Category: I Love Decaf

One of the things that puts newcomers off decaf coffee blends is the enigma surrounding their creation. What exactly are we dealing with here? Sinister synthesis? Chemical concoctions? Just how is decaf coffee made? 

Call us biased – the name of our brand might be a dead giveaway here – but we think decaf coffee gets a bad rap. When sourced, decaffeinated, and brewed correctly, it can be every bit as delicious as its caffeinated counterpart. Don’t believe us?

In this post, we’ll be diving into the various methods of decaffeination. By cutting through the mystery surrounding decaffeination, our hope is that you’ll leave with a better understanding that the word “decaf” needn’t be a dirty one. 

So, How is Decaf Coffee Made?

How long is a ball of string? (sorry!). There are several methods of decaffeination, each with their own merits and cons. We’ll explore the four primary decaffeination processes further down this page. Suffice it to say, however, that decaf coffee is usually made in one of three ways:

1. The beans are processed using solvents. 
2. The beans are processed using carbon dioxide. 
3. The beans are processed using pure, filtered water.

Which option you spring for as a consumer all comes down to your budget, taste preference, and where you are in the world. It’s worth noting at this juncture that not all methods of decaffeination are created equal. Some harsher approaches can tarnish the flavour of the much-loved bean. We explore this below. 

Your Decaffeination Process for Coffee and its Consequences

So, you’re desperate to ride the decaf wagon and just want to pick up something now. While it can be tempting to just grab the first thing you find, it’s important to remember that there’s plenty of snake (or is it coffee?) oil out there. Even expensive brands can use methods of decaffeination that leave a bitter taste in the mouth, in more ways than one. 

The reality is that this stuff isn’t rocket science, but it’s not basic arithmetic either. Let’s explore why. 

Coffee is Complex 

There’s a lot going on in most coffee beans. Up to 800 volatile and hundreds more non-volatile compounds make up the composition, aroma, and flavour of the world’s morning ritual. If you’re asking “how is decaf coffee made?”, it’s  just as important to ask “which method did this company use to decaffeinate these beans?”.

Not as catchy, we get that, but we’re right. You want as few of these compounds to be affected by the decaffeination process as possible. 

Decaffeinating Gently is a Challenge

It should come as no surprise that removing just one compound, caffeine, from a cacophony of thousands isn’t exactly a simple process. Imagine searching for a needle in a haystack… in a field of haystacks. While science has come a long way from the coffee shops of yore, it’s still harder than we might like to preserve coffee’s greatest asset – its taste. 

Coffee is, Well, Delicious 

Coffee’s caffeine kick is certainly one of its most popular features, but we think it’s trumped by its flavour. Call us snobs, but once you’ve tasted coffee that’s truly delicious, it’s very hard to go back. 

It’s Frustratingly Subjective 

What sends your tastebuds soaring might have someone else doubling over. While a harsher decaffeination process for coffee is likely to yield less palatable results, there’s no guarantee that you’ll like the taste of a ground just because other people have positive things to say about it.

It might take some trial and error before you know which kind of decaf coffee is right for you. 

How is Decaf Coffee Made – The Methods of Decaffeination 

We’ve waxed lyrical about why the method you choose matters. Let’s now explore the main options that exist today. So, how is decaf coffee made? 

The C02 Method 

Developed by the German chemist, Kurt Zosel, the C02 method of decaffeinating coffee beans is very popular. This is largely down to the fact that it’s cheap and very easy to scale. Zosel favoured carbon dioxide over solvents to eliminate caffeine from his coffee.

The result is a process that’s still widely used today. Got a huge volume of coffee that you need to decaffeinate for supermarket shelves? Simply pump in some liquid C02 and you’re sorted. 

The larger compounds of coffee are mostly left behind by this impressive process, but some of the more delicate molecules can also be picked up by the injected C02. Once the liquid C02 returns to its gaseous state in this method, it can then be repressurised and used again countless times – not bad when it comes to sustainability and environmental impact! 

Some consumers find that C02 coffee has an overly bitter taste that isn’t always desirable.

