How is decaffeinated coffee made?

Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical present in plants such as coffee plants, where it serves as a defence mechanism to repel insects. The caffeine in coffee plants is what gives coffee beans their stimulating properties but not their flavour.

High-quality Arabica coffee beans are typically 1% caffeine by weight, whereas Robusta beans have twice that amount.  At Volcano, we use Arabica beans in our decaf coffee.

In order to create decaffeinated coffee, an extra processing step has to be added to the coffee’s journey to extract the caffeine from the beans. There are multiple ways this can be done – by using chemical solvents or more natural compounds.

There are 4 main methods of producing decaffeinated coffee; the CO₂, Swiss Water,  Methylene Chloride and Ethyl Acetate method– the two that do not use chemical solvents are the CO₂ and Swiss water method.

At Volcano, we use the CO₂ method as it only uses 2 natural compounds: water and carbon dioxide.

The CO₂ method

For the CO₂ method, the coffee beans are soaked in water and then liquid CO₂ is forced through them in a highly pressurised container so that it can dissolve the caffeine. The caffeine soaked CO₂ is then moved to another chamber where it is depressurised and allowed to turn into a gas again, leaving the caffeine behind. The CO₂ is then captured and recycled or reused again.

CO₂ is efficient at extracting caffeine but leaves the flavour components alone, so it does not affect the quality or taste of the coffee.

The CO₂ method is not only a more natural and efficient method but also a zero waste method. The CO₂ is cycled through the coffee over and over again within the process and the only waste in this process is solid caffeine which is used in other industries and for other purposes - so it doesn’t create any residual waste.

A note from our speciality coffee roaster, Claire:

“The caffeine in our decaf coffee is removed using only two ingredients; water and carbon dioxide. This is an extremely effective, fully natural process - no chemical solvents are required.

Also, the CO₂ method doesn't disturb the flavour compounds in the coffee beans; meaning you don't have to compromise on taste to enjoy a caffeine-free cup!"

Try our decaf coffee beans or our Great Taste Award winning decaf coffee pods.