Are All Decaf Brews the Same?
Are all decaf brews the same? If you’ve recently started drinking more decaffeinated coffee, you’ve likely wondered this very question, as some brews can start to taste different from others. Just as with regular coffee, decaf brews can differ from each other as well, though in much smaller ways.
Are All Decaf Brews the Same?
Decaffeinated coffee is a great alternative for people who still want that amazing coffee taste, but minus the caffeine. For those looking to limit their caffeine intake, decaf coffee is often the only solution they have. While nothing beats a good cup of joe, decaf coffee can still be exactly what you need in the morning to improve your day!
Below, we explain why decaf brews aren’t always the same — and how you can notice this difference!
Different Methods Create Different Tastes
To get regular coffee to its decaffeinated state, the caffeine must be removed from the coffee beans. This can happen in different ways, though the most common methods deal with water, carbon dioxide, or organic solvents.
Before roasting, these coffee beans are washed in the solvent until most of the caffeine is extracted from them. Once these beans are soaked and then dried again, the roasting process can begin. This soaking process is one of the main differences between decaf brews and regular brews.
Because of this soaking process, decaf brews are left often tasting more bitter than regular coffee beans. This is because the coffee beans become finer after soaking, drying, and roasting, which can then lead to a finer grind.
The method used can lead to decaf brews tasting different — and to decaf brews becoming different, slightly. These different methods often lead to the finished decaf brew changing from overall taste, to even color and smell. So, the main reason why decaf brews differ from the other is because of the method used to extract caffeine from the coffee beans!
Some Decaf Brews Have More Antioxidants
Because of these different methods used, some decaf brews naturally have more antioxidants than others. When compared to regular coffee, decaf coffee tends to have the same amount of antioxidants, though some antioxidants can be lost during the decaffeination process, depending on the method used. In this way, decaf brews can again differ from one another.
Decaf Still Has Caffeine
While it’s called decaffeinated coffee, decaf brews still have a slight amount of caffeine, as it’s impossible to take every ounce of caffeine out of coffee beans. Again depending on the method used to extract caffeine, some decaf brews can have about 0 to 7 mg of caffeine per cup. This amount of caffeine is so small that it often doesn’t impact people!
Q: Is decaf coffee bad for you?
A: There is no actual evidence to show that decaffeinated coffee is bad for you. In fact, decaf coffee often has the same, or similar, health benefits that regular coffee does!