To be honest, we didn't know much about the different decaffeination processes when we started our decaf journey. However, it's worth taking a closer look at the processes, as they differ in their efficiency and affect the taste of the coffee to varying degrees. Basically, the process of decaffeination is applied to the raw beans, i.e. before roasting.

Today we take a look at the Sugar Cane process, also known as Ethyl Acetate (EA). Even though the name Ethyl Acetate sounds chemical, this method is characterized by its naturalness and the preservation of the original coffee flavor.

What is the Sugar Cane Process?

The Sugar Cane process uses ethyl acetate, a natural solvent extracted from sugar cane – hence the name of the process. EA is particularly gentle on the coffee beans and allows the caffeine to be effectively removed without affecting the valuable aromas.

Step-by-Step: How does the process work?

This process avoids excessive heat or pressure and preserves the natural structure and properties of the coffee bean:

1. Steam to prepare the beans: First, the green coffee beans are treated with steam for about 30 minutes. This step serves to remove the thin protective covering, the silver skin, and open the pores of the beans, which facilitates the subsequent decaffeination process.
   
   
2. Treatment with ethyl acetate and water: Next, the beans are placed in a solution of water and ethyl acetate. This is where the real magic happens: the solution binds to the chlorogenic acid in the beans and draws out the caffeine without affecting the flavors. This process is repeated several times, over a period of about eight hours, until the caffeine is almost completely removed.
   
   
3. Cleaning and drying: The beans are removed from the solution and subjected to a final steam treatment to remove any remaining traces of ethyl acetate. Finally, the beans are dried to their original moisture content (10-12%).

Is ethyl acetate unhealthy/safe?

Ethyl acetate or ethyl acetate is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as in the coffee cherry itself. The remaining amount of ethyl acetate is many times lower than the amount in a banana. The last residues are evaporated during roasting at the latest: Ethyl acetate has an evaporation point of 70°C. Coffee is roasted at higher temperatures, which means that roasted coffee contains no traces of EA. (Source: Cafe Imports)

Therefore, coffee decaffeinated with EA is doubly safe: Ethyl acetate is naturally present in many fruits and other foods, and in addition, it is removed from the coffee beans after decaffeination so as not to affect the taste.

Why is the process natural if it contains ethyl acetate?

The Sugar Cane process uses ethyl acetate, which is obtained through the fermentation of sugar cane - in other words, natural ethyl acetate. EA is naturally present in numerous fruits and foods. In contrast to chemical processes such as the dichloromethane process (DCM).

Obviously, any decaffeination process results in physical and chemical changes to the coffee beans because the caffeine contained in the beans is extracted. Although natural ingredients are used, some chemical aspect is inevitable in any process. However, to distinguish itself from other processes that use synthetic chemicals not naturally found in food, EA is referred to as a natural process.

How much caffeine remains in the beans?

Up to 99.9% of the caffeine can be removed with ethyl acetate. This means that a maximum residual caffeine content of 0.1% remains. In comparison, Arabica contains between 1-1.4% and Robusta 1.8-3.5% caffeine. Incidentally, roasting has only a marginal influence on the caffeine content

What happens to the extracted caffeine?

The extracted caffeine is not wasted. It is sold to other companies that need it as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Who decaffeinates with ethyl acetate?

Companies such as Descafecol in Colombia and Coffein Compagnie in Bremen use ethyl acetate for decaffeination. As a rule, a minimum quantity of 4 tons of green coffee is required, which unfortunately makes decaffeination not accessible to everyone.

How good is the quality of EA Decaf?

The quality of the decaffeinated coffee depends on the quality of the original beans. If crap goes in, crap comes out. EA is an extremely gentle and natural process for decaffeination that preserves the aromas and often gains in taste sweetness.

In 2024, a coffee decaffeinated with ethyl acetate also made headlines. For the first time, a decaf won the US Brewers Cup. Weihong Zhang was able to convince the jury with his decaffeinated Typica from Los Nogales in Colombia.

We at “D stands for” were also impressed by EA Decafs. It is one of our favorite processes. From hundreds of test roasts and dozens of tasting rounds, coffees decaffeinated with EA always stood out due to their excellent taste. They also impressed us due to the absence of process-related additional flavor components that other processes sometimes add to decaffeinated coffee.

Nevertheless, the process leaves traces on the beans: Decaffeinated beans are easy to recognize because they have a clear color difference compared to untreated raw beans (source: https://medium.com/@markalshemmeri/the-effect-of-decaffeination-on-coffees-roasting-and-grinding-performance-229ea8450e46 ). Roasted beans also appear darker on the outside than untreated ones.

The decaffeination process also has an impact on the shelf life of the beans. As the pores open up during the process, decafs often have a shorter shelf life. Therefore, always buy decaf as fresh as possible (tip: pay attention to the roasting date!) and store it in the freezer to maximize the shelf life and taste experience.

Benefits of the Sugar Cane Process:

• Best taste: Coffee treated with this process retains its natural aroma and often gains sweetness, which makes it particularly attractive for milk coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos.
• Naturally harmless: Since ethyl acetate is derived from sugar cane and is found in many fruits and foods, the process is natural and completely free of unhealthy chemicals.
• Short transport routes: Our coffee is grown just 60 minutes from the decaffeination plant in Colombia. This minimizes the ecological footprint and also the risk: short transport routes, less transport risk and the freshness of the beans is guaranteed.

Conclusion:

The Sugar Cane (EA) process is ideal for those who want to avoid caffeine without sacrificing taste and quality. Want to try a Sugar Cane Decaf?

Discover our coffees decaffeinated using the Sugar Cane process .