top of page

Swiss Water Decaffeination: 100% natural and chemical-free Decaf Coffee Explained


Morning Pod Machine
Photo credit: Swiss Water

If you've been keeping up with our latest newsletters, you're probably more eager than ever before to delve deeper into the world of decaf 😉 Today, let's explore the Swiss Water Decaffeination method, originating from none other than Switzerland! 🇨🇭


What sets this method apart is its pure use of water. It's 100% natural (not the funky kind🍷) and stands out as the top choice for preserving coffee's flavour. With Swiss Water Decaffeination, coffee beans are simply soaked in water, and within a few hours, the caffeine is extracted! Sounds like the simplest decaffeination method ever, right? Well... not so fast, Sherlock! 🕵️ Here's the breakdown:


👨‍🏫 How Swiss Water Decaffeination works

Similar to other decaffeination methods, the pores of coffee beans are opened, but here, hot water is used instead of steam. The coffee is then submerged in hot water for around 10 hours, allowing all soluble materials (including caffeine) to leach out. But there's a twist: while the caffeine is removed, so are most of the flavor compounds, leaving you with decaffeinated, flavourless coffee. However, the water now enriched with both flavor and caffeine becomes GCE (Green Coffee Extract), the cornerstone of the Swiss Water method!


🧪 What is GCE (Green Coffee Extract)

The water saturated with caffeine and flavor from the first batch of coffee is filtered through activated carbon, removing only the caffeine. The result? A water solution brimming with coffee's flavor compounds but free of caffeine. Chemically speaking, when a new batch of green coffee meets this solution, it won't absorb any more flavor as it's already saturated, but it'll eagerly snatch up 99.99% of the caffeine! Genius, isn't it?


☕️ The step-by-step breakdown:


  1. The green coffee undergoes a thorough cleaning and pre-soaking in hot water.


  1. It's then immersed in the caffeine-free GCE Solution for approximately 10 hours.


  1. After this time, 99.99% of the caffeine has been whisked away, leaving behind all the flavour! The coffee is then cleaned and dried.


  1. Throughout the process, the GCE solution is closely monitored and filtered through activated carbon when caffeine levels rise too high to efficiently decaffeinate the next batch.


And there you have it, the Swiss Water Decaffeination process laid out! It's the perfect option for those seeking minimal caffeine with maximum flavor and without any chemicals involved. Remember, the flavor ultimately depends on the quality of the coffee itself, so choose wisely!


P.S - Click here and you’ll never have trouble finding a decent Swiss Water decaf again!


— H.S

 

The Brew Journal is a weekly email newsletter that helps you brew better coffee at home in 5 minutes or less. Join our growing community of coffee lovers who are levelling up their coffee game at home - sign up link below 👇

© 2024 by The Brew Journal. Powered and secured by ☕️

bottom of page