Even coffee can be decaffeinated, and therefore suitable for all those who want, or even need to avoid this stimulant for some reason. You probably know that. But what does caffeine actually mean for the body and what do coffee beans have to go through before they get rid of this stimulant completely? And does decaffeination affect the taste of the resulting cup of coffee? You will find the answers to all your questions in this article.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a stimulant that occurs naturally in coffee beans, green tea, cocoa beans and other foods. Its effects can be different, each person has a slightly different experience with caffeine. Among the general and above all medically approved claims, however, are the support of energy and alertness, the increase of endurance performance and agility. Simply put, caffeine can give you energy and rev up your metabolism. All, of course, depending on the level of its consumption. However, thanks to these effects, it is a very popular supplement among athletes who use it in capsules or tablets to support burning during training.
How much caffeine is a lot of caffeine?
The recommended dose of caffeine for an adult is generally between 200 and 400 milligrams per day, with one espresso having approximately 80 milligrams. But this limit is very individual. Some people may have increased reactions to caffeine, while others may have resistance (even in this case, however, daily caffeine intake must be monitored). Coffee consumption should therefore be started cautiously and then monitored so as not to exceed the daily recommendation. A one-time overdose of caffeine can cause a so-called caffeine shock, which could turn you upside down. You can recognize it simply - hand tremors, hyperactivity, volatile thoughts, stomach upset, headache and, in the worst case, all together. This reaction usually lasts several tens of minutes, after which fatigue and exhaustion usually come. If this happens to you, don't panic, you'll be fine. Next time, just be more careful about the amount of coffee you drink per day.
Who should avoid caffeine?
The stimulant effects of caffeine are not exactly friendly at some stages of life. Pregnant or lactating women should be especially careful. Caffeine can also affect the fetus and subsequently get into the breast milk in small amounts, which could decently support the activity of the offspring. However, if you don't intend to overdose on caffeine, women, don't expect outright harmful or dangerous effects. Despite this, decaffeinated coffee, i.e. decaf or decaffeinated, is especially recommended at this stage of life.
Another group that should be more careful about their daily caffeine intake is people with high blood pressure. Caffeine stimulates energy, and this can result in another slight increase in blood pressure. However, the attending physician should draw attention to this fact. Decaffeinated coffee can be a pleasant solution if you cannot imagine a day without your morning cup of coffee and it is your favorite ritual.
History dekofeinizace
The fact that beans can be decaffeinated was discovered quite by accident at the beginning of the 20th century, by Mr. Ludwig Roselius, who accidentally submerged his cargo of coffee in salt seawater, causing a high percentage of caffeine to evaporate. Since then, caffeine removal processes have continued to improve. In the Czech Republic, a patent was even granted to Mr. Žaček for the technological preparation of decaffeinated coffee.
Characteristics of decaffeinated coffee
The beans of decaffeinated coffee are deprived of much of the caffeine, thereby losing their stimulating effects. But there is still the placebo effect that decaffeinated coffee can induce in many cases. After the decaffeination process, the coffee in coffee drinks tastes almost identical to the classic caffeinated one we are used to. However, if you take it in the form of an espresso, you will know the difference. Decaf espresso does not have such a rich crema or aroma. In general, decaffeinated espresso is slightly weaker. But if you're not a professional, you won't recognize it in a latte or cappuccino.
In addition to caffeine, coffee beans also contain a lot of antioxidants, which makes coffee a truly healthy drink. But don't worry, the grains won't be lost. Even decaffeinated coffee is therefore beneficial to our health. Antioxidants fight free radicals, promote skin elasticity and strengthen immunity.
TIP: If you can't find decaffeinated coffee in the cafe, order a ristretto - a slightly smaller espresso, the extraction of which takes approximately 12-15 seconds. This type of coffee drink contains only a minimal amount of caffeine, as the stimulant does not enter the cup until about the 11th second of preparation.
Process dekofeinizace
How do coffee beans actually get rid of caffeine? There are more procedures. But not all of them are gentle on coffee. Since caffeine is soluble in water, usually already processed coffee plant fruits are leached. Various solvents are often used for faster reactions, which take away some of the coffee's taste and aroma, in addition to the caffeine.
In our experience, the best decaffeination process is using sugar cane molasses. The coffee is decaffeinated, but still full of flavors and aromas. You can find it in our e-shop decaffeinated Columbia Chevere beans, which will convince you that even coffee without the main stimulant can be pleasant to the taste.
Decaffeination using fermented sugar cane molasses
In areas where sugar cane is grown in abundance, its properties are used to remove caffeine from coffee beans without disturbing their cellular structure. This process also helps to increase the sweetness in the final cup of coffee.
The process begins by making ethanol from fermented sugar cane molasses. This is then mixed with natural acetic acid, which creates a solvent called ethyl acetate (EA). This substance is naturally contained in, for example, wine, beer, fruit and vegetables. It is therefore a completely harmless substance with which the human body normally comes into contact.
WITHdroids: normcorecoffee.com.au
The coffee beans are first soaked in water, which increases their moisture and allows the caffeine to be released. After the beans are sufficiently steeped, they are rinsed with an EA solution, which dissolves and binds the caffeine. This phase is followed by rinsing the grains with clean water and a short steam treatment. The beans are then dried to reach their original moisture content.
This process makes it possible to remove about 97% of the total caffeine from the coffee beans. Thanks to the gentle process, the processed coffees retain most of their taste and aromatic components.
Other types of decaffeination
- Swiss method – uses leaching in water and activated carbon filters
- Indirect method – decaffeination using chloroform and steam
- Method using supercritical gases – steaming grains at high temperatures and pressure
Columbia Chevere – decaffeinated coffee with a vanilla-honey aroma
We already mentioned our decaffeinated grains a few lines above. But let's imagine them a little closer.
The flavor profile is really distinctive. You will smell vanilla, sour cherries and honey in it. With these beans, you don't even have to worry about preparing a filter, which we would rather not recommend for other decaffeinated coffees. So, if you are a coffee lover, but caffeine is not good for you for any reason, or you want to enjoy the taste of coffee even in the afternoon, definitely try these coffee beans.
