Coffee lovers do not only love coffee in itself as a drink but also love it infused into other consumables like ice cream, cake, Alcohol and cocktails.
In a bid to do achieve that sweet and lovely coffee flavor comes coffee extract. This gives rise to the question of if caffeine is present in the coffee extract.
The process used in getting the coffee extract is the determining factor on whether or not the extract would contain caffeine.
Coffee extract that is gotten through an alcohol-based extraction process would, without any doubt, have caffeine in them. The alcohol used for the extraction could either be ethanol or vodka.
Beyond caffeine present in the coffee extract, other oils and components can also be found in it. The process of extracting coffee is one that takes time. The process could last up to two weeks, but the final product has the maximum amount of caffeine obtainable depending on the type of bean used.
The obtainable quantity of caffeine varies with each coffee bean type. The choice to pick from can either be the Arabica bean or Robusta bean. Every bean type has a specific quantity of caffeine obtainable. For every 100g of the arabica bean used, an average of 1.5grams of caffeine can be gotten from the extract. In contrast, the Robusta, on the other hand, has a higher caffeine content and can produce up to 2.7grams of caffeine from the same 100grams of bean.
The alcohol-based extraction process is a natural process of getting coffee extract. But on the other hand, coffee extract can also be gotten artificially through Garlic. As weird as that sounds, it is absolutely right. This artificial process that uses other substances that are not coffee beans is expected to have little to no caffeine content in them.
Coffee Extract and its Production Process
Coffee extract and vanilla extract are very similar as they both be used in cocktails, baking and ice creams to give flavor.
Getting coffee extract can be as simple as just buying from a store. It can also be made at home without having to spend so much on buying it.
Having your coffee extract made at home is actually a lot better because it gives you maximum control over what you would be using, and you are able to get a fair idea of the possible outcome.
Here is a guide to homemade coffee extract.
You would require the following ingredients:
- Coffee bean in its roasted form and of optimum quality
- Ethanol or Vodka
- Mason Jar/A glass bottle with lid
Follow these steps to prepare your coffee extract.
- Get a measuring cup and put ½ cup of your roasted coffee beans into a mortar.
- With the pestle, crush the beans in order to make more surface area available from your coffee beans.
- After crushing, pour the crushed beans into the glass bottle or mason jar.
- Then pour 2 cups of ethanol or vodka into the glass bottle.
- Mix both contents thoroughly and cover the lid tightly.
- Then the primary part of the coffee extraction process is done.
- Now you keep for a minimum of one week or for an optimum result as long as a month.
- Be sure to mix thoroughly from time to time. An average of once every two days would do just fine.
- And boom, that is all you need to do to make your coffee extract without spending so much or doing so much.
What Quantity of Caffeine can be found in Coffee Extract?
The quantity of caffeine that can be found in the extract of coffee beans is relative. Some factors and details have to be considered before a quantity can be placed on the caffeine content of the coffee extract. As I rightly mentioned previously that Arabica and Robusta coffee bean types are the most commonly used in coffee extraction. I also made reference to the fact that the Robusta coffee beans produce more caffeine than the Arabica beans.
Aside from what has been identified, here are seven factors to consider in knowing the quantity of caffeine that can be obtained from the coffee extract.
- The amount of coffee crushed for the extraction process.
- The type of beans used and how dark the roast is. This is because the darker the roast, the denser and the more caffeine obtainable.
- The amount of ethanol or vodka used
- The duration of which the mixture was left to sit.
- How often the mixture was stirred.
- How tightly closed the lid of the jar.
- Room temperature and some other factors.
Does Coffee equal Coffee Extract?
Context matters a lot when using the word coffee extract.
Coffee extract, as we have been discussing so far, is an extract gotten from coffee and alcohol. It primarily serves as a way of adding flavor to other food items without adding pure coffee directly.
Although, coffee extract and coffee concentrate are sometimes used interchangeably. They are a bit similar but also different. Coffee concentrate, unlike coffee extract, is a result of ground coffee that has been brewed.
To a reasonable extent, it is agreeable that an expresso short is sometimes called coffee extract. But the coffee extract gotten from a mix of alcohol and crushed coffee beans cannot be classified as coffee because it cannot be consumed in this form as a drink. Coffee concentrate, on the other hand, is the pure coffee that can be consumed as a drink.
Can Coffee replace Coffee Extract?
The question of if coffee can be used instead of coffee extract is one that bothers people’s minds. The answer is Yes. Rich quality coffee can be used in place of coffee extract.
There is no standard measurement of coffee to use in place of coffee extract. You just basically have to try and see what works for you. The basic is for you to mix your instant coffee with hot water. The choice of quantity depends on what you are using it for and how much coffee you want in it.
The salient point
The question of how much caffeine can be found in caffeine extract has been appropriately attended.
Just to conclusive identify the points made so far. We established that coffee extract is made from coffee beans and alcohol. The caffeine quantity present in the coffee extract is depending on the various ingredients and extraction process. We have also established that coffee can replace coffee extract depending on the use.
We have also been able to walk you through how to make your own coffee extract at home. You are just a step away from getting quality homemade coffee extract. Try it and give us feedback.
If you have any further questions, be sure to ask in the comment section.
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