Caffeine is responsible for that infamous coffee buzz, which is one reason so many people love it. But for those of us who just don't need one more milligram of stimulation, here's some information to help you get the most out of your decaffeinated coffee beans.

Coffee is decaffeinated in three ways: the Swiss-Water Process, the Traditional Process, and the Sparkling-Water process. At Zach & Dani's, we use only the Swiss-Water Process because it's chemical free.

Three Ways to Get the Buzz Out

In the Swiss-Water Process, the unroasted coffee beans are placed in hot water until 97% to 98% of the caffeine is literally soaked out of them. The coffee beans are then taken from the water so the caffeine can be removed through charcoal filters. Finally, the beans are added back into the filtered water to reabsorb the flavor constituents-minus the caffeine. The Swiss-Water Process recently underwent a major re-engineering designed to maximize the flavor of the coffee. So if you haven't been impressed with the flavor of Swiss-Water Decaf in the past, now is the time to give it a second sip.

At Zach & Dani's, we prefer the Swiss-Water Process because it is the only method that is entirely devoid of chemicals. The traditional method relies on chemical solvents. And some water methods occasionally use chemicals instead of charcoal filters. This means small amounts of chemical residue can be present in some forms of water-processed decaf and in all forms of traditionally processed decaf. Swiss-Water Decaf always uses charcoal filters and never uses chemicals, so it is chemical free.

The Traditional Method follows the same basic steps as the Swiss-Water Process with one major difference. Instead of charcoal filters, it uses a solvent (either ethyl acetate or methylene chloride) to extract the caffeine from the water. Coffee that is decaffeinated using this method is likely to be labeled "traditional processed," "European processed," or "direct contact."

In the Sparkling-Water Process, the beans are placed in sparking water (CO2 and water), setting a continuous extraction cycle into motion. First the carbon dioxide bubbles draw the caffeine out of the coffee beans, and then the water removes the caffeine from the carbon dioxide. By the time the coffee beans are taken out of the water, 97% to 98% of the caffeine is gone.

Got the jitters? Could Be Your Beans!

If you get the jitters after one or two cups of coffee, you may be buying the wrong kind of coffee beans. High-quality arabica coffee beans contain only half the caffeine of robusta coffee beans. This may not surprise some coffee enthusiasts, but most people are surprised to hear that even decaffeinated robusta coffee beans may contain twice as much caffeine as decaffeinated arabica beans. If you're feeling the effects of caffeine (and you don't like it,) try upgrading to high-quality arabica coffee beans before you give up on regular coffee altogether. At Zach & Dani's, we offer only high-quality arabica coffee beans. To check out our full selection of coffee beans, click here.

Want Great Tasting Decaf? Roast it at Home!

Decaffeinated coffee beans may develop differently during roasting because they contain less oil and wax. The unroasted coffee beans may also appear yellowish or light brown (instead of the usual green). These variations don't necessarily effect their flavor, although decaffeinated coffee beans generally need to be roasted darker than untreated beans to bring out their best.

Unfortunately, some commercial roasters don't give decaffeinated coffee beans the special roasting attention they need. In most cases, this means the beans will be under-roasted. Some roasters also skimp on the quality of their decaf coffee beans to make up for the added expense of decaffeinating them.

If you haven't been happy with the flavor of your decaf, you may be drinking coffee made from under-roasted, low-quality, stale beans-not exactly the perfect ingredient for a rich, satisfying cup of coffee. The bottom line: if you want great tasting decaffeinated coffee, roast it yourself. At Zach & Dani's we only offer high quality unroasted arabica beans. To order Zach & Dani's Swiss-Water Decaf, click here.