The C02 Method at a Glance: 

• Cheap.
• Used to decaffeinate large quantities of coffee for supermarkets.
• Effective, but not great for gourmet or exotic coffee.
• Coffee beans are soaked in water before treatment.
• They’re then sealed in a stainless steel container called an extraction vessel.
• Liquid C02 is then injected into the vessel at very high pressures, absorbing the caffeine molecules.
• The “caffeinated” C02 is now transferred to an “absorption chamber” where the pressure and caffeine are released.

The Direct-Solvent Process 

Germany deserves props for being a huge pioneer of decaf developments; the German merchant, Ludwig Roselius, first used the direct-solvent decaffeination method in 1905. At the time, Roselius used a chemical called benzine to achieve his jitters-free brew. With hindsight, it’s easy to see why this wasn’t the best move – benzene is now known to be pretty toxic to humans. 

These days, ethyl acetate and methylene chloride are used as alternatives. Both compounds are currently considered to be safe to humans. The direct-solvent method involves first steaming green beans and then soaking them in a solvent solution. 

This absorbs the majority of the coffee’s caffeine content. Unfortunately, this all-too-heavy-handed approach also eliminates a bunch of the compounds that make coffee so delicious in the first place. After their soak, beans are steamed, dried, and roasted to eliminate any signs of the solvent. 

The Direct-Solvent Method at a Glance:

• Relatively cheap and effective. 
• Once used the solvent benzene which is now a known carcinogen.
• Green coffee beans are steamed to open their pores.
• They’re then soaked in a solvent which absorbs the caffeine. 
• However, this also absorbs a number of other delicious coffee compounds. 

The Indirect-Solvent Process

Café HAG, a coffee brand developed by the very same Ludwig Roselius we discussed above, later developed a solvent decaffeination process that was indirect. Instead of soaking the beans directly in a solvent, the caffeine (and other compounds) are released into hot water and the beans are removed. The solvent is then added to work its magic on the caffeine within.

Once the solvent has been safely removed from this solution, the beans are added back to reabsorb some of their vital flavour compounds. While the results of this method can be hit and miss for some, it’s certainly a better option than a direct method if the flavour of your coffee matters to you.

The Indirect-Solvent Method at a Glance:

• Preserves more coffee flavour.
• Similarly cheap and effective.
• Similar to the direct-solvent process, except the green beans are soaked in hot water first.
• The beans are then removed from the water and the solvent is added.
• The solvent is then removed and the beans added back, helping them reabsorb some flavour.

4th Time’s the Charm – The Swiss Water Method 

No bonus points for guessing where this method of decaffeination was invented! The Swiss Water method or the Mountain Water method involves steps that are similar to some of the approaches described above. The difference here, however, is that significantly more flavour compounds are reabsorbed into the coffee beans. 

When done properly, Swiss Water decaffeinated beans can be near indistinguishable from “normal” coffee. To us, it’s one of the best answers to the question “how is decaf coffee made?”

The process looks a little something like this:

1. Take high-quality green coffee beans and soak them in hot water.
2. Allow the caffeine and other compounds to release into the water. 
3. Pass this water through an ultra-fine filter that removes caffeine and little else (small amounts of other compounds will inevitably be captured too but at much smaller quantities).
4. You now have a concentrated coffee extract that’s full to the brim with flavour and low on caffeine (0.01%).
5. Use this delicious coffee extract to decaffeinate a new batch of green coffee beans. 
6. Because your water is already concentrated with flavour compounds, only caffeine is removed from these new beans.

This last step is so important in Swiss water decaffeination. Significantly more flavour is preserved in every single bean. It’s chemical-free, super safe, and has been producing jaw-droppingly delicious coffee for years.  

The Swiss Water Method at a Glance:

• More time-consuming. 
• Can be more expensive. 
• Preserves the flavour of coffee much more effectively. 
• Uses just water, heat, carbon filters, and time. 

Your Answer to “How is Decaf Coffee Made?”

Some of the I Love Decaf range uses only the finest beans and the Swiss water or the Mountain Water method to gently decaffeinate your morning brew. We appreciate that we’re not the only decaf option out there, but we truly believe we’re head and shoulders above the rest. 

