SwissWater

SwissWater refers to a specific process for decaffeinating coffee beans. It is a patented, chemical-free method developed by the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company. The process begins by soaking green coffee beans in hot water, which extracts the caffeine along with other soluble solids, including flavor compounds. This mixture then passes through a series of activated carbon filters that are specifically designed to capture only the caffeine molecules.

The filtered water, now free of caffeine but still containing the soluble flavor compounds, is known as Green Coffee Extract (GCE). This GCE is then used to soak a new batch of green coffee beans. Because the GCE is already saturated with flavor components, it only extracts the caffeine from the new beans, leaving the flavor compounds largely intact within the beans themselves. This selective extraction is the core principle of the SwissWater process.

The company emphasizes that their method uses only water and the coffee bean's own soluble solids to achieve decaffeination, avoiding the use of chemical solvents such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate, which are common in other decaffeination methods. The SwissWater process is also certified as 100% chemical-free and organic. The resulting decaffeinated beans retain a significant portion of their original flavor profile, making it a popular choice for specialty coffee roasters and consumers who prioritize a natural approach to decaffeination.