DECAFFEINATED COFFEEThe Best of the Best also comes in Decaf!Have you ever had a cup of decaffeinated coffee that was so good, you scarcely new it was decaf?
The best decaf you'll ever taste begins with the finest green arabica coffee beans available anywhere!
The quickest way to have the above experience follows along with everything we've learned in this site. The difference is that after our green coffee importer discovers a great bean at the cupping table, A small percentage of the buy is shipped to a decaffeinating plant where it is processed before being sent home to the importers warehouse. It's all the same in principal. You still have a great coffee bean and you still require it to be fresh roasted, in other words, it gets the same six step treatment illustrated on our worlds best coffee page:
1) Your coffee roaster/retailer must start with the very best quality un-roasted decaffeinated coffee beans obtainable. 2) You must know what your favorite decaf coffees are. 3) It must be purchased fresh roasted AND whole bean from a reputable roasting company. 4) It must be properly stored. 5) It must be properly ground. 6) It must be properly brewed.
THE DECAFFEINATING PROCESSIt really seems a shame that most decaffeinated coffee is just plain bad, because it's just not necessary. Many high quality arabicas are now being processed in ways that greatly preserve their wonderful characteristics.The process of decaffeinating has been well refined since the beginning of its practice in the early 1900's. I couldn't tell you who thought of it or how they figured it out but.........
here are some simple descriptions of the most common decaffeinating methods: THE DIRECT METHOD
This process begins with steaming the green coffee beans to begin freeing up the caffeine for removal. Then the beans are soaked in a solution of warm water and a, well, a.........O.K., it's a chemical! It's a solvent, O.K.? There, I said it. This chemical dissolves the caffeine. Then the water containing the caffeine and the solvent is removed and some fresh water is pumped in to replace what was lost. I guess it's no surprise that this method "troubles" some folks who have acquired a distaste for the use of chemicals, which, these days is practically everyone who is conscious. Methylene Chloride is the most commonly used solvent. Now, interestingly enough, it's not really a direct health issue because the minute trace of MC (we're talking parts per million) that may actually stay in the coffee vaporizes at 104 degrees. Roasting at 440 degrees and brewing at 200 degrees negates the possibility of consuming the chemical, and I'll also mention that the FDA and many independent laboratories have found 0% MC in all green coffees tested, however, it then becomes an environmental issue anyway. The clincher in the market place is that up until recently the direct method simply produced the best tasting decaffeinated coffee obtainable. Fortunately, this is of little concern at this point because of a relatively new (and healthy) Co2 process that is beginning to replace the direct method and has become more widely available to specialty roasters. THE WATER PROCESS A solvent is employed in this method as well but the technique is changed. The beans are again soaked in water to leach off the caffeine. The water is then pumped off to another tank where a solvent that never really combines with the water, removes the caffeine. The solvent is "removed" and then the caffeine free water is pumped back on to the coffee to be re-absorbed. The problem with these methods is that all of the goodness comes out of the bean along with the caffeine. You can only hope that the flavor constituents are returned to the bean. Sure, it's decaffeinated coffee, but it's also de-flavored. When you taste this washed out coffee, you sadly know the truth. THE SWISS WATER PROCESS This is a well-known chemical free method of decaffeinating that still employs soaking the goodness out of the bean, then channeling the water off, pumping it through charcoal filters to remove the caffeine, and once again returning it to the coffee beans for re-absorption. We have had some good Swiss Water varietals. They still taste a bit washed out compared to their caffeinated counterparts but still offer plenty of flavor and body for an excellent cupping experience. Swiss Water Process coffee is quite a bit more expensive because the caffeine is lost in the process and cannot be resold for use elsewhere. THE Co2 METHOD This is the most promising method to date. The beans are exposed to a highly compressed form of carbon dioxide that combines with the caffeine inside the bean. Thus, no soaking is necessary. The caffeine is then removed from the carbon dioxide through charcoal filtering. The beauty of this method is that the bean and all of it's wonderful oils are left intact in a solvent-free environment and it shows "in the cup". This method, along with Swiss Water Process, is quickly becoming "the critic's choice" for high-quality Specialty Coffee Houses and Roasters across the country, and always our first choice at Lakota Coffee Company! Note: Subject to availability! There are times when we cannot get Co2 Decafs and need to defer to a SWP or MC Decaf Listed below you will find a sampling of the best of the best fresh roasted decaffeinated coffee offered by Lakota Coffee Company and Roasters for your drinking pleasure!
Lakota Coffee Roasting Company
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