Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

We all know what we are talking about: caffeine, the legal drug of this century. It is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant, and is proven to reduce fatigue and boost mental alertness. The quantity of caffeine necessary to produce these effects will vary from person to person, depending on their body size, gender, and overall tolerance to it. Caffeine as a drug can lead to addiction, while some people may experience unpleasant symptoms like insomnia or heart palpitations, or even withdrawal effects when they try to discontinue its use; Oh, those caffeine headaches!

That is why, in today?s health conscious world, more and more people drink decaffeinated coffee. In the United States, for example, decaffeinated coffee accounts for 16 percent of all coffee sales, while we are noticing a rising trend of exclusive decaffeinated drinkers. This contradicts the preconceived notion that people switch to decaf after drinking regular caffeinated coffee, later during the day, for example. Decaf customers tend to be active women who are cautious about their health and who like to make informed decisions.

I know a lot of you are thinking decaf coffee, why bother? But the removal of caffeine should not alter the taste of coffee, thanks to modern technology. Several decaffeination methods are available that are performed on green beans before they are roasted. These processes rely on the fact that caffeine is soluble. First the green coffee beans are washed with a solvent that is saturated with various chemical compounds comprising coffee flavor and aroma, but without the caffeine. The caffeine from the green beans will then migrate into the solution while the flavor compounds are locked into the beans. This operation will be repeated until the beans are 97% to 99% caffeine free. The two main solvents used are water and methylene chloride. At Moschetti, Inc., we only roast decaf coffees obtained from the water method, as we do not care for chemicals being added to our coffee beans.

I personally think a lot of the disappointment experienced when drinking a coffee labeled ?decaf? is due to the brewing method, as many coffee shops do not use the same ratio of coffee grounds versus water as they would use for regular coffee, thus the decaf is brewed light. Additionally, decaf coffee generally does not sell as fast as its caffeinated cousin, and will therefore have the tendency to sit a lot longer on the warmer or in the airpots, and we all know that fresh brewed coffee always tastes better.

I was reading a scientific report from the University of Brazil, that discovered some naturally decaffeinated coffee plants. So, decaf coffee might soon grow on trees after all.