People drink decaffeinated coffee for a variety of reasons. However, it’s important to know that decaffeination methods vary. There is a widely used chemical decaffeination and then there is a water process.
Most decaffeination uses chemical solvents such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to strip caffeine molecules from the green coffee bean. And some leave behind more caffeine than you would think.
Alternatively, the Water Decaffeination Process uses water from the mountains to gently remove the caffeine until the coffee beans are 99.9% caffeine-free while maintaining the bean’s distinctive origin and flavor characteristics. It’s decaffeinated coffee without compromise.
The Water Process is a taste-driven, 100% chemical-free, water decaffeination process that delivers to today’s consumer expectations. Certified organic by OCIA, it is used by premium roasters and retailers and demanded by informed and discerning decaf drinkers.
Water Decaffeination Process Steps:
Water processing occurs in two ways: the trademarked Mountain Water and Swiss Water processes. Mountain Water processing takes place in Mexico using water from the Pico de Orizaba Mountain while the Swiss Water process, which originated in a small Swiss plant in the 1930s, today takes place at a single facility near Vancouver, British Columbia, using water from Canadian coastal mountains.
Generally, the two water processes involve similar steps, beginning with green coffee beans being either steamed or soaked in hot water to expand the coffee’s pores, making the caffeine more easily extractable. From there, the beans are soaked in water and a proprietary blend of coffee solids, which, over time removes the caffeine while leaving the original flavor oils intact. That water is then moved to a separate tank and the caffeine is filtered out. The beans are dried and shipped to our Roastery.
Check out our decaffeinated coffee offerings and discover the amazing flavors of water-processed decaffeinated coffee.
