What’s the Deal with Decaf?- For the Curious, the Haters and the Over-Caffeinated

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There is an amusing credo circulating the internet the goes something like “There is a time and a place for decaf, never and in the trash.” (I’ve seen iterations using synonyms for trash or that simply stop the saying after a resounding NEVER.)

While this brash outlook on decaffeinated coffee makes me pause and smile, it is also a good example of the widespread prejudice held against decaf.

When people think of decaf, they think of poor quality and compromising.

Decaf processes

There is a lot of mystery surrounding decaffeinated coffee, which may explain some of the prejudices against it.

The decaffeinated process is always done when coffee is in it’s raw, green form. I am by no means a scientist and there are intricacies at play here that I don’t truly understand. Looking at the various processes, I wonder why decaf coffee can taste like anything at all.

There are two mainstream decaffeination methods that are used today:

Decaffeination with the use of solvents– This is the traditional method of decaffeinating coffee. It is the “easiest” to do. The process involves soaking the beans in a water and solvent mixture. The solvent binds to the caffeine and removes it from the beans. The solvent with the caffeine are removed and the fats and oils are reabsorbed by the beans.

There is a variation on this method where the caffeine saturated water is moved to a tank separate from the beans and then the solvent is use on just the water to remove the caffeine. The solvent never actually touches the beans. Just the water. The water is reintroduced to the beans sans the caffeine.

There are a few different solvents that are used. They range from some-what questionable to one derived from fruit. Typically, the ones that use a natural solvent, Ethyl Acetate, will be labeled as “naturally decaffeinated.”

Decaffeination with the Swiss Water Process method- Most specialty coffees use this method. It is natural and doesn’t use any chemicals. The process is similar to the solvent method where the caffeine (and other fats and oils) saturated water is removed from the beans.

Instead of using solvents, the Swiss Water Process (SWP) method uses charcoal filters to remove the caffeine. The fats and oils are then reabsorbed into the beans.

There are only two plants that do Swiss Water Processing. One is in Canada and one is in Mexico. If coffee has come through the Mexican processing plant, it is considered Mountain Water Processed (MWP). The techniques are the same.

A distain for decaf

From what I can tell, there are two basic camps of decaf haters. I am not passing judgement as I too have spent time “camping” with each group.

People who don’t enjoy coffee and use it as a coping mechanism

If you are not currently in this group, you may have been when you first started drinking coffee. These people have the unfortunate perspective that coffee is vile and only a crazy person would drink coffee without caffeine. What’s the point?

They have turned to coffee solely as a vessel for putting caffeine into their body to help them deal with the rigors of everyday life. You can usually identify someone who is in this group by statements like, “I take my coffee with lots of cream and even more sugar, that is the only way I can get myself to drink it.”

To this group, I would recommend trying to explore coffee a little more. Caffeine is useful but, if you are not enjoying your coffee, you are missing out on the best part. See getting started for ways to start experiencing coffee as more than just a way to get through the morning.

People who enjoy coffee, but have been burned by bad decaf

This group likes coffee, so much so that they want to drink it at times when caffeine is unwanted (in the evenings, during a pregnancy or if they have already had a lot of coffee that day). The problem is, they have had some really terrible decaffeinated coffee.

Because of the vast contingent of people that see decaf as being pointless, there are a lot of large roasters and even some baristas that don’t take enough care when producing roasted or brewed decaf coffee.

In reality, it should be the opposite. Caffeine is really the major factor that draws in the masses towards coffee. (The top three beverages in the world Coke, coffee and tea all contain caffeine) If someone would like to have a coffee sans the caffeine they must like something else about the coffee (smell, taste, etc.). Hence, they should receive a cup of coffee as close to on par with a great caffeinated coffee as possible.

What you should know about decaf

1. Green coffee that has been decaffeinated can be harder to roast than regular coffee beans. Decaffeinated coffee roasts faster and different. The beans are no longer green when they have gone through the decaffeination process so some of the visual roasting cues are taken away.
2. A good roaster should be able to source and produce a quality decaffeinated coffee. If you have a roaster that makes coffee you like, give their decaf a try and see. It is always helpful to know where you can get some good decaf.
3. While some solvents may be an environmental concern, the chemical residues that some decaffeination methods could have are not really a health concern. There are also alternative methods, such as the Swiss Water Process, that completely debunk this decaf hesitation.
4. There are over 1000 chemical compounds contained in a coffee bean. The sad fact is that it can be hard to find a really good decaf. If a coffee is good, it is hard to risk ruining it with the decaffeination process.

Join a new camp

People who really enjoy great coffee, and know that decaf can never quite measure up

Here is the deal. When you read about the processes of decaffeinating coffee, you should start to grasp the fact that it is a little risky. Taking out essential fats and oils and putting them back later has at least have some negative consequences.

The fact of the matter is, people are not going to take an exceptional, one-of-a-kind coffee and decaffeinate it. It is too sketchy. What if it isn’t good anymore? So here is my caveat. Decaf can be very good, but you can always find a more unique and delicious regular coffee out there.

Don’t be mad about it, it is just the way that it is.

There are good decaf coffees out there, I’m serious

Decaf coffee has it’s limitations, but it has been unfairly labeled as unpalatable and horrendous by the masses. A manually brewed cup of decaf coffee can be delicious, soothing and not keep you up all night.

Start your search for decaf at your favorite roaster. If you enjoy their caffeinated offerings, there is a good chance that you will like their decaf offerings too. There is a reason that they are your go-to roaster, give them a chance.

Do you have a decaf coffee to recommendation? How about an opinion on the matter of decaf vilification? Join the discussion below.