Decaf – Secrets about the world of decaffeination you should know

Basically, decaf is coffee that has had most of the caffeine in the beans removed. According to EU standards, the caffeine content in decaf coffee must be less than 0.3%. The decaffeination process will remove about 97% – 99% of the caffeine in coffee beans. A standard decaf product will have about 2mg of caffeine, compared to a regular cup of coffee with about 95mg of caffeine.

Many people worry that when decaffeinated, coffee will lose its delicious flavor. But in fact, the experience of acidity, sweetness, and richness when tasting does not depend on the caffeine content but on the quality of the beans, their cultivation, preparation, and processing methods. Decaf comes from coffee beans that are rich in acidity and flavor compounds, and the reduction process will affect them. However, those compounds are not lost but are only softened, creating a cup of coffee with softer, more rounded flavors but still carrying the original characteristic feel of the bean.

The most common decaffeination methods often use heat with water, carbon dioxide or chemical solvents such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride.

Detox with Swiss Water Decaf

Swiss Water Decaf (SWD) is an innovative reduction process that focuses on the extraction (GCE) or soluble solids found in green coffee such as amino acids, carbohydrates and minerals. The factory at Swiss Water uses this GCE solution for every coffee they decaffeinate. The SWD process can be carried out as follows:

– Green coffee beans are cleaned and then rehydrated in warm water to reach the ideal moisture level for caffeine removal.

– Add GCE to water and keep for 8-10 hours until the remaining caffeine content is less than 0.1%. Adding GCE creates an imbalance and causes the caffeine to leave the coffee and combine with the GCE.

– The coffee is then sent to the dryer for drying and packaging.

– The saturated GCE solution containing caffeine will be passed through a carbon filtration system and burn the caffeine molecules, allowing the GCE to be reused for the next batch. Furthermore, the entire initial process is chemical-free and certified organic, ensuring high safety.

Reduction with carbon dioxide

With this method, green coffee beans will be soaked in warm pressurized water. As the coffee beans become porous and expand, carbon molecules are added to the water to capture and bond with the caffeine molecules.

Next, water and carbon dioxide are removed to obtain decaf coffee. Wastewater from this process is filtered and reused, and by-products of this process are also recycled and utilized as animal feed.

Natural decaffeination with cane sugar

Natural decaffeination is achieved from the fermentation process of sugarcane. When sugarcane ferments, it creates the natural organic compound Ethanol Acetate (EA) often found in fruits such as pineapples, oranges and bananas.

Green coffee beans, after expanding by gently steaming them for 30-40 minutes in a silo, are washed with a mixture of EA from non-GMO Colombian sugarcane and mountain water for 10 hours. After that, water and steam will be added to ensure thorough removal of caffeine and residues. After decaffeination, the coffee will be dried to a moisture content of about 12%.

The cane sugar reduction process preserves most of the coffee’s original flavors, while adding even more fruitiness and complexity to the cup. The carbon footprint of this type of coffee is also significantly less than other processes.

If you want to enjoy a delicious cup of decaf coffee with unique flavors, stop by XLIII Coffee. Our decaf coffee goes through the natural Swiss Water Decaf Process. Coffee reaches 99% caffeine purity and is still fragrant, sweet and light with inherent delicate flavors. The coffee beans are roasted to an extremely bright tone to achieve the perfect resonance of aromatic compounds and rich acids ensuring your smooth and satisfying flavor experience. Discover our captivating range of decaf flavors at our branches:

You can enjoy XLIII’s decaffeinated coffee at branches such as:

– DA NANG – Lot 422 Ngo Thi Si, My An, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang

– HO CHI MINH CITY – 178A Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, City. Ho Chi Minh

– HOI AN – 326 Ly Thuong Kiet, Tan An Ward, City. Hoi An

In addition, if you want to learn more about the world of specialty coffee, please visit the journal channel of  XLIII Coffee!

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