Coffee

To those who may not be aware, caffeine content in coffee acts as s stimulant and it increases our alertness and keeps us awake when consumed in substantial quantities. For those who wish to enjoy good coffee but want to avoid consuming caffeine, decaf of decaffeinated coffee is the obvious choice. Bear in mind that decaf coffee is by no means less flavorful or inferior in quality to the normal coffee. With certain flavor additives, decaf flavored coffee can be extremely delicious.

It is possible to extract caffeine from the bean without affecting its flavor, aroma and taste. But using chemical solvents for this purpose can create health problems over a period of time for coffee drinkers. Instead it is safer to remove the compound is by immersing the coffee beans in hot water.

But different companies adopt different methods and it is necessary for you to find out the method used to ensure that you are getting correctly processed coffee beans. Proper infusion of flavors and appropriate methods of removal of caffeine will make decaf coffee as a healthy and refreshing beverage to drink.

There are four major process methods used to remove caffeine from coffee -

o Conventional decaffeination.
o Natural decaffeination using chemical Ethyl Acetate.
o Water decaffeination.
o Carbon Dioxide decaffeination.

Each of these methods removes the caffeine from coffee but there are significant differences in the taste of the decaffeinated coffee.

Conventional decaffeination uses the chemical Methylene Chloride – Although Methylene Chloride levels in the coffee bean are reduced to residual levels that are legally safe, many health-conscious consumers still consider these residues unacceptable. Many connoisseurs of coffee complain that the flavor of coffee decaffeinated by Methylene Chloride method is somewhat insipid.

Ethyl Acetate decaffeinated coffee is generally referred to as Naturally Decaffeinated coffee because Ethyl Acetate occurs naturally in orange rinds and other fruits. Ethyl Acetate used in decaffeination is a man-made chemical. The decaffeination process is essentially the same as in conventional Methylene Chloride decaffeination, except Ethyl Acetate replaces Methylene Chloride as the solvent. The practice to label the beans naturally decaffeinated makes it a powerful marketing tool.

The advantage of the water decaffeination over conventional methods is that no chemicals are used. Most people seem to agree that the water process produces a slightly more flavorful cup of coffee – though water process coffee is more expensive. Water decaffeination is specially favored by those who are sensitive to health and environmental issues.

CO2 decaffeination produces the most flavorful decaffeinated coffee. There are no harmful chemicals or by-products of the process. But the fact is the setting up of a CO2 decaffeination plant is quite high and as such this process is primarily used to decaffeinate large volumes of commercial grade coffee. In view of the growing market for a safe and flavorful decaffeinated product, CO2 decaffeinated specialty grade coffees are popular and widely available.

In order to retain maximum flavor during the decaffeination process, it is necessary to use green coffee beans. This may mean paying more for the coffee, but the extra cost is worth it. It is a fact that there are many shelf brands of decaffeinated coffee available but genuine coffee lovers will find more satisfaction in the beans that have been carefully processed exclusively for decaf lovers.

Samehta is a Copywriter of Flavored coffee, flavored tea.She written many articles in various topics such as decaffeinated flavored coffee. For more information visit: http://capellaflavordrops.com.

Author: Samehtas S Capellas
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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People often wonder how they take the caffeine out of coffee.  Though this is a question most have never pondered, recent reports have emerged showing decaffeinated coffee can be bad for your health.  Here are the facts you need to know in order to make an informed decision when you purchase decaf coffee:

Two Different Kinds of Beans

There are two kinds of coffee that are grown:  Arabica and Robusta. Arabica has about twice the amount of caffeine in it as Robusta, and therefore this type of coffee is usually used to make normal, caffeinated coffee, espresso, and most other coffee drinks.  Robusta is usually used to make decaffeinated coffee, since it starts out with a much lower caffeine level to begin with.  The caffeine is then removed from the beans using one of the following methods.

Decaffeination Methods

There are a few different ways that you can separate the caffeine from the coffee beans.  These days, most decaf coffee is produced using a process that removes the caffeine from the coffee beans using a solvent.  The two types of solvents that are used are methylene chloride and ethyl acetate.  The first of these solvents, methylene chloride is on the National Cancer Institute’s list as a possible human carcinogen.  Though the solvents are rinsed from the coffee beans, residues often remain as it is quite difficult to remove all of the substance.  Although the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t declared the use of these solvents unsafe for human consumption, many people are choosing to drink decaf coffee produced using an alternative method.  

A second method that is used to produce decaffeinated coffee is called the Swiss Water Process.  Currently, only twenty percent of the world’s decaf coffee is produced this way.  This process does not use any harsh chemical substances, and relies only on the use of hot water to separate the coffee from the beans.  This process takes longer to complete than with other methods, but there is no residue on the beans afterward.  Health experts generally agree that this is the healthiest way to produce decaf coffee.

Although most decaffeinated coffee for sale today uses solvents, decaf produced using the Swiss Water Process is readily available as well.  Since the Swiss Water Process does not involve the use of solvents, it is considered to be of better quality and taste.  Most organic decaf is produced this way, and it is nearly always clearly marked on the label.  Any specialty coffee shop should know which process was used on their decaf beans, and it also readily available for purchase on the internet.

Decaffeinated coffee is best when used in an electric drip coffee maker.
Chad Damon is the author of the guide to the best cheap coffee makers.

Author: Chad Damon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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