If you’re looking to enjoy a cup of Beautiful Beast Coffee without the buzz, you’re probably wondering how the caffeine is removed from our decaffeinated beans, such as our Colombia Decaf.
Unfortunately, many coffee companies use harsh chemicals to remove the caffeine from their beans. Methylene chloride, in particular, has raised concerns because it's classified as a possible carcinogen and can be harmful in large doses.
But you can rest easy knowing our coffee isn't exposed to any of these potentially dangerous solvents.
Here at Beautiful Beast Coffee, we believe in using a natural process to remove caffeine from our Colombian beans, called the Sugarcane Decaf Process — also known as the Ethyl Acetate (EA) Process or the Natural Decaf Process.
What Is the Sugarcane Decaf Process?
The Sugarcane Process uses a naturally derived solvent called ethyl acetate, which is often obtained as a byproduct of fermented sugarcane. That’s where the “sugarcane” and “natural” names come from. Ethyl acetate is found in fruits, beer, wine, and even bread — and when used responsibly, it's a safe, effective way to gently remove caffeine from green coffee beans.
My favorite part of the Sugarcane Process is how good the coffee tastes! Ethyl acetate is particularly good at bonding with just the caffeine molecules, without washing away other soluble compounds. That means the coffee keeps more of the chlorogenic acids, sugars, lipids, and oils that define the taste of that bean.
Now, let’s break it down.
Step-by-Step: How the Sugarcane Decaf Process Works
Step 1: Sourcing Green Coffee Beans
Before any decaffeination can happen, the process starts with high-quality, unroasted (green) coffee beans from Colombia.
Step 2: Steaming the Beans
The green coffee beans are first lightly steamed to open up their pores and make them more receptive to the decaffeination process. This also helps loosen the structure of the caffeine molecules inside the bean.
Step 3: Ethyl Acetate (EA) Wash
Now comes the heart of the process. The steamed beans are soaked in a solution of water and natural ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane. During this step, the EA bonds with the caffeine molecules and gently extracts them from the beans.
This process is repeated multiple times over several hours until at least almost all of the caffeine is removed.
Step 4: Rinsing and Steaming Again
Once the caffeine has been extracted, the beans are rinsed and steamed again to remove any residual traces of ethyl acetate. It’s important to note that EA evaporates at relatively low temperatures and is fully removed during this step — making the beans safe, clean, and ready for roasting.
Step 5: Drying the Beans
After steaming, the decaffeinated beans are carefully dried back to their original moisture content. This step is critical for preserving the integrity and flavor of the bean during storage and roasting.
Step 6: Bagging and Shipping
Once dried, the beans are packed up and shipped off to coffee roasters around the world, ready to be roasted, brewed, and enjoyed — minus the caffeine, but still bursting with flavor.
Here is a picture of the beans from our Colombia Decaf. You will notice how dark the beans are. That's because they are roasted medium/dark to bring out the best flavors and aromas in the Colombian coffee
Here's why we love the Sugarcane Process?
Natural & Sustainable: The EA is derived from sugarcane. Harsh chemicals aren't used!
Flavor Preservation: This gentle process retains much of the bean’s natural flavor, more so than other decaf methods.
Ethyl acetate is particularly good at bonding with just the caffeine molecules, without washing away other soluble compounds. That means the coffee keeps more of the chlorogenic acids, sugars, lipids, and oils that define the taste of that bean. This is why customers LOVE the flavor and taste of our decaf coffee.