Focus on decaffeinated coffee beans

The global market for decaffeinated coffee beans is currently enjoying great success, thanks to consumers seeking healthier products. However, many people still have difficulty understanding the principle of decaffeinated coffee. There are many preconceived ideas about it. Criticized and described as useless by many coffee drinkers, who are looking for the famous boost effect, decaffeinated coffee allows them to enjoy the ritual and the flavor.

If you want to reduce caffeine, you can very well find excellent quality decaffeinated among the different varieties of coffee beans, some of which have various origins and flavors. In this article, we will try to shed light on what decaffeinated coffee really is, from its conception to its advantages and disadvantages.

What is caffeine?

Before going into a detailed description of decaffeinated coffee beans, let's review what caffeine is. Caffeine acts as a psychotropic stimulant that accelerates the functioning of the nervous system. It is found in coffee, tea and chocolate.

Although we often talk about the harmful effects of coffee, this drink also has health benefits. Studies have shown that the components of both regular and decaffeinated coffee reduce the risk of diabetes. These positive effects include:

an impact on glucose metabolism;
a reduction in the body's oxidative stress;
a richness in magnesium.

If consumed excessively, however, caffeine can have harmful effects on the body. Among them are:

tremors;
headaches;
stomach ache;
nervousness;
an increased heart rate.

In a beverage such as coffee, the effects of caffeine begin to take effect after about five minutes. Overconsumption of caffeine can also be addictive and cause physical effects when stopped abruptly: irritability, headaches, fatigue.

The decaffeination process

Decaffeinated coffee is made from green beans - that is, beans that are not roasted - from which the caffeine has been extracted. Several techniques can be used to do this. Regardless of the process, the first step in the process is always to swell the beans to extract the caffeine. Next, the beans are cleaned to remove any traces of caffeine. These include:

decaffeination with solvent where the beans are put in steam baths to swell, then plunged into a hot water bath where solvents like dichloromethane or ethyl acetate are added. These solvents eliminate the caffeine. These beans are then treated with steam to eliminate the solvents. This is the fastest process, but a small percentage of the chemicals may still remain in the coffee;
CO2 decaffeination, where the supercritical CO2 extraction passes through the beans and recovers the aromas. This CO2 is then passed through water under high pressure to remove the caffeine which is isolated. When the gas no longer contains caffeine, it is passed over the beans to restore all their components;
Water decaffeination, where no chemical agents are used. This process is not harmful to the health of the consumer. The coffees coming out of this process can therefore claim the organic label. However, it is a much longer process. The beans are soaked in hot water for several hours, which dissolves the caffeine and aromatic elements. In this way, water saturated with coffee flavor precursors is obtained, which is then reused on another group of beans.

Decaffeinated coffee: for whom?

Many people choose to switch to decaffeinated coffee after experiencing too much caffeine or because they can't stand the effects of coffee. It is a good way to reduce the effects while still enjoying a beverage that you love. It can be found in bean or ground form.

Decaffeinated coffees can be a good solution for :

type 2 diabetes;
people who suffer from heartburn when they drink coffee;
people suffering from anxiety.

It should be noted that while decaffeinated coffee lacks the caffeine of conventional coffee, it still retains the other components.

Decaffeinated coffee: good or bad for your health?

Decaffeinated coffee is not unanimously accepted. It is described by some as harmful to health. But why? In itself, decaffeinated coffee retains the benefits of coffee, as it has the same antioxidants that are good for your health and body. What is harmful is the chlorine that can be found in the solvents used by some roasters.

However, always limit your coffee consumption, whether it is classic or decaffeinated coffee. Most of the caffeine is removed from the beans, but it is not possible to extract all of it. So there are always traces of caffeine, and drinking too much of it would be like drinking a cup of regular coffee. To make it clearer, you can consider that a cup of regular coffee contains between 80 and 120 milligrams of caffeine and that a cup of decaffeinated coffee contains 3 milligrams.

Choosing your decaffeinated coffee beans

Decaffeinated coffee has long been criticized because of the loss of aroma and taste due to the extraction of caffeine. But the techniques have been developed and improved. Today, coffee merchants can offer high quality decaffeinated coffees to consumers. The best decaffeinated coffee is subjective. Depending on your taste, the beverage you want to make and the machine you have, the selection of the product will be different. Decaffeinated coffee beans are the best choice of grind for people who own a grinder. It retains its aroma much longer than ground coffee, for a fresh, quality espresso in every cup. We also recommend grinding it at the last minute to get the most flavor.

To choose the best decaffeinated coffee bean, there are a few factors to consider:

the date and type of roasting, i.e. light, medium or dark. A light roast will be more acidic and fruity and a roast of several months will give a more bitter taste;
the country of origin, because in addition to knowing the roast, it is important to know where the bean comes from. For example, coffees from Central America are often known for their acidity, while coffees from South America are generally smoother. The altitude at which producers grow the coffee also has an impact on the taste of the coffee.

What is the price of a decaffeinated coffee bean?

The machines to grind your own beans are more expensive to buy, but it is an advantageous and economical solution in the long run. The price of coffee per cup will always be lower with coffee beans than with coffee in capsules such as Nescafé.

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