How Do They Decaffeinate Coffee?
How Do They Decaffeinate Coffee?
Many of us enjoy a delicious variety of coffee and tea that is affectionately referred to as "Decaf". However, how do they remove the substance that is very plentiful in coffee beans and tea leaves? Well, my decaf coffee and tea loving friend, there are several ways they remove caffeine from these beverages.
We have a lot of ground to cover. Let's get started.
Methylene Chloride is a chemical that is used as a solvent to remove the caffeine from materials. The molecules of the caffeine naturally bond with those of the MC. Then, the materials are softened in steam. Once this is done, one of two things will happen:
Ethyl Acetate allows products to be labeled as "naturally decaffeinated" since ethyl acetate is a natural chemical that is present in nature, such as fruits. Caffeine is removed from the coffee or tea in the same manner as the methylene chloride but the ethyl acetate is the solvent here.
Caffeine removal via Carbon Dioxide: Materials that are softened by water are put in a pressure cooker with the ethyl acetate at very high pressure and temps. The CO2 in the cooker becomes both a liquid and a gas, which then attracts the molecules of the caffeine. The flavor molecules remain intact here, since they are larger than the other molecules that are being removed.
Caffeine removal by using water is generally done for coffee. This process resembles the indirect method from the methylene chloride way of decaffeination. Once the caffeine is removed form the material (this is done by soaking it in hot water for a prolonged period of time) the solution is then sent through a carbon filter that is used for removing the caffeine. A certain method called the "Swiss Water Process" can be done like this but replace soaking things in water with a coffee-flavored solution; this way, the caffeine is removed but all the coffee flavor is still there.
None of these methods will remove 100 percent of the caffeine. However, to be labeled as caffeine-free, coffee, tea, and soda must be below 2.5 percent. So enjoy your decaf coffee K-Cups and tea! Plus, you still get great health benefits from decaf.
Many of us enjoy a delicious variety of coffee and tea that is affectionately referred to as "Decaf". However, how do they remove the substance that is very plentiful in coffee beans and tea leaves? Well, my decaf coffee and tea loving friend, there are several ways they remove caffeine from these beverages.
- Methylene chloride processing
- Ethyl acetate processing
- Carbon dioxide processing
- Water processing
We have a lot of ground to cover. Let's get started.
Methylene Chloride is a chemical that is used as a solvent to remove the caffeine from materials. The molecules of the caffeine naturally bond with those of the MC. Then, the materials are softened in steam. Once this is done, one of two things will happen:
- Direct method: Caffeine is removed by soaking the material in methylene chloride.
- Indirect method: Soaking the materials in water, which removes the caffeine since it is water soluble.
Ethyl Acetate allows products to be labeled as "naturally decaffeinated" since ethyl acetate is a natural chemical that is present in nature, such as fruits. Caffeine is removed from the coffee or tea in the same manner as the methylene chloride but the ethyl acetate is the solvent here.
Caffeine removal via Carbon Dioxide: Materials that are softened by water are put in a pressure cooker with the ethyl acetate at very high pressure and temps. The CO2 in the cooker becomes both a liquid and a gas, which then attracts the molecules of the caffeine. The flavor molecules remain intact here, since they are larger than the other molecules that are being removed.
Caffeine removal by using water is generally done for coffee. This process resembles the indirect method from the methylene chloride way of decaffeination. Once the caffeine is removed form the material (this is done by soaking it in hot water for a prolonged period of time) the solution is then sent through a carbon filter that is used for removing the caffeine. A certain method called the "Swiss Water Process" can be done like this but replace soaking things in water with a coffee-flavored solution; this way, the caffeine is removed but all the coffee flavor is still there.
None of these methods will remove 100 percent of the caffeine. However, to be labeled as caffeine-free, coffee, tea, and soda must be below 2.5 percent. So enjoy your decaf coffee K-Cups and tea! Plus, you still get great health benefits from decaf.
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