“Decaf? What’s the point?!”
“Death before decaf!”
“Decaf? You mean brown sadness water?”
Despite the aggressive stigmatization of decaf coffee, decaf drinkers account for roughly 12% of worldwide coffee consumption, though we suspect that number might be higher if people would just calm down about the fact that it simply exists.
We’ve all seen countless memes on the subject, and we’ve all been guilty of perpetuating the mentality. We seem to do it almost as a knee-jerk reaction. Decaf is almost unanimously hated by coffee drinkers and coffee professionals alike. But with all the dietary restrictions that have been increasingly accommodated in the last few decades, why are caffeine-free bodies still being mocked and met with derision?
HOW IT STARTED
Decaffeinated coffee’s “Founding Father” Ludwig Roselius made the first decaf beans in 1905 by using benzene, a paint stripper (you read that right, PAINT STRIPPER) that drastically negatively altered the taste of the coffee and began sowing the seeds of decaf’s notoriety. This negative reputation was doubly tarnished by starting with low quality beans in the first place. In 1910, several patents were filed for the Ethyl Acetate process of decaffeination, which uses food-grade acids and alcohol made from fermented molasses in order to bind to the caffeine and remove it from the beans.
In 1988 the Swiss Water Process of decaffeination, a method much gentler on both the body and the palate, was commercially introduced. Unfortunately by then decaf’s reputation as an unpleasant drinking experience had already been cemented into public opinion, and little has been done since then to move the needle. Even as recently as 2015, Swiss Water opened a pop-up cafe in New York City exclusively serving decaf coffees and were absolutely roasted for it. (No pun intended.)
HOW IT’S GOING
Benzene was recognized as a carcinogen in the 80’s, and hasn’t been used in coffee since, but the damage to decaf’s public image had already been done. Even without toxic chemicals being used to strip caffeine from coffee beans, there are still obstacles to a good cup of decaf; most of them unfortunately based in aloofness caused by preconceived notions and a general lack of demand.
Many people in the coffee industry don’t typically put the same care into decaf that they do with caffeinated coffee, further perpetuating the perception of low quality. Decaf coffees are often purchased as an afterthought and roasted as dark as possible to mask the deficiencies of apathetic sourcing. Look behind the counter of any coffee shop and you’re likely to find either subpar equipment dedicated to grinding decaf, or ground decaf used for both drip coffee and espresso.
Contributing to the bad rap, many casual coffee drinkers also don't realize that there is a substantial difference between commodity-grade coffee produced, sourced, and roasted for quantity and specialty-grade coffee that goes through multiple rigorous tests for quality, both at origin and after arriving stateside. People still associate decaf with harsh commodity-grade coffee, something either powdered and instant or pre-ground that comes in a can.
LIVE AND LET LIVE, DRINK AND LET DRINK
No shade here, but a truly staggering amount of coffee drinkers drink objectively bad coffee. There are so many variables and moving targets that contribute to a good cup of coffee that it’s a miracle that a good cup of coffee ever gets made at all, ever. Whether it’s commodity-grade coffee that was produced and sold with quantity in mind rather than quality, or specialty-grade from a bag that’s been sitting on the grocery store shelf for months before ever getting brewed, many people seldom get the chance to try truly great coffee and therefore can’t imagine someone drinking it for anything other than the caffeine boost.
Decaf coffee drinkers are drinking coffee purely for the joy and sensory pleasures of drinking coffee, and we believe that deserves to be at least respected if not celebrated. There are numerous medical or practical reasons why someone might drink coffee sans caffeine; none of which are any of our business.
Everyone deserves a great cup of coffee, so please don’t give people hell for drinking decaf! We’ve all been guilty of it at some point but it’s time to stop. There are people who can’t have caffeine who give up drinking coffee altogether because of the stigma surrounding decaf, and that is truly sad.
If you’re doing it right, caffeine content should be the least interesting thing about your coffee.
You can browse Colibri & Renard’s decaf coffee offerings here.