Picture this. It’s late afternoon, and you’re in a slump. What you really need is a hot cup of coffee, but would the sleepless night that follows be worth it? Or maybe you’re simply trying to limit the amount of caffeine you are consuming. Decaffeinated coffee gives the best of both worlds. Enjoy your coffee and leave the caffeine for the morning brew.
Unfortunately, the decaffeination process for most coffee involves chemicals like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to flush away the caffeine. And while most of those chemicals are then rinsed away or removed throughout the drying and roasting process, who wants to be drinking unhealthy chemicals with your favorite coffee?
Say hello to the only safe and organic coffee decaffeination process. Water Processed Decaf Coffee. Water processed decaf coffee not only removes 99.9% of the caffeine but also retains the quality and flavor of the coffee throughout the process. This process is so good you won’t be able to taste the difference.
What is Water Processed Decaf Coffee?
Water processed decaf coffee uses water to gently remove the caffeine instead of the more harsh solvents used by most decaffeination processes.
Water processed decaf coffee is coffee that has been decaffeinated by soaking the green coffee beans in a natural solution called green coffee extract (which consists of green coffee beans and pure, clean water) for approximately 10 hours. This process causes the caffeine particles in the beans to migrate into the water, which is then drained off. The result is the healthiest and arguably the best decaf coffee you can find!
The Swiss Water Decaffeination Process
There are two main trademarked water processes used, but both follow the same general steps. For the sake of this article, we are going to be looking specifically at the Swiss Water Decaffeination process.
Originally introduced in the 1930s, this decaffeination process originated in Switzerland, but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Swiss Water Process was patented. This way of decaffeinating coffee is known around the world for producing some of the best-tasting decaf coffee on the market.
Creating the Green Coffee Extract (GCE)
GCE is a solution containing all the naturally occurring water-soluble solids found in green coffee. This is created by soaking green coffee in pure water. As the beans become saturated, they swell, and the soluble parts of the coffee bean are released into the water. These include compounds like chlorogenic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, various other organic compounds, and minerals. The caffeine particles are then filtered out of the solution resulting in the Green coffee extract.
A typical green coffee bean consists of 74% insoluble components, 26% soluble flavor components, and 1.2% caffeine.
Clean & Pre-Soak
A batch of green coffee is then cleaned and pre-soaked. This expands the beans to the optimal moisture level to remove the caffeine. Along with expanding the bean, this step also removes any dirt, dust, and the outer layer of the bean called the silverskin.
Caffeine Removal
The GCE (green coffee extract) is then introduced to the green coffee. Because of the unbalance of caffeine between the GCE and the green bean, the caffeine migrates from the bean into the water. This process is called diffusion, which is defined as “the passive movement of molecules or particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.” (quote credit)
The GCE is continuously circulated through the green coffee until 99.9% of the caffeine is removed. This usually takes approximately 8-10 hours. Throughout the process, the caffeine levels and general quality of the GCE are highly monitored to ensure optimal conditions for removing the caffeine.
GCE is refreshed
The GCE is now saturated in caffeine from the coffee and is sent to a proprietary carbon filter system to filter out all the caffeine that was diffused into the GCE. This allows the GCE to be used again, eliminating the need to create a new batch of GCE for every batch of decaf coffee.
Bagging and Shipping
From here, the green coffee beans are carefully dried, bagged, and shipped out to local coffee roasters around the world, like SonRise Coffee Company, a small batch, organic coffee roaster.
The Benefits of Organic Swiss Water Decaf Coffee
Swiss Water Processed Decaf Coffee is Organic
The beauty of the Swiss Water Process is that its completely natural and simply uses water, temperature, and time to remove 99.9% of the caffeine from the green coffee beans. This makes it possible to decaffeinate organic coffee without the use of chemicals or other unhealthy solvents. And while this process can be used for any coffee bean (organic or otherwise), it is the preferred method to decaffeinate organic and naturally grown coffee. You can now enjoy the incredible flavor and origin taste of coffee without consuming more caffeine.
Preserving Natural Flavors with the Swiss Water Process
By using water instead of other solutions, the trademarked Swiss Water Process preserves the natural flavors and characteristics of the origin beans. This is possible because water processed decaf doesn’t simply strip away the caffeine but gently removes it, leaving all the other soluble particles in the coffee. When you drink water processed decaf, you don’t have to compromise on quality or flavor.
Water Processed Decaf Coffee: Conclusion
Due to the harsh chemicals used to decaffeinate mainstream coffee, decaf has developed a negative reputation. But with the development of the water processed decaf, even some coffee connoisseurs can’t taste the difference between caffeinated and decaf coffee.
Water processed decaf coffee provides a great option for both the coffee enthusiast as well as the health-minded coffee drinker. The beauty of using water to decaffeinate your coffee is that you don’t need to compromise health or flavor when choosing to reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet.
So If you are a high-end coffee drinker, and dislike the idea of anything being taken out of your favorite brew, then water processed decaf is for you. The gentle process retains the original quality, characteristics, and flavors of the coffee. And if you care about your health, then choosing a decaf coffee like organic swiss water processed gives peace-of-mind while you enjoy your cup of coffee.
We invite you on the journey of experiencing water processed decaf coffee for yourself. Our Organic Decaf Peruvian Coffee is decaffeinated with the trademarked Swiss Water Process. We love it, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as well. This particular blend is a dark roast that gives you a strong and smoky flavor balanced with hints of chocolate.