We take the time needed to ensure that every single batch maintains the same standards and delicious flavour. Try it for yourself today – you won’t regret it.

The rich, warm aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee is the stuff of legend. We’ve been drinking it in some form or another since as far back as the 15th century. Humanity seems to have reached a consensus – coffee is one of life’s simple joys. Why, then, does this rosy atmosphere vanish as soon as you mention a word most reviled by coffee snobs everywhere – “decaf”. What is decaf coffee and why do so many people turn their noses up at it? 

On this page, we’ll be diving into the decaf coffee question. We’ll cover what it is, why it’s brilliant, and how to get the perfect brew at home. 

So, What is Decaf Coffee Anyway?

So what are you sipping when you raise a warm cup of decaf to your lips? Denatured sludge? Some sort of chemically constructed concoction? On the contrary – things are far less gruesome than first meet the eye. 

Decaf coffee is made from regular coffee beans that have been through a process that removes the majority of its caffeine, the adenosine receptor antagonist that gives coffee its characteristic “energy kick”. 

“How is decaf coffee made?” we hear you ask. Frustratingly enough, the answer is “it depends”. A handful of huge coffee companies own genetically modified plants that naturally grow without caffeine. For many decaf providers, however, regular coffee beans are taken through a process that: 

1. Soaks the beans when green to make their caffeine content soluble. 
2. Washes or otherwise filters the caffeine from the resulting solution. 

This can be with carbon filters, natural compounds, or other methods. Some brewers also use a CO2 method which naturally removes the majority of caffeine from the beans. Depending on the specific method used, some subtle-yet-unwanted flavours can be left behind.

The Swiss Water Method is used by more premium brands to remove just the caffeine, leaving every other aspect of the coffee untouched.  The result is a coffee that’s practically indistinguishable in terms of taste and texture from its more jitters-inducing counterpart. 

Ignore the snobs – decaf can be absolutely delicious. 

How Much Caffeine is Decaf Coffee?

People are often pleasantly surprised when they learn just how delicious decaf coffee can be. One thing to note, though, is that there’s still a small amount of caffeine left behind, even with super decaffeinated varieties.

You’re unlikely to get heart palpitations here, don’t worry – it’s just worth keeping in mind. Most decaffeination processes remove between 97 and 99% of active caffeine. 

This means a decaf cup of coffee contains between 1-2 mg of caffeine VS coffee’s typical 95-110 mg.

Is Decaf Coffee Good for You? 

So, we’ve asked ‘what is decaf coffee’, but is decaf coffee healthy? In short, yes! The science behind coffee’s health profile is much like the world’s rich cafe culture – it’s evolving all the time. Suffice it to say, however, that decaf coffee contains most of the same compounds that make “regular” coffee so revered.

These include: 

• Chlorogenic acids. 
• Trigonelline. 
• Melanoidins. 
• Diterpenes.
• Other antioxidants. 

These compounds are well established as offering a wealth of different health benefits. 

If you want the antioxidant effects without the jitters, decaf can be a great way to go. 

Decaf Coffee Pros 

We’re not here to demonise caffeine. For many, it can be a great way to kickstart the day and feel a little more energised. It would be disingenuous, however, to overlook the negative impacts that caffeine consumption can have. 

Especially to those of us who are sensitive to the compound, caffeine can spell anxiety, palpitations, stomach issues, and even sleep disorders if we’re not careful. 

Many of us are familiar with coffee’s delicious flavour but no longer want to deal with the kick that it can bring (who decided that being kicked was nice, anyway?). It’s a great way to unwind and there’s no shame in that. 

Decaf coffee’s benefits include: 

• A similar antioxidant profile to caffeinated coffee.
• An excellent “transitioning tool” for those looking to reduce caffeine intake. 
• Much kinder to the stomach – caffeine stimulates the gut in ways that many people find unpleasant. 
• A great way to unwind. 
• Fewer jitters. 
• Helps you improve your sleep. 
• Delicious if you find the right brand. 

Try Decaf the Right Way Today 

We’re not just decaf aficionados – we’re absolutely fanatical about the perfect decaf brew. We only ever use the Swiss Water Method for an untarnished, perfect brew every single time.  

