Decaf coffee

Is there decaf coffee that doesn’t require chemicals for its production, but also preserves its flavor and aroma as much as possible? Yes, and it’s made using the Swiss Water method!

What is the Swiss Water Method and how does it work?

The Swiss Water method uses only water to remove caffeine from coffee and is named after its discovery in Switzerland in 1933, although it took about 80 years to spread and become commercially exploited.

Initially, green coffee beans are soaked in hot water for several hours and then filtered through activated carbon, which traps the caffeine molecules. In this way, green coffee extract (GCE) is created, which contains all the water-soluble elements of coffee except caffeine. Next, the coffee you want to decaffeinate is added to the GCE, and a reaction occurs where the caffeine molecules from the coffee beans "migrate" to the GCE. Since the GCE is saturated with the other water-soluble elements, the only molecules that complete the "migration" are those of caffeine. The GCE is filtered again and the process is repeated over and over, with decaffeination taking a total of 8-10 hours, until the desired result is achieved: the removal of caffeine at a rate that reaches 99.9%.

How does it differ from other decaffeination methods?

The main difference of the Swiss Water method is that, unlike other methods, it uses only water and no chemical elements, either natural or synthetic. Although the chemicals used to remove caffeine are not harmful to human health, their presence must not exceed certain limits, which are strictly controlled by relevant regulatory organizations. From this perspective, a decaf coffee with no chemicals at all is certainly preferable.

As for the taste, the beans undergo processing, so it is certain that decaffeinated coffee has a slightly different flavor than the original coffee. However, the Swiss Water method is generally milder, and its result is definitely tastier compared to decaf coffees from other methods. Most decaf coffees that participate in taste and cupping competitions are coffees produced using the Swiss Water method.

Get your decaf coffee at Coffee beans | HouseBaristas | Shop Quality Coffee Online - HouseBaristas