The US Brewer’s Cup Championship is the ultimate event for coffee lovers, with 37 pages of rules governing everything from liquid volume to alkalinity. The judges are purists who might blanch at the idea of Nescafé, but this year’s award went to a brewer who served (brace yourself) decaf.
Historically, decaffeinated coffee has not been celebrated. For some it is tasteless and for others, useless. However, the beans used by winning barista Weihong Zhang were completely unapologetic and sophisticated enough for any connoisseur: they boasted notes of eucalyptus and strawberry.
Beer’s triumph indicated a broader trend: decaffeinated is in fashion. The global market is expected to rise from £15.3 billion in 2022 to £22.5 billion by the end of the decade.
Technological advances seem to be behind the boom. A quick explanation: Coffee beans are seeds found in the “cherries” of coffee trees. The green seeds are sent to roasters who turn them into the brown “beans” we know. In the case of decaffeinated ones, they are first treated to eliminate the caffeine.
In the case of cheaper decaf, this is usually made with methylene chloride, which has become controversial because it is carcinogenic. Some critics argue that it should be banned; Proponents say there are such small amounts in a decaf that any threat is negligible. Still, consumers increasingly prefer their decaffeinated flat white to be made “naturally,” using water, carbon dioxide or ethyl acetate from sugar cane.
More attention is also being paid to crops. “Producers used to take bad beans that they couldn’t sell anywhere else and say, ‘Okay, we’ll use them for decaf,'” says Howard Gill, head roaster at London-based sustainable coffee brand Grind. “Today, farms deliberately grow beans with a flavor profile, size and consistency that makes them ideal for decaf.”
In addition, two in five coffee drinkers want to reduce their caffeine consumption, according to the market intelligence agency Mintel. “At Grind, sales of decaffeinated coffee are growing rapidly,” says Gill. So should you change? Let’s separate reality from fiction.
‘Caffeine is bad for you’
It depends. “People often say, ‘I’m trying to be good and cut back on coffee,’ but drinking coffee is not a problem for those who tolerate caffeine,” says Dr. Federica Amati, chief nutritionist at the health sciences company Zoe and author of Everyone Should Know This (Michael Joseph, £22). “We are all different in the way we metabolize it and some people are genetically more susceptible to the negative effects. You have to respond to your body.’
Many people drink three to five coffees a day without any problems, while others experience anxiety, insomnia, increased heart rate and even eye twitches. Some experience these symptoms after just one cup. This can evolve throughout life.
Perimenopause causes some women to experience anxiety and sleep disturbances even without caffeine. “At that point, the cup of coffee you previously enjoyed in the morning may make you feel more anxious,” Amati says.
Psychiatrist Dr. Alex Curmi was concerned about his addiction to caffeine, two to six shots of espresso a day: “As I finished the second cup of the day, I had a visceral feeling of anxiety.” He decided to give up for six weeks and documented the experiment in an episode of The Thinking Mind Podcast.
He found the withdrawal symptoms manageable and felt calmer. “During the first few days, I noticed that my performance had dropped (I’d say it was around 80 percent), but I also felt a sense of relaxation.”
After six weeks, he reintroduced caffeine: ‘The first coffee I had after that break seemed crazy. I felt like I could learn a language and write a book with that intense burst of energy,” she says. Curmi now believes that one cup a day is enough to enjoy its benefits.
During pregnancy, there is evidence that more than 200 mg of caffeine per day (two cups of instant coffee) increases the risk of miscarriage and may restrict the growth of the baby. Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers may find that caffeine irritates their gut. Other conditions may respond well to its stimulant effect: some people with Parkinson’s disease report that caffeine helps them move more freely, and some with ADHD find that it helps them concentrate.
‘Decaffeinated is bad for you‘
Is not true. The health benefits of coffee are significant, with or without caffeine.
“They include improved cognitive function and a reduced risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and death from any disease,” Amati says. “Coffee is high in polyphenols and fiber, and together they act as a brilliant prebiotic blend for the gut microbiome.”
Returning to menopause: it is very important at this time to take care of your intestine. “A subset of bacteria in the microbiome is sensitive to estrogen and begins to die at menopause,” says Amati. ‘So if caffeine bothers you, instead of giving up coffee, you can switch to decaf. You still get the polyphenols and the fiber.’
Most coffees (even decaffeinated and instant varieties) do not contain foreign additives, but pre-mixed pods marketed as “cappuccino,” for example, may contain emulsifiers. “And try to avoid sugary coffee,” adds Amati, “because then you counteract some of the positive results.”
‘Decaffeinated tastes inferior’
No. Experts swear this is no longer the case. “Roasters are now paying a lot more attention to decaf,” says Gill. ‘Traditionally, because the beans were not of good quality, they were roasted very dark (the equivalent of serving a well-done steak) to drown out the negative flavors. “Now roasters make decaffeinated coffees much lighter to highlight their good characteristics.”
‘I need caffeine to wake up’
Maybe. “Studies show that a low to moderate dose of caffeine (up to three cups a day) increases alertness, energy and the ability to concentrate,” says Amati. “And if you drink caffeine before you exercise, you tend to have more effective workouts.”
However, some heavy coffee drinkers report withdrawal symptoms, such as grogginess or headaches, first thing in the morning; There is also evidence that as your body gets used to caffeine, you lose some of the joy you enjoyed in the beginning.
“If you drink a lot of coffee, yes, there will be changes in the receptors in your brain,” says Amati. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some impact on alertness.” “Most drugs are a deal with the devil, because you pay a little more up front and then pay a deficit, and that includes caffeine,” Curmi says. “I like to have a little more energy in the morning, and if that means there’s a slump afterwards, then I’m willing to pay that price.”
‘Decaffeinated is not caffeine-free’
Correct. But it contains very little. If a regular cup of coffee has between 80 mg and 100 mg of caffeine, a decaffeinated cup will contain between 2 mg and 15 mg. In the UK we follow European law, which states that decaffeinated green beans must contain no more than 0.1 per cent caffeine and instant decaf must contain no more than 0.3 per cent.
‘I would lose my morning ritual’
Not so. Decaffeinated coffee is available in the same forms as caffeinated coffee and will still smell delicious while you brew your morning cup. Erin Reed, marketing director at decaffeination company Swiss Water, argues that the process is even more significant. “We always say that decaffeinated coffee drinkers are the real coffee lovers,” she says, “because they don’t like functional caffeine, they like the taste and the experience.”
