When you love the taste of great coffee but you’ve already had your fill of caffeine for the day, turning to a good decaffeinated coffee is the next best option. We know that this can seem like the holy grail of coffee.
As experts in coffee taste, we know that decaf coffee can taste a bit odd, lacking the depth and complexity of its full caffeine counterpart. Our business customers were asking for a good decaffeinated coffee and we didn’t want to let them down. We also didn’t fancy sending out Souter Bros coffee that was anything less than our usual high-flavour standards.
So, we drank a lot of decaf coffee. We researched and tested ways to make our single-origin beans taste as good without caffeine as they do with. In this blog, we’re sharing why you can get good decaffeinated coffee (and why it’s worth it).
Understanding the process of decaffeination
Firstly, to understand why getting a good cup of decaf is so hard, we need to talk you through the decaffeinating process. This starts with the green, unroasted coffee beans. These are either soaked in water or solvent to extract the coffee. The problem is that when you do this, you also remove a lot of the flavour profile at the same time which is why it can be tricky to find a good decaf coffee.
Each of these processes has its pros and cons. We use the Swiss Wash or Swiss Water process on our beans. This only uses water and we’ve found it to maintain more of the flavour and taste of the beans. The Swiss Water process, while refined through technology, is still steeped in the history of how beans first became decaffeinated.
The history of decaffeinated coffee
The history of decaffeinated coffee stretches back over a century. Back in 1903, a cargo ship carrying coffee got swamped with seawater, soaking all the beans. By the time it returned to shore, the beans still maintained the flavour but had lost their caffeine.
This accidental discovery was made commercially successful in 1905 by German coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius.
Roselius' process, known as the "Roselius Process," involved steaming the coffee beans with a chemical solvent called benzene to extract the caffeine. While this method was effective in removing the caffeine, it also resulted in the loss of many of the coffee's natural flavours and aromas.
The Swiss Water process was developed in the 1930s and only uses water to extract the caffeine - much like that accidental discovery at sea - leaving more of the flavour intact.
The health benefits of decaffeinated coffee
While many people choose decaffeinated coffee to avoid the stimulant effects of caffeine, there are also several potential health benefits associated with drinking decaf. One of the most significant is the reduced risk of certain health conditions.
Studies have shown that regular consumption of decaffeinated coffee can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and certain types of cancer, including liver and prostate cancer. This is largely because decaffeinated coffee still contains many of the same beneficial compounds found in regular coffee, such as antioxidants and polyphenols, which are linked to a range of health-promoting effects.
Additionally, decaffeinated coffee may be a better choice for individuals who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, such as those with heart conditions or anxiety disorders. By eliminating the stimulant properties of caffeine, decaf can provide the enjoyment of a coffee-drinking experience without the potential for negative side effects.
Common myths about decaffeinated coffee
The biggest myth we hear about decaf is that it doesn’t contain any caffeine. This is no more true than low-alcohol beer contains no alcohol. There will still be some trace amount of caffeine in the beans but it’s too little for most people to notice.
The exact amount can vary depending on the specific decaffeination method used, but it's generally accepted that a cup of decaffeinated coffee contains between 2-12 milligrams of caffeine, compared to around 95-200 milligrams in a cup of regular coffee.
We also hear that the decaffeination process itself is harmful or leaves behind harmful chemicals. While some solvent extraction processes may leave trace chemicals behind, the Swiss Water process only uses water so there are no chemicals to soak into the beans.
How to choose the best-decaffeinated coffee beans
If you’re looking to find good decaffeinated coffee for your business, make sure you ask your wholesale supplier what decaffeination process they use. You want to keep as much flavour as possible.
If you can, taste-test the coffee first to make sure it’s right for your business. The better the coffee, the more your customers will come back for more.
Next, you will want to check the origin of the beans. Poor-tasting beans through even the best decaffeination process will still create a crappy cup of coffee. You want good quality beans, that have an ethical supply chain.
As we only deal with farms and no middlemen, Souter Bros coffee is truly from crop to cup, with a small supply chain. Even with our decaf.
Then you want to make sure you’re using expert roasters who will bring out the best flavour profile from the beans. Speciality coffee needs expert roasters. Our small batch coffee is roasted in-house and we quality control everything.
Brewing methods for decaffeinated coffee
When it comes to brewing good decaffeinated coffee in your business, you’ll need to remember that the decaffeinated process can sometimes impact how the coffee behaves.
Try a finer grind on the beans as decaffeinated beans can often be more porous. A finer grind will help maintain the maximum amount of flavour and prevent that thin, watery taste you can sometimes get with decaf.
Next, experiment with your water temperature. Decaffeinated coffee tends to be a bit more delicate than regular coffee, so you might need to lower the temperature to avoid overly bitter coffee.
Get these right and you can use any brewing method with our decaffeinated beans.
Enjoying a good cup of decaffeinated coffee
Understanding the decaffeination process and how decaf coffee behaves differently from original beans is important to getting a good cup for your customer. It’s still possible to get a complex flavour profile and a cup that your customers will love with a bit of experimentation.
Ultimately, it all comes down to where you source your beans. We’re always on hand to offer advice and support for small businesses looking for a tastier wholesale option for their coffee.