Chimney Fire Natural Decaf Coffee Beans - Chocolate, Malt, Mellow
Chimney Fire Natural Decaf Coffee Beans - Chocolate, Malt, Mellow
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PROFILE AND PARTNERSHIP
The Natural Decaf Espresso uses the most environmentally friendly decaffeination technique available today, known as the EA (Ethyl Acetate) or sugarcane method, creating a great coffee with all the taste but none of the caffeine. Expect classic espresso notes of chocolate and malt, with a lovely mellow finish.
Ethyl Acetate is a natural compound derived from cane sugar, which grows naturally on the Colombian farms alongside the coffee cherries. The processed coffee beans are steamed to open their pores, then soaked for several hours in a solution of water and EA to draw out the caffeine. This caffeinated water is then syphoned off and sold to soft drink companies such as Red Bull (!!), and the beans are steamed one final time to remove any traces of the solution.
Removing the caffeine this way not only means no nasty chemicals are used, but zero additional food miles are required as the coffee is decaffeinated at source instead of in a factory elsewhere. It is quite gentle on the coffee beans overall and no flavour is lost during the process - this easy-going coffee tastes great any time of the day or night.
Please note that as a temporary measure the colour of your packaging may vary from what is displayed in the product shot. The packaging is always industrially compostable, so please dispose of it in your food waste bin.
Take a peek behind the scenes at Chimney Fire Coffee, a B Corp certified speciality coffee roastery nestled in the Surrey Hills. Their passion lies in crafting responsibly sourced, expertly roasted coffees that tell a story from farm to cup.
What is the Decaffeination Process?
Pre-treatment - hot water is applied to the green beans, making them swell and soften, starting to strip the caffeine from the coffee beans.
Extraction - The coffee is then washed with EA to strip caffeine. This procedure has to be done several times until at least 97% of the caffeine is removed. Afterwards steam is applied to the beans to remove any traces of the EA.
Post-treatment - the coffee is dried to reduce humidity down to between 10% and 12%, then cooled quickly to ambient temperature and polished to protect against mould. Then it is ready to be packed!
WHY DID WE CHOOSE THIS COFFEE?
Taste & quality - We first tasted this coffee around a year ago and were really surprised how there was none of that typical decaf aftertaste - it just tasted like a high quality Colombian speciality coffee (around an 85 point score).
Location - typically the decaf coffee we receive here in the UK is decaffeinated in large plants in Europe. The entire process of our natural decaf is done in origin in Colombia, not far from the farm in Hulia, which means a lot of the value stays at origin.
Natural process - EA is a naturally occurring solvent found in food. For example, a ripe banana contains about 20 times more EA than what is used in the decaffination process
Customer Reviews Summary
What people like
Pros
- Superior Taste: Reviewers consistently highlight its excellent flavor, noting a lack of typical decaf aftertaste and a taste profile akin to high-quality specialty coffee.
- Natural Decaffeination: The EA (Ethyl Acetate) decaffeination method is praised for being environmentally friendly, done at the coffee's origin, and for preserving the beans' original flavor without chemicals.
- Rich Flavor Notes: The coffee is appreciated for its distinct notes of chocolate, malt, and a mellow finish, providing a full-bodied and satisfying experience.
- Ethical Sourcing & Sustainability: The company's commitment to ethical practices, sustainable sourcing, and use of compostable packaging is a recurring positive point.
- Versatile Brewing: It performs well across various brewing methods, including espresso and drip coffee, consistently delivering a smooth and balanced cup.
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