Extract Caffeine from Coffee Easily & Safely

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around methods for extracting caffeine from coffee, focusing on ease of extraction, safety concerns, and the purity of the final product. Participants explore various techniques, chemicals, and potential challenges associated with the extraction process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire for a simpler, safer method to extract caffeine at room pressure, citing previous negative experiences with pressurized systems.
  • Another participant mentions that ethyl acetate is commonly used in the industry for caffeine extraction but questions its efficacy for achieving 90% purity.
  • Some participants suggest using a drip coffee maker to extract coffee solution as a straightforward method.
  • There are inquiries about synthesizing ethyl acetate, with one participant detailing the esterification reaction involving ethanol and ethanoic acid, while also noting the challenges of obtaining pure reagents.
  • Concerns are raised about the use of vinegar as a substitute for glacial acetic acid in the synthesis of ethyl acetate, with suggestions to use nail polish removers instead.
  • One participant questions the rationale behind using coffee for caffeine extraction, pointing out its low caffeine content compared to tea.
  • A participant shares their experimental interest in the effects of caffeine on willow tree rooting, indicating a need for crystalline caffeine to avoid contaminants from coffee.
  • Suggestions are made to extract caffeine from commercially available caffeine pills instead of coffee.
  • Another participant offers a reference for caffeine extraction from tea using chloroform, while another questions the availability of chloroform and suggests a method for its production using acetone and bleach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of methods and opinions regarding caffeine extraction, with no consensus on the best approach or the feasibility of the proposed methods. Multiple competing views remain on the use of different solvents and the practicality of the extraction process.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations related to the availability of reagents and the potential dangers of high-pressure extraction methods. There are also concerns about the purity of the extracted caffeine and the implications of using various solvents.

JGM_14
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I found this on the internet and was wondering if there was an easier way to extract the caffeine from coffee because this takes more time and equipment than i care to use is there any way i could do this at room pressure because last time i worked with pressurized stuff a seal broke and it shot hydrogen all over the room (not fun) i don't like setbacks like that especally when you have to scrounge for parts and what not i am on a very tight budget ($9)
I have vinyl tubing, handy stuff to have, and an evaporating dish (glass ovenware). Ineed relatively pure caffeine (90% or purer)
http://www.sweetmarias.com/decaf.co-2method.html"
No rush.
Thanks a bunch
 
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I was wondering the same thing too, but haven't tried it.

Not sure why I would want to. Just for the fun of it I guess.

I believe ethyl acetate is used for caffeine extraction in the industry. But I think it's for decaffinating cffee and I don't think it will yeild 90% caffeine.

I think ethyl acetate is only slightly soluble in H2O, so you might be able to do a water wash for purification.

Let me know what you find.

Good luck

Jim

P.S. I read your article...100 atmospheres is a little dangerous for home research.
 
A simple caffeine experiment is performed every day. Use a drip coffeemaker and extract the coffee solution.
 
"$9?" http://www.shopinprivate.com/nodpilnodoz6.html
 
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jmnew51 said:
P.S. I read your article...100 atmospheres is a little dangerous for home research.
250 atmospheres (read more)

chemisttree said:
A simple caffeine experiment is performed every day. Use a drip coffeemaker and extract the coffee solution.
Assuming you make coffee every day
i need crystalline caffeine
 
any way i could make ethyl acetate?
 
ethyl acetate can be synthesized from a simple esterification reaction. all you need is ethanol and ethanoic acid as reagents. Conc. sulphuric acid will be needed as catalyst(a few drops only). and yes, you will have to perform this under reflux while heating the mixture.
 
Kushal said:
ethyl acetate can be synthesized from a simple esterification reaction. all you need is ethanol and ethanoic acid as reagents. Conc. sulphuric acid will be needed as catalyst(a few drops only). and yes, you will have to perform this under reflux while heating the mixture.

The problem is, it is doubtful that JGM has pure ethanoic acid (glacial acetic acid). You can't use vinegar as a substitute because it is way too dilute for the Fischer esterification reaction. You could attempt to make your own glacial acetic acid from by distilling sodium acetate and sulfuric acid, but this is more trouble than it is worth.

A more accessible route would be to use nail polish removers as your source for ethyl acetate. Check the ingredients as some removers still use acetone.

Also, I believe dichloromethane used to be used for extracting caffeine from coffee but it has been abandoned due to its likely carcinogenicity.
 
any way of concentrating vinegar?
 
  • #10
You can't use vinegar as a substitute because it is way too dilute for the Fischer esterification reaction. You could attempt to make your own glacial acetic acid from by distilling sodium acetate and sulfuric acid, but this is more trouble than it is worth.

Also, this is a bit more complicated than it seems. You'll probably only get 80-90% acid with this method and will need to dry it out to get to glacial.

Why not just use ethyl acetate from nail polish removers like I already suggested?
 
  • #11
JGM_14 said:
Assuming you make coffee every day
i need crystalline caffeine

Why are you intending to use coffee then? Coffee only has about 1 to 1.5% caffeine by weight. Tea is much higher...

Why do you need caffeine in crystalline form?
 
  • #12
i am doing an experement on willow trees and i want to see if caffiene effects their ability to root without the use of a rooting hormone or speeds it up ect.
the willow tree roots really easily (i have gotten 1/2in long pieces to root, and grow)
the contaminans, like sugars, in coffee may cause rotting, complications, false results, ect
there is this mold that grows really easily on willow branches it is white and fuzzy, by chance would you know what it is called and why it grows on the willow when no other mold will
 
  • #13
Maybe you could just buy some caffeine pills and extract the caffeine from them. Or is it required that it be from a natural source?
 
  • #14
it isn't required that it be natural but i wanted it to be from a natural source before i tried the commercially sold stuff otherwise this thread wouldn't existhttp://www.unitednuclear.com/chem.htm"
 
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  • #15
I have a reference describing the extraction of caffeine from tea with chloroform if you're interested.
 
  • #16
no not really but anyway, where would i get chloroform (curious)?
 
  • #17
Well you could probably easily substitute the procedure using ethyl acetate.

You can't by chloroform anymore. Easiest way is to make it with acetone and bleach.