The Swiss Water Process of decaffeination.

 All of our delicious decafs have been decaffeinated by the Swiss Water Process, but what is that?  Have you ever wondered how Swiss Water® process decaffeinates green coffee and how it can be the cleanest method available?  

The Process 

First, they create a Green Coffee Extract (GCE) by soaking the green beans in water.  This GCE is monitored closely.  The Green Coffee Extract contains all the soluble solids of coffee except caffeine. 

Next the coffee to be decaffeinated is cleaned and soaked so that it is rehydrated to prepare for the target moisture level that is ideal for caffeine removal. This step removes dirt, dust, and the silver skin.

The third step is where the caffeine is drawn away and filtered out. GCE is continuously circulated around the green coffee for a period of 8-10 hours until there is no more than 0.1% caffeine remaining in the green coffee.  The step relies on solubility of the coffee and osmosis. The caffeine molecule in the caffeinated green coffee is pulled by osmosis towards the Green Coffee Extract which is missing the caffeine molecule. As it moves towards the GCE it is trapped in a proprietary carbon filter system.  The carbon is sent to a regeneration furnace to burn away the caffeine, so that the filter can be reused.
Then the GCE is renewed and refreshed to be used again. Making this whole process environmentally friendly.

How much caffeine is in Swiss Water Process Decaf? 

Most decaf coffees still contain some caffeine.  The USDA only requires decaffeinated coffee to be 97% caffeine-free, but Swiss Water Process decaffeinated coffee is 99.9% caffeine free!  Guaranteed. A 12 oz cup of Swiss Water Process Decaf has around 2 mg of caffeine, which is negligible.

How safe is Swiss Water?

Because this method only uses clean, clear glacial water from the mountains in British Columbia (not from Sweden, as some might think) and is 100% chemical free, it is completely safe – even for pregnant and nursing mothers.

The Swiss Water® Process maintains certifications (Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, 4C, Kosher, and Halal),

Where can I buy Swiss Water Process Decaf Coffee?

Every decaf single origin coffee that we offer is processed with Swiss Water!  You can rest assured that our decafs are ALWAYS and ONLY Swiss Water Process because no one wants a side of chemicals with their specialty coffee!