Coffee - Decaf, Good or Bad?
Have you been wondering what the difference is between regular and decaf coffee? There’s been a long standing debate amongst coffee drinkers as to which is better.
If you happen to be among those who vote for caffeine-free coffee then you may find it interesting that a type of coffee tree was recently discovered that has almost no caffeine. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that that coffee tree will be commercially grown anytime soon. So, for now, you may be stuck with traditional caffeine removal methods.
You are probably wondering how such methods affect the taste of your coffee, right? Well, honestly, blind taste tests have shown that lots of people can’t tell the difference between regular and decaf if the cups are brewed properly. If you think that there is a difference, though, you are not crazy. The difference does exist.
First, you need to understand the:methods of removing caffeine from coffee.
- The least expensive way to remove caffeine from coffee is hot water and methylene chloride treatment. It begins when the coffee beans are rinsed in hot water after they are picked. The hot water rinse softens the outside of the fruit, so it can be easily removed. Once that is done, the coffee beans are rinsed in a chemical, called methylene chloride. The methylene chloride bonds with the caffeine and then both the caffeine and methylene chloride are rinsed away.
- An alternate method of removing caffeine from coffee is a hot water soak. When the beans are soaked in hot water for several hours, all of the caffeine is rinsed into the water along with several flavor components. After a while, the beans are removed and the methylene chloride is put into the bath. As it does in the rinsing process, it bonds to the caffeine only. After that process is complete, the beans are put back into the bath, where they are able to reabsorb their flavors.
- If the idea of methylene chloride doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. A method called the Swiss method doesn’t use it at all. The Swiss method also involves soaking the beans in hot water for several hours. However, instead of methylene gas, the water is filtered through activated charcoal, which bonds to the caffeine.
There is a major debate about whether or not any of those methods remove flavors from the coffee permanently. If you’d rather take a different approach to limiting your caffeine then consider darker roasts. Darker, less acidic roasts usually have less caffeine, because the caffeine is lost as the beans are roasting. Also, if you want to cut your caffeine intake back a bit, without eliminating it entirely, you can try a blend of decaf and regular coffee. That may help you limit your caffeine, while increasing the flavor of your coffee.
As with anything else, regular vs. decaf coffee is all a matter of individual preferences. Now that you know the differences, you can find the coffee that works best for you. Enjoy your own personal perfect cup!
Technorati Tags: what the difference is between regular and decaf coffee, methods of removing caffeine from coffee, regular vs. decaf coffee
