The Swiss Water Method of decaffeination

The Swiss Water Method is a completely natural and chemical free process that removes the caffeine without damaging the bean or extracting any of the coffee oils and aromas. The Swiss Water Method involves soaking the beans in a supersaturated organic green coffee extract which essentially leeches the caffeine out of the green beans without damaging the beans’ flavour and structure. It’s a longer process than chemical decaffeination but it’s worth it. There are no chemicals, no leeching agents and nothing damaging at all.

The chemical process is much harsher and doesn’t preserve the flavour of the bean as well. Given the quantities of chemical used in the chemical process, it is hard to believe that every last trace of methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is removed following the decaffeination. In any case, apart from everything else, it just doesn’t taste good.

The Swiss water process has been around since the mid-eighties but it’s becoming more common now among specialty coffee growers. Crucially, as the the process spreads and gets refined, it’s becoming less expensive too and this is reflected in the very keen price of very good decaf coffee. Our own Decaf Dream has barely any decaf premium built into its price.

Decaf Dream is decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Method