Ever heard of decaf coffee? Well, to put it simply, decaf or decaffeinated coffee is one type of coffee that has undergone some special processes to remove most of its caffeine content.

Coffee is one of our favorite drinks to start the day with energy. However, the caffeine content in coffee often makes us jittery, and may give us other symptoms of over-consuming caffeine.

Well, one alternative to keep enjoying a great cup of coffee without experiencing those drawbacks is to consume decaf coffee or low-caffeine coffee.

What is Decaf Coffee?

Decaf Coffee: What Is It? And How is Coffee Decaffeinated?

Decaf or decaffeinated coffee is coffee that has gone through a special process to remove most of its caffeine content.

Caffeine is a natural compound found in coffee beans and is known for its stimulant effects on the human nervous system.

However, decaf coffee is usually not completely free of caffeine. Most decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine, usually around 1 – 3% of the amount of caffeine found in regular coffee.

As quoted from NCAUSA, 100 ml of decaffeinated coffee has only 2 mg of caffeine, while regular coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine.

Although this amount is considered very small, people who are highly sensitive to caffeine should still be aware of the effects of its consumption.

Benefits of Decaf Coffee

The benefits of decaffeinated coffee is strongly tied to the side effects of the caffeine itself.

With less caffeine, you can get the great taste of coffee without worrying about your sleep at night.

Well, that’s just the tip of an iceberg, here are some more of the benefits of decaf coffee:

Prevents insomnia: Many people consume decaf coffee as an alternative to regular coffee to prevent sleep difficulties.
Prevents anxiety and stress: For some people, caffeine can increase anxiety and stress. Decaffeinated coffee can be a milder option.
Reduces the side effects of caffeine: High caffeine can cause restlessness, rapid heartbeat and indigestion.
Suitable for people with hypertension or heart disease: Decaffeinated coffee can be a safer option for people with these conditions.
Reduces the risk of caffeine dependence: One way to overcome coffee dependence is to consume decaf coffee. They can still enjoy coffee without relying too much on caffeine.
Safer for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers: Drinking coffee while pregnant or breastfeeding should be reduced or stopped. Well, decaffeinated coffee provides an alternative to drinking coffee without too much caffeine intake.

Also Read: “7 Most Expensive Coffees in the World“

How to Make Decaf Coffee?

Making a decaf coffee without sacrificing the aroma and flavor of your coffee is not a simple task.

But hey, hard doesn’t mean it is impossible, right? Here are some of the ways you can follow to make decaffeinated coffee at home!

1. Soaking the Fresh Coffee Beans

The first thing to do when making decaf coffee is to soak the coffee beans. You can soak them in water or by using ethyl acetate or methylene chloride solutions.

Soak green and fresh coffee beans, not roasted beans. Fill the bowl with the beans with hot water and let it soak for a few minutes.

Then, filter and repeat. This repeated filtering process determines how much caffeine is removed.

2. Roast Your Coffee Beans

The next process that can be done is roasting the coffee beans that have been soaked and filtered.

You can roast the coffee in the oven by first placing the soaked coffee beans into a metal baking sheet.

Spread out the coffee beans and make sure the beans are evenly spread and not on top of one and another.

Roast the coffee beans for about 10 – 15 minutes at about 230° Celsius. Afterward, remove it and let it cool completely.

3. Grind and Enjoy!

Prepare a coffee grinder and start to grind the roasted coffee beans. Once everything is perfectly grounded, then brew the coffee with hot water.

Try to pour boiling water with a temperature of about 90 – 90.6° Celsius. To make the coffee taste more delicious, mix 10 grams of coffee into 180 ml of water into your favorite cup.

Well, that was the information about decaf coffee. Are you interested in consuming it at home or still choose regular coffee?

Either way, please do yourself a favor and choose the high quality coffee! As of course, the high quality coffee will give you a better flavor, aroma, and overall satisfaction of consuming a coffee.

But, how do you determine the high quality coffee in the first place? Well, one thing you can do in Indonesia is to choose the one that has been standardized by the SNI.

“SNI? What’s that?’

Glad you asked about that! The SNI stands for Standar Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian National Standard), which oversees most if not all of the product’s quality, safety and the services methods of operations.

This type of product approval thrives to give you, as a consumer, a peace of mind, knowing that the products that have been sold and distributed have already undergone several tests to ensure its quality and safety aspects.

And, if you’re a business owner, the SNI also comes with a huge beneficial impact. As the SNI will surely boost the Indonesian market’s trust for your products.

Other than that, some of the products that are sold here in Indonesia are mandatory to be certified by the SNI before being sold.

With that being said, to certify your products with SNI certification is also a testament that your business has complied with the Indonesian laws and regulations, thus preventing a further problem later on.

Back to the coffee, the standards applied for coffee is clearly stated in: