Many white-collar workers like to drink coffee because it can make people refreshed and excited, and the main reason why coffee makes people excited is because it contains caffeine. Caffeine is an alkaloid that can effectively help us eliminate fatigue and stimulate nerve function.

But some people are intolerant to caffeine. After drinking coffee, they will feel their heartbeat speeds up, become abnormally excited, and even have trouble sleeping, so they have to give up the idea of ​​drinking coffee and tea. In recent years, a kind of "decaffeinated coffee" has begun to appear. It claims to be caffeine-free, which makes many people who like the taste of coffee eager to try it. But is decaffeinated coffee really caffeine-free? Can it be drunk safely?

How is decaf coffee made?

Decaffeinated coffee, as the name suggests, is coffee with caffeine removed. Compared with ordinary coffee, decaffeinated coffee has an additional caffeine extraction process. The extraction is carried out before roasting. There are three main methods: dissolution with water, dissolution with organic solvents, and dissolution with supercritical carbon dioxide. After this treatment, the caffeine in the coffee can be removed.

However, decaffeinated coffee is not completely caffeine-free. Decaffeinated coffee generally refers to coffee that has had more than 97% of the caffeine removed. It also contains a small amount of caffeine. If you look closely at the label of decaffeinated coffee, you will notice that the specific caffeine content is indicated on its label. Generally speaking, a cup of decaffeinated coffee contains 1-5 mg of caffeine.

These three methods will more or less strip away other flavor substances in the beans while obtaining caffeine, affecting the taste of coffee. As a result, the taste of decaffeinated coffee is usually lighter because caffeine itself has a bitter taste.

What is the difference between decaf coffee and regular coffee?

So, what is the difference between decaf coffee and regular coffee?

The first difference is the color. The decaffeination process will change the appearance of the coffee. For example, the color of washed decaffeinated coffee beans is darker than that of ordinary coffee beans. This is mainly because some polyphenol pigments in the coffee beans are also removed when the caffeine is removed.

Secondly, they will also weigh differently. Decaf beans are lighter and less dense.

Another difference is the taste. Decaffeinated coffee is usually milder in flavor because caffeine itself has a bitter taste, and removing the decaffeination makes it taste less bitter.

So if you like strong coffee, decaf might not be the best choice. But if you don't like caffeine, decaf is definitely your best choice.

Are the chemicals that strip coffee of its caffeine completely safe?

Currently, there are three main methods of decaffeination.

Two of them are water-washing method and supercritical gas decaffeination, which use water and carbon dioxide respectively. These two are substances we come into contact with every day and are also very safe. Therefore, it can be considered that decaffeinated coffee is actually safe to drink.

Another method of decaffeination is extraction with organic solvents, commonly used solvents are dichloromethane and ethyl acetate. When it comes to organic solvents, many people will worry about the safety. In fact, decaffeinated coffee made with this method is safe to drink.

The boiling point of dichloromethane is very low, only about 40°C, so after the decaffeinated coffee is roasted at 200°C, there will be no residue at all. As for ethyl acetate, it is on the list of chemicals "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can be used as a flavoring in food. Ethyl acetate is also present in many common fruits.

So, feel free to drink decaf coffee.