Decaf Is Still Coffee. So Why Do We Treat It Differently?

There's something slightly strange about the way people talk about decaf coffee.

Almost as if ordering one requires an explanation.

"I'm trying to cut down on caffeine."

"It's getting a bit late."

"I've already had three coffees today."

Fair enough.

But here's my question.

Since when do we need an excuse to drink coffee without caffeine?

After all, we spend an enormous amount of time discussing coffee flavours, origins, processing methods, roasting profiles and brewing techniques.

Surely there's more to coffee than the substance that keeps us awake?

I certainly think so.

And modern specialty decaf has become rather interesting.

Decaf has a reputation problem

For a long time, decaf coffee had a pretty miserable reputation.

It was often treated as the boring alternative to proper coffee.

Something you drank because you couldn't have the real thing.

And to be fair, some decaf coffees didn't exactly help improve that reputation.

But I think we should separate two things.

Decaffeination and coffee quality.

They're not the same.

If you start with poor-quality green coffee, remove the caffeine and roast it badly, there's a good chance you'll end up with a disappointing cup.

But that's not necessarily because it's decaf.

You could make an equally disappointing cup with regular coffee.

Trust me, it's entirely possible.

How do you actually remove caffeine from coffee?

This is where things get interesting.

Coffee beans naturally contain caffeine. So how do you remove it without destroying everything else that makes coffee taste like coffee?

First, decaffeination generally happens while the coffee is still green, before roasting.

The beans are treated with water or steam to prepare them for caffeine extraction.

Then one of several methods is used to remove most of the caffeine.

Some processes use water and filtration. Others use carbon dioxide or approved extraction solvents.

Each method has its own advantages and can affect the coffee differently. Coffee Association of Canada

At Al-Gharb, we currently offer a Colombian decaf that uses the sugar cane decaffeination process.

Which sounds rather delicious.

But no, it doesn't mean someone pours sugar cane syrup over the coffee beans.

Sorry.

What's sugar cane decaffeination?

The process uses a substance called ethyl acetate, often abbreviated to EA.

Ethyl acetate occurs naturally in various fruits and other foods. It can also be produced using materials derived from sugar cane.

In sugar cane decaffeination, the ethyl acetate helps extract caffeine from the green coffee.

Afterwards, the beans are treated to remove the extraction agent and then dried before roasting.

The aim is to remove most of the caffeine while retaining as much of the coffee's original character as possible.

Of course, decaffeination does change the coffee to some extent.

It's an additional processing step, and some compounds other than caffeine can be affected.

But that doesn't mean the resulting coffee can't be excellent.

Our Colombian Huila Decaf is an example of what I mean.

It's a specialty-grade Arabica coffee with chocolate, honey and stone-fruit characteristics.

And there's a reason we chose it.

We want our decaf to be enjoyable as coffee.

Not simply acceptable as a substitute for coffee.

Does decaf actually contain no caffeine?

Here's something that occasionally surprises people.

Decaf isn't completely caffeine-free.

The decaffeination process removes most of the caffeine, but usually leaves a small amount behind.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, an approximately 240 ml cup of decaf coffee typically contains around 2–15 mg of caffeine.

For comparison, a regular brewed coffee of the same size commonly contains around 80–100 mg.

The actual amount depends on the coffee and how it's prepared. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

So decaf contains considerably less caffeine.

But if you need to avoid caffeine entirely for medical reasons, it's worth remembering that less doesn't mean zero.

But does it taste like proper coffee?

Now we're getting to the part I find more interesting.

Taste.

The coffee industry occasionally becomes obsessed with how something was processed.

And while those details matter, I always come back to a fairly simple question.

Does it taste good?

With decaf, we're looking for the same qualities we appreciate in any other coffee.

Sweetness.

Balance.

Pleasant acidity.

Body.

Interesting flavours.

A good finish.

Removing caffeine doesn't automatically remove all those things.

Of course, different decaffeination methods can influence the flavour profile, and the roasting requires attention.

But there's absolutely no reason why a decaf coffee shouldn't be enjoyable.

Personally, I'd rather drink a delicious decaf than a disappointing regular espresso.

Even if the regular espresso comes with the added benefit of keeping me awake.

Do you need to brew decaf differently?

Potentially, yes.

Decaffeination changes the physical structure of the coffee beans, and that can influence how they behave during grinding and brewing.

You might notice that your usual espresso recipe doesn't work quite as expected when you switch to decaf.

Perhaps the extraction runs faster.

Perhaps you need a different grind setting.

Or perhaps it works perfectly well without any adjustments.

There's no universal rule.

My advice is the same as for any coffee.

Start with a sensible recipe.

Taste what you've made.

Then change one variable at a time.

If you're making espresso, pay attention to the dose, yield and extraction time, but let the flavour guide your adjustments.

For filter coffee, begin with the ratio you're comfortable using and experiment from there.

If you need a starting point, our Al-Gharb brewing guides cover several popular brewing methods.

And don't assume that a coffee needs a completely different recipe just because someone removed the caffeine.

Try it first.

Here's a little experiment

If you have the opportunity, try tasting a regular coffee and a decaf side by side.

Ideally, choose two coffees with reasonably similar flavour profiles.

Prepare them using the same brewing method and comparable recipes.

Then taste them without knowing which is which.

Don't concentrate on identifying the decaf.

Concentrate on the flavours.

Which coffee is sweeter?

Which has more body?

Which has the more pleasant acidity?

Which would you happily drink again?

You might identify the decaf immediately.

You might not.

The point isn't to prove that nobody can taste the difference.

It's to judge the coffees for what they actually taste like, rather than what the label tells you to expect.

It's a simple exercise, and I think it's a rather interesting one.

Maybe we should stop calling it an alternative

There's something I like about the idea of drinking decaf simply because you want to.

Not because you're on your fourth coffee.

Not because it's six o'clock in the evening.

Not because someone told you to reduce your caffeine intake.

But because you enjoy the coffee.

After all, we don't usually ask people to justify drinking tea without milk.

Or choosing sparkling water instead of still.

So why should coffee be different?

Specialty coffee has taught us that there's an enormous variety of flavours to discover.

Different origins, processing methods and roasting styles all contribute to that variety.

And I think decaf deserves to be part of the conversation.

Not hidden away as some sort of emergency option for people who can't handle caffeine.

Give decaf another chance

If your last experience with decaf was something resembling hot brown water, perhaps it's time to try again.

Look for a coffee with a clearly identified origin.

Find out how it was decaffeinated.

Choose a roaster who takes decaf as seriously as their regular coffees.

And then brew it properly.

You might still prefer regular coffee.

That's fine.

You might discover that decaf is a rather nice addition to your coffee routine.

Also fine.

But perhaps you'll agree with me on one thing.

A good cup of coffee doesn't need caffeine to justify its existence.

And that's really all I wanted to say.

— Henning Al-Gharb Coffee Roasters, Algarve

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