So you are a coffee enthusiast, who wants to limit caffeine intake, but not sacrifice the taste and aroma that you love. Enter Swiss Water Decaffeinated coffee; a process that maintains the integrity of the coffee bean while removing the caffeine.
The Swiss Water Process is a chemical-free method of decaffeinating coffee beans, developed in Switzerland in the 1930s and perfected by the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company in the 1980s. This method relies on water, temperature, and time to gently remove caffeine from coffee beans while preserving their flavour.
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Green Coffee Extract (GCE) Creation: The process begins with the creation of Green Coffee Extract (GCE). Green coffee beans are soaked in hot water to dissolve their caffeine and flavour compounds. This solution is then passed through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine, leaving behind a concentrated solution of coffee, minus the caffeine.
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Decaffeination: Fresh green coffee beans are then soaked in the GCE. Because the extract is already saturated with flavour compounds, the new beans can’t lose their flavours, but the caffeine naturally diffuses out. The caffeine is again removed using carbon filters.
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Repeat and Monitor: This process is repeated until the beans are 99.9% caffeine-free.
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Drying and Roasting: The decaffeinated beans are dried to their original moisture content and then roasted just like regular coffee beans, ready to be brewed into a tasty cup of coffee.
The Advantages of the Swiss Water Process
1. Chemical-Free Decaffeination
One of the biggest advantages of the Swiss Water Process is its commitment to being 100% chemical-free. Unlike other decaffeination methods that use solvents like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate, Swiss Water relies solely on water, ensuring a pure and natural product.
2. Flavour Preservation
The Swiss Water Process is designed to maintain the coffee's natural tasting notes. Because it uses GCE saturated with flavour compounds, the beans don’t lose their taste profiles during decaffeination.
3. Environmentally Friendly
The process is not only safe for consumers, but also for the environment. The carbon filters used in caffeine removal are renewable, and the overall method uses water efficiently, minimising waste.
Swiss Water Decaffeinated coffee offers a perfect solution for coffee lovers who seek a caffeine-free option without compromising on taste. Its chemical-free, environmentally friendly process ensures that every cup is as flavourful as the original.