How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee and Is It Healthier?
Coffee is one of the most universally consumed beverages throughout the world. From the early hours in the morning till late in the evening, certain places will always have a pot ready to drink. The coffee industry is booming, and coffee is more easily accessible than ever!
The ease that comes with acquiring a good cup of coffee, however, is not so simple.
Now the bigger concern facing the industry is how much coffee is too much? For some, the answer is that there’s never too much coffee, but for others, the caffeine in the coffee limits how much some people can drink. If you can’t say no to coffee, but don’t want to consume all the caffeine that comes with it, read on to learn more about how decaffeinated coffee may be better for you!
Decaf vs. Regular Coffee
The age-old question concerning decaf coffee: Does it mean zero caffeine? The simple answer is no — decaf coffee still has some caffeine. Just because something is labeled decaf doesn’t mean that it does not contain any caffeine whatsoever! However, there is a substantially smaller amount of caffeine in decaf coffee than in regular coffee.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty details and numbers that go into the dosage of caffeine in each cup, we’ll look at how decaf is processed to differentiate it from regular coffee.
How Regular Coffee Is Processed
The dark roasted coffee beans we know of start out looking a lot different than they do inside a bag of coffee. First of all, coffee starts out as a fruit which looks similar to a cherry. The seed inside the fruit is what becomes the coffee bean we all know and love. The coffee fruit is carefully harvested before it is processed.
There are multiple stages to processing coffee beans including the drying and washing steps which help separate the fruit flesh from the all-important coffee bean. However, we’ll wait until another day to go in-depth on those processes. After the fruit flesh has been removed, what’s left is the unroasted coffee bean, which is green.
These green coffee beans are then packaged and shipped out to be roasted at specific facilities.
How Is Decaffeinated Coffee Processed?
Decaffeinated coffee is processed the same as regular coffee except for one big difference.
Once the beans are separated from the fleshy outsides, they are then soaked to rid the beans of roughly 97% of the caffeine content. The beans are then packaged and sent off to be roasted. Despite going through a “double soaking,” decaf coffee still has a rich flavor to fulfill that craving for a good cup of coffee!
How Much Caffeine Is in Your Cup of Coffee?
A regular cup of coffeecontains 95 milligrams per 8 oz of coffee. Decaf coffee, on the other hand, has only2 milligrams per 8 oz of coffee! If you’re looking to skip out on the jitters, but not on a good cup of coffee, decaf is a great alternative.
What Makes a Good Cup of Decaf Coffee?
Avid coffee drinkers sometimes shy away from decaffeinated coffee. They often claim that decaf tastes burnt and it lacks the rich flavor notes of a regular cup of coffee. In some instances, this is true; however, that doesn’t stand true across the board.
A good cup of decaf can contain all the same rich, smooth flavors that regular coffee has — you just need to know where to find it, what to look for, and how to make it!
Where Do I Find Good Decaf Coffee?
Here at Javy Coffee, we have rich, flavorful coffee concentrates ready to go at the click of a button! Easy to order, simple to make, and rich in flavor, Javy coffee will give you a good cup of decaf coffeewherever you go without any burn taste.
If you are still on the decaf coffee fence, we have a ton of regular coffee flavor to try. From exciting Pistachio Coffee Concentrate to classic Caramel Coffee Concentrate, we know they will not disappoint! Check it out and be sure to share your experience trying them!
What Am I Looking for in Good Coffee?
One key to ensuring your coffee is good is to make it fresh. More often than not, the bagged coffee you grab in the grocery store, especially if it’s ground, has been sitting there a little too long. Older beans means older-tasting coffee.
Instead of being smooth and having some natural sweetness in the coffee, older coffee is typically burnt tasting, bitter, and just not how you want to start your day.
How Do I Make Decaf Taste Good?
Like with any coffee-making process, there are dosages, measurements, temperatures, and external variables that can make or break your cup. With decaf, all the same rules apply, but you may want to add even a little bit more effort than normal to give yourself a truly robust cup of joe. However, if you’re looking to ensure your cup tastes the same every time and you don’t have the tools to measure, grind, and temp your brews, coffee concentrate may be what you’re looking for.
Coffee concentrates are easy to use, you add the concentrate, water, ice, and boom — a good cup of coffee is right at your fingertips!
Decaf: Does It Make a Difference?
The coffee world is full of decaf haters, but sometimes the extra cup jitters are just not worth it. The recommended dosage of caffeine for an average adult to consume is 400 milligrams a day. That is around four to five cups of coffee.
However, each person is different, and some may be more sensitive to caffeine than others. If that’s true for you, read on to know why it’s okay to be a decaf lover in a world of decaf haters.
How Do I Know Enough Coffee Is Enough?
If you’re not sure if you are drinking too much coffee or if you should switch to decaf, there are a few signs you can look out for:
- Insomnia
- Elevated heart rate
- Upset stomach
- Headaches or migraines
- Anxiousness
None of these symptoms are worth the extra stress, so if you deal with any of these after consuming your daily cup of coffee, decaf may be a better alternative for you.
Is Decaf Actually Better for Me?
Regular coffee is linked to having quite a few long-term benefits. One benefit is it may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, increase cognitive function, and even decrease the risk of certain cancers.
Is decaf linked with the same benefits? As of now, research has shown that decaf does not include the same antioxidants as regular coffee, which links it to those benefits. However, decaf has some different benefits than regular coffee. Decaf is linked to improving memory, especially in the elderly. It also contains detoxification qualities.
The pros and cons of what we consume is sometimes difficult to hash out, but it is good to be aware of how the products we consume can affect our bodies in the long run. In every area: moderation is key. Decaf is a good alternative if you know you are more sensitive to caffeine, especially if you know where to get the good stuff.
Finishing Up
Coffee is an ever-growing industry that keeps getting better with time. With options of being hot or iced, regular or decaf, black or with cream, coffee can be up to anyone’s specific taste standards — especially if you know where to get it from! Even if you may need decaf coffee over regular, that doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice flavor and quality. Good coffee is something everyone should be able to have, and you are now equipped with the resources to know your coffee’s worth!
Now you know how decaf coffee is different, how much caffeine you are actually consuming, and where you can find good coffee, even if it’s decaf. You’re ready to try a new option and share your knowledge. At Javy Coffee, we care and want to hear about your experiences with our products — on the road or at home, our coffee is meant to be shared.
Head on over to our page to learn more about our delicious, convenient products. Be sure to tag us on Instagram @javy.coffee, and keep coming back to learn more about what’s in your daily cup and how it makes a difference!
Sources:
Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? | FDA
All About Decaffeinated Coffee | NCA
How Is Decaf Coffee Made? | Live Science
