# Do-it-yourself decaffeinated coffee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560 "2003-05-07T01:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/1 "2003-05-07T01:03:18Z")
I like to drink coffee. I make it drip-style, using ground coffee from a can. Sometimes when it’s late and I won’t have any decaf on hand I’ll want a cup, but I’ll refrain because the caffeine will keep me up . Can I de-caf the caf myself? I know some coffee brands use salt water to decaf their beans/grounds. If got me some cold, salty water and swished a scoop of grounds in it for a minute or two, drained the brine, rinsed the grounds, then brewed them as usual, would I have essentially made decaffeinated coffee? ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/2 "2003-05-07T02:30:36Z")
Which brands use salt water? Is this a new method? 'Cause I’d like to read up on it, if you have more info. The only processes I’ve heard of use CO[SUB]2[/SUB]; the “Swiss Water Process”, which involves used a dilute solution of green coffee extract to create a caffeine concentration gradient; or methylene chloride (which I believe is no longer used). Which is a long way of saying, “No, I don’t think that will work.” ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/3 "2003-05-07T02:38:30Z")
I could be mistaken, but I believe that the grandaddy of all decaf brands, Sanka, used/uses salt water. ---
**Author:** ![Concensus\_gentium\_fallacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Concensus\_gentium\_fallacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Concensus_gentium_fallacy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/4 "2003-05-07T03:04:05Z")
This is hard to give a direct link to, but go to [http://www.howstuffworks.com/search.php](http://www.howstuffworks.com/search.php) and type in “decaffinated” One of the links returned: [How are coffee, tea and colas decaffeinated?](http://home.howstuffworks.com/question480.htm) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/5 "2003-05-07T03:14:24Z")
I don’t understand the appeal of decaf coffee. I’ve tried some of the best, and didn’t care for it at all. I usually drink mine black, so maybe that has something to do with it. I asked my coffee supplier if there was any such thing as a good decaf, and he said “no”. His reccommendation? Good cocoa. He’s right. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/6 "2003-05-07T03:31:12Z")
**Stuyguy** , I read through some info on Sanka, but it looks like they started by using benzene and steam and then moved on the the processes I mentioned above. **Concensus gentium fallacy** , thanks for the link but it doesn’t mention the use of salt water. Dammit! Now I’ll be up all night looking up information on how to decaffeinate coffee. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/7 "2003-05-07T14:29:32Z")
One of our local store runs the regular coffee through a carbon filter to take the caffeine out, so I suppose it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/8 "2003-05-07T15:03:37Z")
Handy: Not bloody likely. If that were all there was to it, the companies who produce decaff wouldn’t use the complicated methods - especially those producing instant decaff. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/9 "2003-05-07T15:13:09Z")
handy A practically all the compnents in your coffee have carbon in them, the filter would get good and bunged up pretty quickly and what you would have left would be water. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/10 "2003-05-07T15:24:35Z")
The “carbon filter” isn’t a filter that removes carbon compounds. Acoording to [this site](http://www.lechicgourmet.com/swisswaterdecaf.htm), a carbon filter is used in the swiss water decaf method. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/11 "2003-05-07T16:29:07Z")
Well it is misnamed, as it is probably an ion exhange resin, which sounds very nasty and chemically. The marketing people must have though that carbon filter sounded nicer! Why didn’t they call it a caffeine filter? Surely that is understandable enough? A decaffeinator? Anyway, to answer the OP, you could theoretically decaffeinate your own coffee if you had the appropriate ion exchange resin. It is probably expensive and you would need expensive ancilliary apparatus such as a manifold and a vacuum pump. Any lab supplier would be able to help you with this. Although, disposal of used resin might be a problem depending on the environmental regulations wherever you live. Google for theobromine ion exhange. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/12 "2003-05-07T22:48:23Z")
heresiarch & CC, if you go to our local coffee store, Wild Berries & ask them how they make it with no caffeine they say, ‘we run it through a carbon filter’…sure, they aren’t scientists but thats what they say… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/13 "2003-05-07T23:49:30Z")
_I asked my coffee supplier if there was any such thing as a good decaf, and he said “no”. His reccommendation? Good cocoa. He’s right._ Actually, he’s wrong. Good cocoa is full of caffeine (and other xanthines). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/14 "2003-05-08T00:26:52Z")
Actually, **Stan Doubt** he’s right. Unless you can steer me to a good decaf. He didn’t say there wasn’t any caffeine in cocoa. Cocoa doesn’t keep me up. Nor does it have that effect on anyone I know, including my kids when they were small. I don’t know why. Something in the milk? Better than instant; [hot cocoa](http://hersheykitchens.hersheys.com/recipes/detail.asp?id=5265) Mexican hot chocolate (it has cinnamon) is good too. I checked around, and there doesn’t appear to be any practical way to remove caffeine at home. Especially on short notice. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/15 "2003-05-08T00:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*I checked around, and there doesn’t appear to be any practical way to remove caffeine at home. Especially on short notice. \*\* As a tea drinker, I’ve tried the method suggested on this page, [http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOdecaffeination.asp](http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOdecaffeination.asp) > [@](#): > > Caffeine is highly water soluble, and nearly 80% of the total caffeine content of the tea leaves will be extracted within the first 30 seconds of steeping. If you wish to “decaffeinate” your own tea, the process is simple. Pour boiling water over the tea leaves, and allow a maximum of a 30 second rinse. Empty this water off, and pour fresh boiling water over the rinsed leaves to brew for the prescribed time. I think this works. I can’t prove it, but it certainly seems like there’s less caffeine in tea prepared this way. Of course the taste suffers. I find tea made this way to be harsher with more tannin flavors. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-it-yourself-decaffeinated-coffee/173560/16 "2003-05-08T02:16:43Z")
Maybe so, but I think you’d also lose all your aromatics. Maybe **stuyguy** ’ll try it with coffee and give us a report. 😉