With the launching of our new Nespresso compatible decaf keto coffee pods, we thought we'd answer some of the top questions you may be wondering about decaf coffee.

What is decaf coffee?

Decaf coffee is short for decaffeinated coffee.

As the name suggests, many people think that decaf coffee is fully caffeine free, when actually the coffee beans for decaf coffee still contain roughly 3% of their caffeine.

This is a very small amount, that will be unnoticeable by many, but is due to the fact coffee beans can never have their caffeine 100% removed.

In our decaf Nespresso compatible pods we have used a high quality single origin Honduran decaf coffee. This decaf coffee has a sweet, nutty flavour that compliments the creamy MCT oil.

How is decaf coffee made?

The first thing you need to know is how is decaf coffee made.

There are three main methods for making decaf coffee: Swiss water, organic solvents, or carbon dioxide.

The Swiss Water Method

The swiss water method is when green (unroasted) coffee beans are soaked in hot water until the water is saturated with caffeine and other soluble components in coffee (such as flavour compounds).

This is called the ‘green coffee extract’, which is passed through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine.

The extract is then added to new green coffee beans that contain caffeine, and the caffeine is forced out of them into the extract due to osmosis, until the beans are almost entirely caffeine-free.

This is the primary method used to decaffeinate organic coffee beans.

We use this process to decaffeinate the 100% Arabica Honduran coffee beans in our Nespresso capsules, as we feel this is the best method as there are no chemicals and solvents used. Making them better for your health and the environment.

Chemical Solvent - Methyl Chloride

The most common chemical solvent used for decaffeination is methylene chloride. It used to be that benzene was the chemical of choice, but it was proved to be a carcinogen.

Now, companies have switched to other chemicals, most commonly ethyl acetate or methylene chloride.

The direct method of decaffeination using solvents is where the coffee beans are steamed and then rinsed repeatedly with the chemical solvent to flush away the caffeine.

For the indirect method, the chemical solvent doesn’t actually touch the coffee beans but treats the caffeinated water that the beans have been soaked in for hours.

Once the caffeine is treated, the decaffeinated water is reintroduced into the bean so that a lot of the natural oils and flavourings can be reabsorbed.

In both processes the solvents are rinsed or evaporated out of the green beans, which is further done when roasting, meaning that only the tiniest trace amounts (which are deemed safe for consumption) are ever present in the decaffeinated beans you purchase.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide can separate different chemical substances, like caffeine from coffee, when it's pumped through coffee beans.

After the beans have been soaked in water to expand cell structures and makes it easier to extract the caffeine molecules, they are exposed to CO₂ for several hours.

The caffeinated CO₂ liquefies and evaporates, and the beans are then processed. Because this method leaves the carbohydrates and proteins intact, there is less change in taste as a result of decaffeination.

How much caffeine is in decaf coffee?

So how much coffee is in a nespressso decaf capsule?

As we have established, decaf coffee isn’t entirely caffeine-free. Comparisons between decaffeinated coffee and regular coffee have found that decaf coffee contains, on average, 97% less caffeine.

This means a 236-ml cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of regular coffee can contain anywhere between 70-140mg.

It should be noted that there can be slight variations in caffeine content across different decaf coffees, dependent on which decaffeination process has been undertaken.

Is decaffeinated coffee healthy?

Yes decaffeinated coffee is healthy, as it contains all the health benefits and antioxidants of regular coffee but without the caffeine.

For many people this is important as they love the taste of coffee but have to avoid caffeine due to health and diet reasons, such as caffeine sensitivity.

Ditching caffeine can also help lower anxiety, especially in individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders.

This is what makes our Nespresso decaf coffee pods so great as you can have the same great tasting keto coconut coffee minus the caffeine.

Also our decaf keto coffee pods, contain MCT oil. Adding MCT oil to the diet can have many health benefits, such as, weight loss, management of blood sugar levels and - most importantly for the keto diet - it helps you get into a state of ketosis.