Water Processed Decaf? What is it?

Written by Jim May 15, 2009

From Freeport Coffee Roasting

For those who don’t handle caffeine well, or who want to extend their coffee enjoyment into the evening, decaf is often the answer.  Yet, the limitations of decaffeinated coffee are apparent at the first sip – the process of caffeine extraction takes some flavor with it, and even the best decafs don't compare to their caffeinated counterparts.

Producer countries typically ship coffees directly to large decaffeination plants that use one of two common methods.  The most environmentally sound methods (and the ones perceived to be most healthy) are via the “water process” in which the green coffee is first soaked in very hot water to extract the caffeine (and a good deal of the flavor).  This water is then run through a series of charcoal filters to remove the caffeine and the remaining water (and flavor) is then introduced back into the beans.

The oldest family of decaffeination processes is direct solvent methods.  Here, the beans are steamed to open their pores, bathed in a solvent that binds to the caffeine, then steamed again to clean the solvent from the beans.  The first solvent used was trichloroethylene, which gave way to methylene chloride and ethyl acetate (which comes from fruit and therefore is often referred to as “natural” decaffeination).

Of the two methods, those based on solvents result in better tasting coffee – but fears over the effects of the residual solvents remain.  Water based methods are more in favor among the health-conscious, but they are more costly because of the steps involved and because the residual caffeine cannot be captured for resale (in energy drinks, caffeinated gum, No-Doz, etc.).

 We're proud to offer two such water processed decafs. The Brazil Mogiana Yellow Bourbon Decaf, and the Sumatra Lintong Triple Pick Decaf.