
How to prepare decaffeinated coffee for customers? Do you need a special grinder to prepare decaffeinated coffee or is pre-ground coffee enough?
Decaffeinated coffee lovers as customers
Among coffee shop customers, there are those who require decaffeinated coffee. This has basically been the case since 1903 when it was invented. More important than the past, of course, for current coffee shop owners is the popularity of decaffeinated coffee today. And it's increasing. With the millennial generation and their healthy lifestyle preferences , the number of decaffeinated coffee drink orders is increasing.
In the UK, Mintel has assessed that 2 out of 5 coffee shop customers in the UK are interested in decaffeinated coffee. Coffee product manufacturers, like decaffeinated coffee itself, are responding to market changes by increasing decaffeinated products by 30% (2022-2023 data). The trend to reduce caffeine intake continues, so let's find out how to make the best decaffeinated coffee in your coffee shop.
Caffeine in ristretto, espresso and filter coffee
What's the deal with caffeine in coffee? A professional barista should know the last thing about coffee... well, at least to the best of their ability, they should be able to advise on the choice of beverage in relation to its caffeine content. The extraction of caffeine from coffee depends on time. Coffees with longer extraction times have more caffeine. The volume of the serving, or drink cup, is still part of the calculation. Therefore, more caffeine is expected in filtered coffee than in espresso. Specifically, we are talking about a value of around 100mg in filter coffee and around 60mg in espresso.
Among coffee drinkers, you'll often hear the saying that espresso is strong and ristretto is even stronger, so it'll give you a better "kick". Only, we 're not talking about the caffeine's stimulant power here ! The strength of the coffee is thought of as the distinctiveness of the flavours. Since ristretto is an even smaller volume drink than espresso, and it is also extracted for a shorter time, it will contain less caffeine. With the same initial dose of ground coffee for a brewing time of about 15 seconds, such a ristretto with a volume of up to 20ml will contain an estimated 30mg of caffeine.
This offers the possibility of creating lower caffeine beverages from a ristretto coffee base. By simply stopping the espresso extraction early to achieve a lower volume, the barista risks altering the taste of the coffee. The range of flavours is impoverished by the final coffee bitterness and the acidity is accentuated. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing in drinks like cappuccinos or lattes, where a more acidic coffee base and warm whipped milk often work perfectly together. If you need to make a decaffeinated black coffee, or if even half the caffeine isn't enough, ristretto won't help.
Pre-ground vs. decaffeinated coffee beans
If the solution is not to brew lower caffeine coffee, but strictly decaffeinated coffee, then there are basically only two options. You can buy beans that have undergone a decaffeination process or you can buy them already ground. In the first case, you will also need to purchase a second grinder for the coffee shop. In the latter, you will then struggle with the coffee aging quickly and no longer changing the coarseness of the grind.
Decaffeinated coffee: faster and cheaper
First, let's be clear about how you can incorporate decaffeinated coffee into your café's menu for minimal upfront costs. That way is buying pre-ground coffee. Just make a note in the purchase note of the decaffeinated roasted coffee to add the requirement to grind the coffee for making decaffeinated espresso. The coffee shop will then siphon the required amount of this ground coffee into the coffee machine's portafilter when you order a decaf cappuccino (or other beverage). The next step is the same as for a regular coffee.
The pitfall of this method is freshness. Better said, in rapid aging of ground coffee. It is known that up to 50% of the coffee's aromas disappear within 15 minutes after grinding. When the coffee is not in the form of whole beans, oxidation takes place more quickly and its best qualities are lost. The optimal time to use coffee is 2-3 weeks after roasting. Therefore, do not stock up ahead of time. Over a month old ground coffee just doesn't have much to offer anymore. You can reduce coffee aging when:
- buy less of it (perhaps more often, but fresh)
- keep it in a sealed container (either the original packaging or a coffee jar)
Preparing decaffeinated ground coffee
As coffee is more porous after decaffeination, its preparation will be affected by this process. The beans, or ground coffee, will be more quickly extractable. Extraction time is therefore usually slightly shorter than conventional decaffeinated coffee. For best results you can also adjust the water temperature to a lower one.
Another problem may be the coarseness of the grind, which is predetermined. Therefore, you will have to rely on other variables to set the ideal recipe. It is very important to have a perfect coffee distribution technique in the portafilter. It is ideal to get a helper called AutoComb or another type of accessory called WDT.
Decaffeinated coffee beans and how to prepare them
In terms of the quality of the final product, another grinder in a coffee shop is the best way to prepare decaffeinated coffee. If you prepare coffee from whole roasted beans, such coffee will be guaranteed to be fresh and full of flavours and aromas. The beans age more slowly and retain their important ingredients to offer your guests in a cup.
In terms of finances, you will need to invest in an additional coffee grinder. This also needs to fit somewhere on the bar. In this regard, you then choose whether to proceed straight to buying an espresso grinder for decaffeinated coffee or consider buying a universal grinder. The former route is especially taken by a café where decaffeinated coffee is required exclusively for the preparation of espresso and espresso-based coffees. And where decaffeinated coffee is expected to be sold more frequently.
Opt for a universal grinder if you are comfortable with the so-called " single dosing" grinding of coffee in your operation. That is, grinding coffee in portions, without filling the hopper of the grinder, because you can use it for decaffeinated coffee, as well as for classic batch brew. Universal grinders range from espresso to French Press (or Cold Brew). Using such a method is more demanding on preparation time and barista work. On the other hand, it saves space on the bar and solves the grinding for more types of coffees from the menu or even finances for another grinder for filter coffee.