Shop our range of premium grounds today. 

Coffee is a very popular drink. It has an air of sophistication, a modish and fashionable image and has even been on the leading edge of a few cultural phenomena over the years. 

Decaf coffee, less so.

Decaf’s reputation is a negative one. In part that’s down to its history as a less-than satisfying drink, a reputation forged in the coffee marketing of yore, when the most significant standout property of coffee was its caffeine content. Even though coffee is now celebrated in terms of its subtleties of taste and aroma, the perceived disappointment of not getting ‘a fix’ of brain jolt still seems to cast a long shadow over decaf. 

The negativity around decaf also has its roots in long-gone decaffeination processes that often included some fairly dodgy chemicals. Decaffeination is now a safe process – some of the methods have even achieved organic standards – but the reputational damage lingers. Even now that doctors are recommending some of their patients to switch to decaf for health benefits, it’s still seen as a loss, or worse, a kind of medical punishment.

The biggest obstacle to decaf’s healthy redemption is that some stuck-in-the-past coffee purists and anti-decaf snobs seem to think that the well-known benefits of coffee drinking are all down to the caffeine. That’s simply not true. The same helpful compounds are found in both regular and decaf coffee.

By going decaf, you get all the benefits (and can drink more) of your favourite flavours without shaking or shuddering like a malfunctioning, off-balance spin dryer.

Decaf for Health: Learn the science that proves the decaf claims

1. Decaf coffee may reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes

It has long been believed that coffee can cause a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, and many people advocate for coffee over decaf because of this. However, recent studies show that there are other explanations for the positive effects of coffee than the caffeine. Decaf coffee can have positive effects on Type 2 Diabetes as well, without experiencing the negative results of caffeine. It is now known that decaf coffee can be just as beneficial as regular coffee without all the risks that go with it.

2. Going decaf can have positive effects on sleep, health and mood

The first thing you might reach for in the morning is coffee to wake you up. However, this can have a negative effect on your sleep schedule because caffeine is a powerful stimulant. By introducing it into your body as soon as you wake up just reinforces dependency. Cutting back or eliminating caffeine altogether will improve sleep – and that’s really the only sustainable way of improving your morning energy levels.

Caffeine may also exacerbate symptoms of those who suffer from panic attacks or long-term anxiety disorders.

3. Decaf has nearly the same antioxidant levels as regular

Decaf has almost the same amount of antioxidant compounds, but with virtually none of the caffeine remaining. If you have been drinking caffeine for health reasons, you can switch to decaf without any consequence.

4. Decaf is less acidic and can reduce heartburn and reflux

Coffee is both acidic and often caffeinated, making it irritating for sufferers of chronic heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease – or GERD. A major benefit of decaffeinated coffee is its lower acidity, thanks to the decaffeination process. For those who suffer from chronic heartburn, switching to decaf can be a way of lowering their daily intake of acidic foods and limiting their reflux and other symptoms.

5. Going Decaf Can Lower your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Decaf coffee can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease if you have a family history of heart or circulation issues. Decaf has fewer stimulant components than that mug of regular Joe and appears to reduce the risk of developing these sorts of conditions.

Decaffeinated coffee has many health benefits

People who drink decaf coffee are often marginalized for doing so, with caffeine snobs saying it has no point or is full of chemicals. The world’s infatuation with caffeine means that there’s much less decaf coffee and tea sold, so you don’t get much of a choice of the good decaf in the shops or supermarket. (And that’s why we started I Love Decaf.) 

Coffee is an amazing and healthy drink – caffeinated or not, but only by removing the caffeine does it become even healthier. Decaf coffee is healthy. It has many benefits, and for those with conditions triggered or worsened by caffeine intake (e.g. headaches, sleep disorders, anxiety), it has fewer drawbacks.

Even if you do not suffer from the effects of caffeine, you are likely to improve your health, mood and energy levels by canning the caffeine. If only because – without all those drawbacks – you will be free to drink much more of it.

Why the best decaf coffee is the only one you want to drink.

We don’t need to tell you that coffee is one of the greatest and most popular drinks in the world. In fact, in the UK we drink almost 100 million cups a day. A day! And you wonder why the bathroom at work is so busy?

