When it comes to coffee, you can’t beat Starbucks. The iconic coffeehouse brand is well-known for producing top-notch coffee with a perfect balance of flavor, aroma and body. But not everyone wants the same level of caffeine in their coffee. Some prefer to enjoy the flavor and aroma without the caffeine kick.
To meet the needs of their customers, Starbucks offers coffee that is decaffeinated. But how does the brand go about taking out just enough caffeine to satisfy the craving? Through a process that used to be a tedious, time-intensive effort, Starbucks now works with coffee beans decaffeinated with the help of water, carbon dioxide and a proprietary process.
First, raw coffee beans are soaked in hot water, where the flavor and aroma are extracted from the bean. This water is then put in contact with high-pressure liquid carbon dioxide, which acts as a solvent to extract the caffeine from the coffee beans. The caffeine is then removed with a filtration process. The resulting coffee beans are tested to ensure that the caffeine levels meet the brand’s standards and the coffee beans are up to the company’s high standards.
The decaffeination process ensures that the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans remain intact, while still reducing the caffeine levels to meet customer’s needs. In addition to its natural flavor, the coffee beans also keep their oils and acids, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, which aids in digestion and increases energy levels.
While it may sound like a simple process, experts have explained that decaffeination can be quite complex, with various methods of filtration and extraction used to balance the flavor and maintain the integrity of the coffee beans. Keeping the caffeine levels low, but still maintain the flavor that customers expect from Starbucks, requires precision, skill and an eye for details.
At Starbucks, the entire process of decaffeination is done with pride and precision. With more than 30,000 stores in over 75 countries, the company is dedicated to provide customers with the perfect cup of coffee that reflects the brand’s high standards. As part of its commitment to producing quality coffee, Starbucks has invested in continued research and development to ensure that it is providing its customers with top notch decaffeinated coffee.
A Higher Standard
The decaffeinated coffee offered by Starbucks is made with high-quality beans that are sustainably sourced and responsibly roasted. The company has implemented a strict quality control process to ensure that the coffee offered to customers is of the highest quality. This includes rigorous taste-tests of each batch to make sure it is up to the company’s standards.
To further ensure that the coffee is up to par, the company has implemented a system that emphasizes sustainability and responsible sourcing. With every batch of beans, Starbucks’ team of experts evaluates and selects only the highest quality beans to ensure that the coffee meets their high standards.
What sets Starbucks apart from other brands is its focus on the finest beans and the company’s commitment to the highest standards of quality control. By using the best beans, the coffee house chain is able to offer customers coffee that is as tasty and flavorful as regular coffee, without the caffeine kick.
An Ethical Choice
In addition to choosing decaf coffee for personal preference, another reason for selecting decaffeinated coffee is ethics. Decaffeinated coffee is a way to support coffee farmers and the local communities that depend on them. Decaffeinated coffee is much less profitable for farmers to produce than regular coffee, and they are often paid less for the brew.
That is why choosing decaffeinated coffee is an ethical choice, since it supports farmers and their communities. Starbucks takes this seriously, and sources its coffee beans from farmers who strictly abide by ethical labor practices and sustainable farming.
The company sources its beans from select farms in Latin America and Africa, where workers are paid fair wages, the environment is taken into account and the farmers are provided with access to the best farming and processing practices. This helps promote sustainability and contributes to the overall well-being of the farm workers and the local communities.
The commitment to ethical sourcing doesn’t stop there. Through its C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices program, Starbucks has made a commitment to ensure that wherever the company sources its coffee, the farmers and workers are provided with access to proper healthcare and education, and are given a voice to raise their concerns.
A Lifetime of Quality Coffee
Decaffeinated coffee has come a long way since it was first introduced to the world. Starbucks has taken the process to a new level, ensuring that customers have access to a genuinely tasting decaf coffee. The company has invested in research and development of its proprietary processes to maintain the flavor and quality of the coffee, while still reducing the caffeine content.
The brand stands out as a leader in the industry in its commitment to sourcing sustainable coffee, while abiding by strict standards of quality and ensuring that farmers and their communities are treated ethically. With decades of experience and continual improvements, commitment to sustainable sourcing and production, and offerings of delicious, high-quality flavor, Starbucks customers can be sure that when they opt for decaf, they are getting the best cup of coffee.
State of the Art Technology
At Starbucks, technology plays a major role in the decaffeination process. To keep up with the company’s high standards, it has invested heavily in research and development to perfect the decaffeination process. The company uses a unique, patented process that modernizes the traditional decaffeination methods and allows for a more consistent extraction of caffeine.
The process begins with the pre-treatment of the coffee
