Decaf coffee: the taste of coffee but without caffeine

Coffee contains caffeine. This is a substance found in various plants, but also in coffee beans, for example. The substance makes you feel less tired. In small amounts, about one to two cups of coffee a day, it is even good for concentration. Taking too much coffee can also have drawbacks. For example, you may become restless or get a headache. Now, do you want to avoid that but still enjoy a nice cup of coffee? Then there is decaffeinated coffee, also called decaf.

How much caffeine is in coffee?

The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee depends on many factors. These include the coffee bean and also the amount of coffee. The arabica bean contains less caffeine than the robusta bean. On average, there are 75 to 100 milligrams of caffeine in a cup of coffee. By comparison, the amount of caffeine in cola is 24 milligrams per 250 ml. And the caffeine in tea is about one-third the caffeine of coffee.

A healthy adult, without experiencing symptoms, can consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. This amounts to about four to five cups of coffee. How long coffee works is largely personal. It can take six hours for caffeine to completely leave your body, while you experience the peak between 30 and 60 minutes after drinking.

Is decaffeinated really caffeinated?

Does decaffeinated mean there really is no caffeine in coffee at all? No, it doesn't. In fact, with decaffeinated coffee beans, at least 97% of the caffeine has been removed. It is not possible to remove all caffeine. How much caffeine remains in decaf coffee varies by type of coffee. Usually it is about 3 milligrams of caffeine per cup. To put it in perspective, 3 milligrams of caffeine is even less than in green and black tea.

But how is decaf coffee made? Decaf coffee involves rinsing the caffeine out of the coffee with water. The most common method used for this is the critical carbonation method. This is an environmentally friendly method of decaffeination in which the beans are immersed in water. This causes the coffee beans to swell and repel the caffeine. The caffeine is then dissolved with carbon dioxide (CO2) under high pressure. Then the coffee beans are dried and the CO2 evaporates again. At Boot Koffie, we also use this environmentally friendly method and you can read more about it in our blog on'How is coffee decaffeinated?'

Is decaffeinated coffee healthy?

Decaffeinated coffee is a healthy alternative for anyone who cannot stand caffeine very well. By the way, the nutritional value of decaffeinated coffee is almost the same as a regular coffee. Decaffeinated coffee contains some small amounts of several recommended daily nutrients. For example, potassium, niacin, magnesium and vitamin B3.

Also, decaf coffee often contains the same amount of antioxidants and polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid. These substances reduce oxidative damage. They can also potentially help prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

So, is decaffeinated coffee healthy? Compared to coffee with caffeine, decaf coffee is indeed slightly healthier. In fact, caffeine brings disadvantages that do not apply to decaf coffee. Whereas in the past you really tasted less coffee, nowadays a decaf bean is top notch and practically unrecognizable in taste. Decaffeinated coffee also offers all sorts of other benefits. That is why it is often considered a healthy alternative.

The best organic decaffeinated coffee is of course bought at Boot Koffie. We have been supplying the best coffee beans, filter coffee and decaffeinated espresso coffee beans since 1973. Would you like to order from us? You can easily do so online through our webshop. Do you have questions or want more information about our products? Then please contact us.

Decaffeinated coffee