Measuring Caffeine in the Coffee Production Process

The CDR CoffeeLab is now able to provide accurate testing of caffeine in coffee, a faster and more conveneient alternative to HPLC. Caffeine is the key neurostimulant in coffee. This substance is part of the alkaloid family and regulates numerous biological reactions, some positive for the body, others responsible for side effects. The quantification of caffeine in the coffee beverage is crucial, especially in the production of decaffeinated products in which the concentration is regulated by low (<0.1 g/L).

Why Analyzing Caffeine in Coffee Matters

Green Coffee: Analysing caffeine in green coffee allows processors to assess the quality of the product, to evaluate its organoleptic potential and its chemical characteristics. This will assist in making the right choices in the following roasting phase and evaluating its conservation over time.

Roasted Coffee: Analysing caffeine in roasted coffee identifies the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the product and provides an initial evaluation of the sensory profile that that is found in the cup.

Test Principle

Caffeine is extracted from the coffee through an appropriate solvent. After centrifugation, the extract is read spectrophotometrically and the absorbance of the sample is correlated to the concentration of caffeine.

Sample Preparation

Green Coffee Beans: The beans with the parchment removed are finely ground and sieved to obtain a homogeneous powder. 5 grams of coffee powder is placed in a glass to which is added 50 ml of distilled water and 1 gram of calcium carbonate. 1 ml of the resulting supernatant is placed in a centrifuge tube and 1 ml of caffeine extracting solution is added. After vigorous shaking for 1 minute the tube is placed in a centrifuge for 3 minutes at 10,000 rpm.

Roasted Coffee: The beans are finely ground, the resultant powder must be as homogeneous as possible. 5 grams of coffee powder are added to a glass along with 50 ml of distilled water. 1 ml of the resulting supernatant is placed in a centrifuge tube and 1 ml of caffeine extracting solution is added. After vigorous shaking for 1 minute the tube is placed in a centrifuge for 3 minutes at 10,000 rpm.

Espresso: 0.5 ml of coffee is placed in a centrifuge tube and 1.5 ml of caffeine extracting solution is added. After vigorous shaking for 1 minute the tube is placed in a centrifuge for 3 minutes at 10,000 rpm.

Analysis

The CDR CoffeeLab can analyse up to 16 samples simultaneously and the test is completed in 6 minutes.25/3/25