Decaf coffee for aficionados

For seasoned cofficianados, the positive effects of coffee are well known. Coffee, they say, helps you concentrate, provides you with a boost of energy, and may also increase your lifespan. They are talking about regular coffee, but most of it applies to decaf too. 

There’s plenty of evidence, by the way, that the energy boost and concentration that caffeine supposedly provides only really applies if you are craving caffeine in the first place.  For purposes of health, decaf coffee supplies all the antioxidants and phenols that its grown up addictive brother gives you, without needing another fix in a few hours.

Decaf coffee: no great shakes

You know that drinking too much coffee can get you jittery, give you headaches, anxiety or make you nauseous. Four cups a day of regular Joe could make you unable to walk around with a cup and saucer without sounding like a crockery cupboard in an earthquake zone.

Guess what? You can have your favourite coffee with much less caffeine – up to 99% less – and never notice the difference in taste, because decaf coffee has come a long, long way in the last few years.

Decaf coffee: the benefits of cutting caffeine

You should always head to a doctor if you want specific medical advice about caffeine, but ff you want to all but eliminate caffeine from your life, it’s time to get yourself a decaf coffee.

There are many different options, but coffee lovers are often disappointed switching from their favourite brand to the decaf version of their favourite brand. At I Love Decaf, we only sell decaf coffee and tea and have a variety of decaffeinated products to choose from. As far as decaf coffee goes, we sell it in every conceivable grind from whole beans to fine ground. 

Ground Zero: the secret of I Love Decaf coffee

Remember, we only sell decaf – our roasters start from first principles and get the very best from our beans. Our roasters believe, and we agree, that I Love Decaf coffee is among the best coffees – caf or decaf you can get. We’ve done the grind for you, so to speak, so now make some quality coffee with our best decaf coffee.

By The First Lady of I Love Decaf

Should pregnant mums-to-be go decaf with their tea and coffee drinking? 

This isn’t medical advice – you should discuss that with your doctor – but don’t be surprised if you find they think you should at least cut down on your caffeine intake while you are pregnant, as well as when you are breast-feeding.

We already give up so much stuff when we are pregnant; alcohol, all of our free time, like, forever and the ability to lift anything heavier than a bag full of cake. I know, I tried. Of course, cross-fingers, it all turns out great and we get to become a mum, but there are often sacrifices to be made – some are enthusiastically embraced, others, less so.

Then there are the cravings (mine was wasabi peas with custard slices) Mums-to-be cravings range from biscuits and cakes, through to chalk (quite common, it seems) and the smell of tyres. One poor soul reported she had an overwhelming, powerful and relentless craving for something. She didn’t know what, but she did know she really, really wanted it. Fortunately, that passed after a week.

Decaf tea and coffee in pregnancy

Some cravings are less easy to make sense of. For instance, decaffeinated tea and coffee weren’t a bother for me, I could not even face a cup of coffee or tea, decaf or regular, from almost as soon as I got pregnant. It was visceral, almost like it was an anti-craving. 

The only hot drink I could enjoy was completely caffeine-free herbal teas. The kitchen smelled like a wildflower meadow at times.

Decaf coffee during first trimester

Caffeine raises blood pressure and pulse and because the first trimester (week 1 to 13) is when the majority of miscarriages happen, you should give caffeine as wide a berth as possible. The generally accepted level of caffeine for pregnancy is around 200mg a day. You’d easily burn through this with just a few cups, but if you still savour the taste of coffee or tea, decaf is the way to go with at least 97% of the caffeine taken out by the various processes of decaffeination. 

Another caffeine consideration is that it makes you pee and you risk dehydration from drinking too much regular tea or coffee. Apart from keeping hydrated, you’ll be glad you cut down or quit later on, because if there’s one thing I remember from pregnancy after the first trimester it was a more or less constant march to the bathroom. Nearly all women experience this more as baby grows and the uterus pushes on the bladder.

If you read that and are adamant that you want no caffeine, do what I did and discover the huge range of delicious fruit and herbal teas that have no caffeine in them at all. Some of them may even help with some of the less-pleasant sides of pregnancy like sore tummies or difficulty getting comfortable for sleep. 

