Decaf – Colombie

The “Sugarcane” process (or EA process, for Ethyl Acetate process) is a method of decaffeinating coffee that uses a naturally derived solvent, ethyl acetate, often sourced from sugarcane.
Here’s how it works:

Soaking: Green (unroasted) coffee beans are moistened with steam or hot water to open their pores and facilitate caffeine extraction.

Extraction: They are then brought into contact with ethyl acetate. This molecule selectively binds to the caffeine and extracts it from the bean, while leaving most of the other aromatic compounds intact.

Rinsing & evaporation: The beans are then rinsed with steam to remove any solvent residue.

Drying: Finally, they are dried until they return to their original moisture content, ready to be roasted.

What are its qualities?

Ethyl acetate can be obtained naturally through the fermentation of sugarcane. The process is known for preserving more of the aromas and producing a “sweeter” and smoother cup profile than other methods (such as the methylene chloride process).

No detectable traces of solvent remain in the coffee after treatment.