I'm Sandra Adams, a blogger and enthusiast of many eclectic targets, including pottery and industrial equipment and supplies. I've traced my family tree as far back as I can go and there is not one moment where my family hasn't been involved in manufacturing. My dad worked as a mechanic repairing industrial machinery and if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have anyone to pass down his knowledge to. I've always wanted to know what my dad was up to, so I'd ask him what he did everyday. I've always been really curious and this has lead me to develop a really strong understanding of industrial equipment. My love for industrial equipment hasn't waned and now I feel like sharing this knowledge with others. I've created this blog for this exact purpose.
Decaffeinating coffee has always been a challenge, leaving purists to claim that decaf coffee either contains unnatural chemicals or tastes dull. While these charges may be true of methods that have previously been used to decaffeinate coffee, there is a new technique that companies are using to extract caffeine from coffee. Although it's expensive to do, carbon dioxide (CO2) decaffeination is both natural and preserves the coffee's original flavor. If you're a natural coffee producer and want to provide the highest quality decaf possible, here's why you should consider using CO2-based decaffeination.
The Three Methods of Decaffeinating Coffee
Today, there are three methods used to decaffeinate coffee. They can be described by the substances they use to extract the caffeine from the beans:
CO2 Decaffeination is New
CO2-based decaffeination is the newest of the three techniques, and it's also the most advanced. In this process:
At the end of the process, the coffee is left without caffeine, but it still has the compounds that produce nuanced flavors and scents.
An Expensive Method to Produce Good, Natural Decafs
For natural coffee producers who want to break into the gourmet decaf coffee market, CO2 decaffeination is the only option. If you use a solvent-based method, you'll no longer be able to advertise your coffee as all-natural because a chemical will have been used on it. Alternatively, the water-based methods remove flavorful chemicals along with caffeine, producing coffee that doesn't taste as good as decafs made with the CO2-based process.
The CO2-based process is the most expensive way to decaffeinate coffee. Not only do companies need vast amounts of CO2, but they also need to have equipment that is strong enough to hold the gas at pressures up to 4,500 psi.
If you want to produce the best-tasting natural decaffeinated coffee possible, you'll have to pay for CO2-based decaffeination. The difference in quality between CO2 decaffeination and the other processes is noticeable, and the market should bear higher prices to cover your increased processing costs. It might be an expensive investment, but CO2 decaffeination is the best way to establish yourself as the premier provider of high-quality, natural decaf coffees.
Contact a CO2 supply company like Terry Supply Co for more information.
Share23 June 2015
