Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee, All the Flavour Without the Caffeine

Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee is perfect for those who want to enjoy a full and flavoursome cup without the effects of caffeine, and feel happy to know it's been processed in a natural, environmentally-friendly way, with no added chemicals. The Swiss Water Decaffeination Process was pioneered in Switzerland in the 1930s, but it wasn't until 1980 that it was developed for commercial use by the company Coffex S.A. Today, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee is processed at a facility near Vancouver, Canada, where premium coffee beans are sent from around the world, to be decaffeinated and distributed to coffee roasters worldwide.

In a procedure that takes up to ten hours to complete, the Swiss Water Decaffeination Process is an ingenious method that involves the concepts of solubility and osmosis, and results in beans that are 99.9% caffeine-free, but still retain their character and flavour. The process requires much dedication as it involves careful monitoring of time, temperature and flow of water. At the start, small batches of quality green coffee beans are cleaned to remove the silver skin and any foreign matter. They are then pre-soaked in hot water, where they expand to twice their size in preparation for caffeine extraction. Caffeine and other soluble coffee components migrate from the beans into the water. These beans are then separated from the water and discarded. In the next stage, caffeine is removed from the water by the use of carbon filters, leaving liquid saturated with coffee flavour components; this is known as Green Coffee Extract.

The caffeine-lean Green Coffee Extract is now used to remove caffeine from a fresh batch of beans. As the beans are soaked, caffeine diffuses from them into the Green Coffee Extract. This happens because the concentration of soluble flavour components in the beans and the water are equal, so although caffeine flows out of them, the flavour components important for taste and aroma remain intact. The process is repeated, and Green Coffee Extract recycled several times before target caffeine removal is met. Once decaffeinated, the beans are dried using an evaporative drying process, and bagged, ready for export.

At Coffee-Direct.co.uk our Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee is made from medium roast Arabica beans from Colombia. They produce a full-bodied cup, with low acidity and little bitterness. Most people who try it say they really can't tell it's decaffeinated, and that it tastes every bit as good as regular caffeinated coffee. It can be enjoyed at any time of day, and is suitable for bean to cup, cafetière, espresso and  filter machines. It's just one of over 100 wonderful coffees we provide from around the world, and deliver directly to your door. We roast to order, so your coffee will always arrive in the freshest condition possible, and offer a range of grind options as well as whole beans. We also offer a sumptuous range of teas, and our ever-popular coffee gift hampers.