Is any coffee 100% caffeine free?
Due to the nature of decaf processing—any method of decaf processing—it’s just not possible to get every single molecule of caffeine out of a coffee bean (unless you remove the flavors that make coffee taste like coffee). Does it mean that there is absolutely no caffeine left in the coffee? Not quite – technically speaking, decaf coffee has between 95% and 98% of the caffeine removed (with the FDA requiring at least 97%). This means nearly all decaf coffee still has a bit of caffeine left in it, but far less than any standard coffee.This equates to about 3-4, 8 oz. For decaf coffee drinkers, five to ten cups of decaffeinated coffee equals the same caffeine as one to two cups of regular coffee!
What is the chemistry behind caffeine?
Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is a methylxanthine derivative with a molecular formula of C8H10N4O2 [9]. It is considered to be an alkaloid compound as it is a metabolite of nitrogen metabolism [10]. Caffeine is a heterocyclic organic compound with a purine base. I have just put together on my mind these two facts: caffeine is an alkaloid and brewed coffee is slightly acidic (pH = 5).Caffeine is a very weak base, reacting with acids to yield readily hydrolyzed salts, and relatively stable in dilute acids and alkali. Caffeine forms unstable salts with acids and is decomposed by strong solutions of caustic alkali.