Try decaf when you try for a baby

If you are trying to get pregnant, it might be worth easing off on the caffeine beforehand, because there are a few temporary withdrawal effects of a sudden cut in caffeine. Mostly, the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are headaches, fatigue, and irritability. It may be hard to separate some of these symptoms from some of non-caffeine-related side-effects of pregnancy itself, so you might find that herbal tea is the way forward and kill two birds with one stone.

Breast feeding and decaf

The first thing I saw after I enjoyed some skin-to-skin with my eldest, was a steaming cup of tea which I drank while my partner held her. After a few weeks, it was clear she was having trouble sleeping and, of course, that meant I was too. The health visitor advised me to drink less tea and coffee as caffeine finds its way into breast milk and some infants are affected by it. If that sounds like your new family’s situation, you should try what I tried and go decaf. It helped putting her down for sleeps – I was much less ‘wired’ and baby was the same.Caffeine is the world’s most common and popular mind-altering drug. It’s relatively mild and often does no harm in moderation for those who can tolerate it. Your baby, however, is likely to be much more sensitive to its effects than you are. Fortunately there are many options for reducing your caffeine intake by a huge amount and even cutting it out altogether.

We should start this article with the advice that there is absolutely zero nutritional benefit in caffeine for children or adults alike. You already know that, and it hardly bears repetition but, at some point, your mini-mes are going to notice you clutching your tea or morning coffee and perhaps be curious about it. They might ask you for a sip and your mind might turn to the emotional wasteland every parent knows as ‘bedtime’.

Last night, bedtime in your house meant that the sweet and adorable kids in your life had turned into junior ASBOIDS, running rings around you. The apples of your eye you previously knew as ‘your children’ were bouncing off the walls like unstable electrons in a reactor core. The mum/dad bomb had already gone critical, and you felt like you could kaboom into next week.

Why would you feed caffeine, even the smidgen left over in decaf, into that chain reaction? 

You wouldn’t let them eat a box of chocolate or drink a bathtub of cola before nighty-night-night, so why would you introduce hot drink caffeine at any point in the day?

It is helpful get a sense of proportion. Caffeine is a stimulant that some adults tolerate, and others don’t. It is not morphine or laudanum in that cafetiere or teapot, but a fairly mild, moderately addictive drug. If you’re brewing decaf, it will contain only 1-3% of what a conventional tea or coffee would. Exercising parental care, you might want to allow older children – say over 11 or 12 years old (draw your own line, that’s the point of being a parent) – a few sips of decaf from your mug, provided you feel like sharing a cup of our excellent decaf coffee and decaffeinated tea. But, how about a whole mug of their own?

There’s Not a Problem When it Comes to Decaf Tea and Coffee for Kids

What does this mean in practical terms? An 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee or decaf tea contains around 2 mg of caffeine – about the same concentration that a ready-to-drink chocolate milk might contain. Compare that with a regular cup of black filter coffee, which contains as much as 95 mg and with a cup of black tea that comes in at approximately 25-49 mg of caffeine. A 330 ml can of regular or diet Pepsi, regular diet or zero Coke contains around 34-36 mg of caffeine. A few sips of decaf pales by comparison even to a bar of chocolate which could easily contain the equivalent of ten cups of decaf.

For larger portions – like a mug of decaf, it’s less to do with your child’s age and more to do with their size. The reason why your bottle of Calpol has dosage described in terms of age is because that’s the best safe-side metric of the size of your child relative to a full adult, and dose is always about microgram applied per kilo of human. The same goes for caffeine.

Out there in Greater Parentville, thousands of mums and dads are dealing with bedtimes and bad times and, indeed, it has always been like this, in varying degrees since the year dot. If you are worried about caffeine intake making your little darlings into an unspeakable rabble at the top of the wooden hill to Bedfordshire, you might be surprised that it was the cup of hot chocolate or the bar of Cadbury’s they snaffled on their way home from school that is more likely the culprit. Or the sugar, the e-numbers, or the blue-tinged wakefulness-rays beamed at them from the screen of an iDevice.