How Much Caffeine Is in Swiss Water Process Decaf?
"Decaffeinated" and "caffeine-free" are not the same thing — and depending on how the coffee was decaffeinated, there may be more caffeine remaining than you'd expect.
What the FDA requires — and what that leaves out
In the United States, the FDA requires that decaffeinated coffee have had at least 97% of its caffeine removed. That's the floor — not the standard. The FDA doesn't require the remaining caffeine level to be labeled on the product, which means two bags both labeled "decaf" could have meaningfully different caffeine content.
How much caffeine remains in different decaf methods?
Most decaffeination methods achieve around 97% caffeine removal — including methylene chloride, ethyl acetate (sugarcane process), and CO₂. That meets the FDA requirement, but it's not 99.9%.
The Swiss Water® Process is different. It's the only decaffeination method guaranteed to remove 99.9% of caffeine — and the only one that is 100% chemical-free. Swiss Water provides a Certificate of Analysis with each batch of decaffeinated beans, and every lot is cupped side-by-side against the pre-processed coffee to verify flavor quality.
What does that mean in actual milligrams?
| Coffee type | Caffeine removed | Caffeine remaining |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Arabica coffee | — | ~180 mg |
| Standard decaf (97% removal) | 97% | ~5.4 mg |
| Swiss Water Process decaf (99.9% removal) | 99.9% | ~0.18 mg |
| Dark chocolate, 1 square (for context) | — | ~12 mg |
A cup of Swiss Water Process decaf contains less caffeine than most people would get from a single square of dark chocolate.
Does roast level affect caffeine content?
Contrary to popular belief, roast level does not meaningfully change caffeine content. A light roast and a dark roast of the same bean have essentially the same caffeine. What does matter is the varietal: Robusta beans contain roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica, so a Robusta-based decaf will retain more caffeine than an Arabica-based one. All of our coffees are 100% Arabica.
Not sure where to start?
If you're new to specialty decaf and want to find which one fits your taste before committing to a full bag, our Decaf Sampler Set lets you try ten single-origin Swiss Water Process decafs — 4 oz of each — plus a Pocket Tasting Notebook to track what you find.
For those who are extra sensitive to caffeine but still want to enjoy coffee, Swiss Water Process decaffeinated coffee is the best choice. Go ahead — enjoy your single-origin decaf with absolutely no regrets.
— Carol
This post is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.
99.9% caffeine free means 0.1% caffeine. 180 mg of caffeine times 0.1% equals 0.18 mg caffeine not 1.8 mg caffeine
Do you sell this Swiss formulated de-cafe coffee in pods to fit a Kerrigan machine? I meant a Keurig coffee maker