Decaf or Regular Coffee - Your Choice

There has been an endless, on-going debate on whether or not decaf should be accepted as a healthy part of the coffee drink. As the controversy still continues, researchers and specialists are always coming up with methods to extract the unwanted caffeine from the actual drink. Though research suggests that an individual often cannot judge the difference between a decaf and regular coffee, yet it helps to know what exactly is done for the purpose, especially to remove the harmful effects.

The Methods

Most commonly, after they are picked, the berries are repeatedly rinsed so that the outer fruit softens up for removal and ultimately the removal of the flesh. Another common method used for removing the ingredient of caffeine from coffee is the treatment with hot water, which is further followed by rinsing in methylene chloride. However, specialists on the subject insist that when a taste difference is noticed in a decaf, it is not due to the actual absence or presence of caffeine. Instead, it is a result of the remaining processing chemicals and how effectively did they eliminate the ingredients that produced the flavor. Meanwhile, actual chemical removal of caffeine from the green beans that are unroasted starts when these are warmed up in steam or just hot water. This is basically done to open the bean's pores. Following this, the beans are washed in methylene chloride, which sticks to the caffeine and is ultimately flushed away.

However, specialists on the subject insist that when a taste difference is noticed in a decaf, it is not due to the actual absence or presence of caffeine. Instead, it is a result of the remaining processing chemicals and how effectively did they eliminate the ingredients that produced the flavor. Meanwhile, actual chemical removal of caffeine from the green beans that are unroasted starts when these are warmed up in steam or just hot water. This is basically done to open the bean's pores. Following this, the beans are washed in methylene chloride, which sticks to the caffeine and is ultimately flushed away before reaching your coffee or espresso machines.

On the other hand, in the Swiss method, also an alternate method, beans are immersed in hot water for a number of hours. The caffeine is then removed as the water is filtered through charcoal. Overall, the manufacturers generally opt for the first method as it proves to be more cost-effective.

Apart from the commercial mechanisms that are used to remove caffeine, choices are also available to the individuals to do the task on their own. As you search the market, you will be able to find the darker roasts which are less acidic and claim to be carrying a lesser amount of caffeine. For individuals who are bent upon cutting down on the caffeine intake, the blends of decaf and regular coffee are a good option for your coffe and espresso machines.

Such an increased level of debate that surrounds the subject is bound to lead to the development of more decaf products in the near future. Since caffeine carries a natural bitter taste, it is very easy to develop a keen fondness for the particular taste, making it all the more difficult to adopt the decaf variety.