Taking the Buzz out of Coffee
The complex art of caffeine extraction and why taste is not the only challenge.
A former-coffee lover goes on the hunt for a decent cup without the buzz, and discovers why it's so hard to get flavour without a fix.
Emily Thomas delves into the complex art of caffeine extraction and discovers that taste is not the only challenge when it comes to taking the bounce out of a bean. The environmental and economic costs of decaf coffee soon add up, meaning a cup may carry a higher carbon footprint and be made with cheaper beans than the full-blooded stuff.
Could a caffeine free coffee plant hold all the answers? A botanist explains why finding a suitable candidate is an unpalatable challenge.
Or are we being over sensitive? A scientist explains why some of us react badly to caffeine, whereas others can fall into a slumber after two espressos.
(Photo: Cup of coffee with drop suspended above it. Credit: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ)
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Is your decaf coffee a dud?
Duration: 02:03
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Chemicals in your coffee?
Duration: 01:34
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What coffee does to your brain
Duration: 02:14
Broadcasts
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 03:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Europe and the Middle East, UK DAB/Freeview, West and Central Africa & Online only
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 05:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 11:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except West and Central Africa
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 18:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 21:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 13 Dec 2018 23:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 16 Dec 2018 08:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
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