The Decaf Process

WBZ's Jordan Rich talks with George Howell, CEO of George Howell Coffee Company, about how they handle their decaf coffees. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Connoiser's Corner. This is Jordan. We've been talking
with George Howell of George Howell Coffee with several locations
in the Boston area. He knows a thing or two
about coffee, and I asked George about decaf the process
he uses that is safe and makes for a fine taste.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
No matter what process you use, you're really putting the green,
unroasted coffee in boiling water. In the beginning, it was
always a chemical methylene chloride basically bonded to the caffeine
molecule and separated very nicely from the coffee with the
least amount of damage to whatever else was in that beam.

(00:37):
Now there's an ethyl acetate, both chemical or taken from sugarcane,
and so we use sugarcane method. The decaffeinations have been
done in Columbia where they have lots of sugar cane.
It's been found to be very safe. It's a very
pleasurable drink. It's basically a real nice, sweet coffee.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
I had to ask George as well to address the
multiple health studies on Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Back in the early eighties they were talking about cancer
and pancreatic I think it was cancer. But if I
remember correctly or not, I remember being interviewed on TV
for that right and learning very quickly to be very
careful with my work. But yeah, now it's become the opposite.
I never sell coffee as healthy or unhealthy. That's not
what I'm selling. I'm selling something to really enjoy what

(01:23):
you're drinking. It to be had in moderation.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
He's George Howell of Georgehowellcoffee dot Com, several Boston area locations, JR.
With Connoisseur's Corner WBZ, Boston's news radio