Coffee - Decaf, Good or Bad?

Long ago it was realized that there was a way to enjoy a cup of coffee that you love without the caffein that you wish to avoid. It has become a very common thing to decaffeinate coffee. Does the decaffeinating process change the flavor of the coffee? Can you tell the difference?

Blind taste tests suggest that most people can't really tell the difference between decaf 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.

When picked from the tree the coffee beans is removed from its fruit and rinsed thoroughly to remove the pulpy fruit from the bean.

And possibly you were unaware your 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.)

Because of the processing that the coffee beans go through at times the taste may be altered a bit. It may be more due to the process than the lack of caffeine that makes you notice a difference in the flavor.

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

Another method is to place the beans in hot water for a longer period of time. After several hours the beans can be removed. The time in the hot water pulls the flavor and the caffeine out of the bean and into the water. Then the methylene chloride is added to the water to remove the caffeine from the water. The beans are then returned to the water to so that the flavor that still remains in the water can be reabsorbed into the beans.

In another decaffeinating process charcoal is used instead of methylene chloride. The beans are placed in hot water for hours and then removed the same as with the process described above. However, this time to remove the caffeine from the water the water is strained over charcoal. The caffeine from the water binds to the charcoal so that the beans can be replaced in a caffeine free bath in full flavored water.