Abstract: A simple, reliable process for decaffeinating green coffee beans to a high degree while avoiding denaturation of the green coffee beans includes wetting the green coffee beans to a high water content of 35-50%-wt.; compressing the beans in a pressure chamber for a period of a few minutes to several hours in an atmosphere comprised of a supercritical fluid which is a gas at STP, at a temperature ranging from 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. under a critical pressure ranging from 75 to 300 bar; decompressing the wetted beans from critical pressure p.sub.c to a pressure p for which p.sub.c p.gtoreq.p.gtoreq.1 bar abruptly or in the space of a few minutes, while avoiding freezing the green coffee beans; washing with water or with the supercritical fluid for selective extraction of the caffeine; repeating the process one or more times; centrifuging; drying; and roasting the beans. Further, caffeine is recovered in a known manner from the washing medium.

Abstract: A simple, reliable process for decaffeinating green coffee beans to a high degree while avoiding denaturation of the green coffee beans includes wetting the green coffee beans to a high water content of 35-50%-wt.; compressing the beans in a pressure chamber for a period of a few minutes to several hours in an atmosphere comprised of a supercritical fluid which is a gas at STP, at a temperature ranging from 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. under a critical pressure ranging from 75 to 300 bar; decompressing the wetted beans from critical pressure p.sub.c to a pressure p for which p.sub.c .ltoreq.p.ltoreq.1 bar abruptly or in the space of a few minutes, while avoiding freezing the green coffee beans; washing with water or with the supercritical fluid for selective extraction of the caffeine; repeating the process one or more times; centrifuging; drying; and roasting the beans. Further, caffeine is recovered in a known manner from the washing medium.