A Few FactsDifferent coffees contain varying levels of caffeine, mainly depending on their botanical variety. An arabica coffee, such as Colombian Supremo, has approximately half the caffeine content of a robusta coffee, such as a coffee from Cote d'lvoire.Depending on the type of bean, brewing method, and amount of coffee used, a five- ounce cup of non decaffeinated coffee will contain from 70 to 155 milligrams of caffeine. (Based on Its review of medical studies, the Institute of Food Technologists notes that moderate amounts of caffeine - less than 600 milligrams a day - are not considered harmful to the average healthy adult.) A coffee must have at least 97 percent of Its caffeine removed to qualify as decaffeinated in the United States. Each five-ounce cup of decaffeinated coffee, therefore, contains less than 5 milligrams of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffees tend to cost more than their non decaffeinated counterparts because of the additional labor, equipment and material expenses required for caffeine removal. Coffee beans are decaffeinated before they are roasted, when the process can be done more cost effectively and with the least effect on the beans' flavor. Drinkers of decaffeinated coffee can choose from a wide variety of unblended, blended, and flavored coffees with little sacrifice to flavor. Since the introduction of decaffeinated coffee to the United States just before World War I, the coffee industry has developed several methods to remove caffeine with a minimal loss of flavor and quality in the brewed product. Lastly, a note on Consumer Awareness. |
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