Flavored Decaf Coffee

Recently a variety of the coffee tree was discovered that naturally contains almost no caffeine ,yes that’s right no caffeine. Until and unless that particular species finds its way into commercial production and then the shops, we're left with the current methods for removing unwanted caffeine from coffee. But how do those methods affect the taste of our java?

Blind taste tests reinforce that most people can't really tell the difference between flavored decaf coffee and regular, provided both kinds are processed properly and the cup brewed well. But, for those who can...

Among the methods for removing caffeine from coffee is treatment with hot water, followed by rinsing in methylene chloride.

You maybe surprised to know that your coffee had already seen water before you got to it? In fact, several times over. The berries are rinsed after picking to soften the outer fruit for removal, then rinsed again to help eliminate the remaining skin.

And possibly you were unaware your coffee grounds had taken a dip in the swimming pool before being served. (Ok, swimming pool water is really dilute hydrochloric acid, not methylene chloride. Never let a chemist stand between you and a good line.)

So, the taste difference between flavored decaf coffee is less likely to come from the presence or absence of caffeine as from any remaining processing chemicals and whether they removed flavor-producing components.

Chemical removal of the caffeine from green, unroasted coffee beans starts by warming them in hot water or steam. That opens the bean's pores. Then the coffee beans are rinsed in methylene chloride, which binds to the caffeine and is then flushed away.

Alternatively, the coffee beans can be soaked for several hours in hot water, where the caffeine oozes out into the bath. The coffee beans are removed and methylene chloride introduced to the bath. There it bonds with the caffeine, not the flavored components that have washed out of the bean. The beans are then soaked again where they reabsorb the flavored decaf coffee compounds.

An entirely different process, called the Swiss method, also soaks the beans in hot water for many hours, but no methylene chloride is used. Instead the caffeine is removed by filtering the water through activated charcoal. More or less pure carbon, the molecular structure of activated charcoal has been altered to provide a large surface area for other molecules to stick to.

The first method is less expensive and so is preferred by most coffee manufacturers. And - no surprise - there are ongoing debates about whether it degrades the taste or not. As usual, quality control makes the largest difference. But, there are even coffee techniques available to the individual for reducing caffeine intake.

Darker, less acidic, roasts already contain less caffeine as a consequence of the roasting process. And blends of flavored decaf coffee and regular are an option for those who simply must cut down.

As to the taste of the coffee.... Well, as in any issue of taste, individual preferences generally swamp any objective chemical differences. Since caffeine has an inherently bitter taste, many can detect its presence or absence. Whether that makes flavored decaf coffee good or bad is, as they say, a matter of taste and personal opinion.