" That's not real coffee ." Much like non-alcoholic beer, the sober version of our most popular hot beverage is often laughed at. There are certainly legitimate reasons for reaching for decaffeinated coffee. Be it due to health issues, pregnancy, or simply to enjoy a cup late at night without being unable to fall asleep.

But how does decaffeinated coffee actually work? In this article, we explore who decaffeinated coffee is suitable for and how caffeine, and especially its decaf counterpart, affects people.

The impact of caffeine on your body: When to switch to the caffeine-free version

In a nutshell, caffeine is an essential ingredient in stimulants we're all very familiar with: It's found not only in coffee itself, but also in cola, tea, and many energy drinks. This energy booster is considered a psychoactive substance because it stimulates nerve activity, thus producing the stimulating effect on the body for which it's known.

It's precisely this effect that makes our beloved caffeine unsuitable for all situations. Doctors often recommend that people with high blood pressure avoid this morning pick-me-up altogether because of its stimulating effects on the heart and metabolism. This can otherwise increase in those who rarely drink coffee. The caffeine-free version can also be a suitable alternative for those who are sensitive to caffeine intake late at night and find it difficult to fall asleep at night.

Decaffeinated coffee during pregnancy

Furthermore, some experts express concerns about consuming caffeinated beverages during pregnancy. The fetus' inability to metabolize caffeine and the increased risk of low birth weight are often cited as arguments. The WHO recommends that pregnant women consume no more than 300 mg of caffeine per day—equivalent to about three cups of coffee.

Caffeine consumption during pregnancy can harm the fetus.

Nevertheless, the risks listed are reason enough to avoid coffee, at least during pregnancy, and to prefer the decaffeinated version.

How is coffee decaffeinated?

Reaching for a compostable decaffeinated espresso capsule for your Nespresso© machine is therefore attractive for those who want or need to avoid the stimulant caffeine. But how do you extract an active ingredient from a plant without significantly altering the plant itself? A practical solution would be a plant that grows coffee beans that are naturally caffeine-free. In fact, such beans have already been bred.

However, these modified beans are highly susceptible to pests or react to adverse weather conditions, resulting in the loss of important flavors. The quality of the beans can also vary greatly among modified plants. Ultimately, a process must be used to extract caffeine from the beans.

The first decaffeinated coffee

Ludwig Roselius, founder of the Hag coffee brand, was the first to produce the first decaffeinated coffee in 1903. He used a process that used benzene as a solvent to extract the caffeine from the beans. Benzene was later discovered to be carcinogenic, which led to increasing criticism and questions about whether decaffeinated coffee was even healthy. Therefore, other processes had to be developed.

Decaffeination using solvents

One modern method for extracting caffeine from beans is to "leach" it using either an indirect or direct process . In the direct process, the beans are treated with steam for half an hour before being immersed in dichloromethane for nearly half a day . The psychoactive substance caffeine is then extracted from the coffee beans.

Although the dichloromethane residues are completely removed from the beans, it is suspected of being carcinogenic. The health risk therefore remains theoretical, as strict limits are adhered to and monitored during the decaffeination process. A maximum of two milligrams of the controversial dichloromethane may be present in one kilogram of coffee. According to experts, this limit is usually well below that.

The direct process is contrasted with the complex indirect process: In this process, the coffee beans are gently boiled in their own liquid, and all their water-soluble compounds are extracted. Dichloromethane or ethyl acetate , which is produced from natural sources , is then added to the resulting liquid, which extracts the caffeine. This creates a coffee solution that contains all of the coffee beans' water-soluble compounds except for caffeine.

If you now take this liquid and bring it into contact with new coffee beans, the otherwise water-soluble substances in the bean will no longer dissolve because the coffee is already saturated with these substances. Only the caffeine can still be absorbed.

Decaffeination using the CO2 process

The carbon dioxide process requires no solvents at all. Conventional carbon dioxide, also known as CO2, is used in liquid form to rinse the beans, which have previously been treated with steam. This pretreatment facilitates the extraction of the caffeine. After cleaning, the CO2 is evaporated and processed for recycling. This process is considered extremely gentle on the beans, thus preserving their aromas as much as possible, and is used for all decaffeinated coffees in our range.

Once the goal of decaffeination has been achieved, the beans can be sent to the next production steps from roasted beans to capsule coffee. But you might still have one question before you try your next decaffeinated cup.

Does decaffeinated coffee still contain caffeine?

In fact, even the most efficient processes fail to extract 100 percent of the stimulating active ingredient from the beans. Approximately one percent of the substance remains in the coffee bean. For the coffee in the coffee capsule to be called "decaffeinated coffee," it may contain a maximum of 0.1 percent caffeine, according to EU guidelines. This dose is safe and far too low to produce its usual effect.

This means you can enjoy your decaffeinated coffee in peace, without experiencing any psychoactive effects. You'll be surprised by how much flavor each capsule contains, even without caffeine.

Cover photo by Mae Mu. Additional photos by Fallon Michael.