is used to open the pores of the green coffee beans, and the methylene chloride solvent is added directly to the coffee beans. After the solvent and caffeine are fused, the caffeine-filled solvent is washed away, and the coffee beans are steamed again to remove all remaining solvents.
Since the advent of this low-factor treatment method, many people have believed that long-term exposure to methylene chloride increases the risk of cancer. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee searched for methylene chloride information and found that the boiling point of methylene chloride is 39.8 degrees Celsius. Whether it is steam or roasting temperature, it is enough to completely evaporate methylene chloride. Therefore, everyone does not need to worry about cancer.
Indirect extraction process
The process of this treatment method is to first soften the green coffee beans, and then pour the green coffee beans into boiling water for several hours. This step will extract caffeine and many flavor elements into the water. At this time, the solution becomes the essence of coffee. Then the water is separated from the coffee beans, and methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is added. The chemical molecules will decompose the caffeine in the water, and then the caffeine will evaporate through heating. The final flavor liquid is then introduced into the coffee beans to reabsorb the coffee oil and aroma. Although it is indirect extraction, it is easier to lose the coffee flavor.
Carbon dioxide high pressure extraction treatment method
The process of this treatment method is to first use dry supercritical carbon dioxide to extract the aroma components in the roasted coffee beans, then use supercritical carbon dioxide containing moisture to remove the caffeine from the coffee beans, and finally put the previously extracted coffee aroma back into the decaffeinated coffee beans. From the above steps, we can find that supercritical carbon dioxide can penetrate deep into the coffee beans because of its high penetration and low surface tension. This method of removing caffeine will not cause damage to the coffee beans, the color will not change, and it is not easy to extract substances other than caffeine. It can retain the original flavor of the coffee beans, but it requires a special high-pressure environment to complete.
The above is the information about these four types compiled by FrontStreet CoffeeDecaf coffeeRelevant features of the treatment method, and FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced a coffee shop that uses the Swiss water treatment method.Colombia Huilan Decaffeinated Coffee BeansTo share with you, the following is the basic information about this decaffeinated coffee bean.
FrontStreet Coffee: Columbia HuilanDecaf coffee beans
Origin: Colombia Huilan
Altitude: 1750 meters
Variety: Typica, Caturra, Castillo
Treatment method: Swiss washed treatment
Grade: Supremo
Flavor: dark chocolate, caramel, nuts, mellow taste.
Is decaf coffee delicious?
Coffee lovers who have tasted other low-fat and sugar-free beverages all know that the flavor of the beverage is definitely not as good as the original flavor. Is the same true for decaffeinated coffee? FrontStreet Coffee here actually believes that the bad taste of decaffeinated coffee is not caused by the processing.
FrontStreet Coffee believes that the reason why it tastes bad is that most decaf coffee producers choose cheap, commercial-grade coffee beans when selecting green coffee beans for processing. For example, if you use Robusta, a coffee bean variety with a high caffeine content, it will certainly not taste good. And if decaf coffee manufacturers use high-quality Arabica coffee beans at the beginning, then even after decaffeination treatment, decaf coffee can still perform very well.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Decaffeinated Coffee
According to the aboveDecaffeinated coffee has mostly advantages, but does it have any disadvantages?? FrontStreet Coffee What I want to say here is that decaffeinated coffee certainly has its disadvantages, but the advantages always outweigh the disadvantages. For example, caffeine is actually the largest source of antioxidants in the Western diet.
According to FrontStreet Coffee, decaf coffee typically contains similar amounts of antioxidants as regular coffee, but they can be as low as 15%. This difference is most likely due to a small loss of antioxidants during the decaffeination process. So now more and more people are choosing decaffeinated coffee because it has antioxidant effects and does not affect sleep.
Secondly, the difference between regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee is that the main antioxidants in caffeine are hydrogenated cinnamic acid and polyphenols. Antioxidants are very effective in neutralizing reactive compounds called free radicals. This reduces oxidative damage and may help prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
In addition to antioxidants, decaffeinated coffee also contains small amounts of some nutrients. A cup of brewed decaf coffee, for example, provides 2.4% of the recommended daily intake of magnesium, 4.8% of potassium and 2.5% of niacin, or vitamin B3. This may not seem like a lot of nutrients, but if you drink 2-3 cups (or more) of coffee per day, these amounts can add up quickly.
To sum up, decaffeinated coffee has many advantages. The only disadvantage may be that it is a little lighter in flavor. It is not as good as ordinary coffee, but if the beans are good, the flavor will not be too bad.
The above is the story compiled by FrontStreet Coffee about the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of decaffeinated coffee and the processing methods of decaffeinated coffee beans. I hope this article can help coffee lovers who want to know relevant knowledge so that they can choose high-quality coffee beans that suit their taste in the future.
Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style )
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You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
