Decaffeination CoffeeEven in the caffeine charged world of the speciality coffee fair there is a demand for decaff. We stopped by the Demus SpA stand and enjoyed a full bodied yet caffeine free espresso.

Decaff coffees I've tried often leave me feeling flat and unexcited. The decaff prepared by Elana on the Demus stand had a good stronge colourful crema and a traditional taste on the pallet.

Dr Massimiliano Fabian, the CEO of Demas has had caffeine in his blood (or not in his bood if decaffeineated) since his mother was in the business. Massimiliano explained to me the basic decaffeinating process: Steaming, extraction, recovery of the solvent and re-bagging. There are four different decaffeinating processes currently used by various processors.

Water: He considers to be the worst as it strips not only the caffeine but also much of the flavour.

CO2: Requires large investment in capital works as the gas needs to be in liquid form requiring high pressure containment.

Ethel acetate & Methylene chloride: Ethel Acetate removes a number of chemicals while Methylene is the preferred method for Demus as it specifically targets the caffeine while leaving the taste of the product in tact.

In the future Massimiliano believes that the market for decaffeinated products will continue to grow driven by increasing total coffee consumption and the aging population's preference for lower caffeine beverages. The reference to the aging population is interesting. As the baby boomers are moving through the age brackets they want to enjoy more coffee but are conscious not to absord so much caffeine.