DECAF - How does it work?

The Swiss Water Process removes caffeine from green, unroasted coffee using water, temperature and carbon filtration—without adding chemical solvents.

How it works:

1. Creating the flavour-rich water
   An initial batch of green coffee is soaked in hot water, drawing out caffeine along with the coffee’s soluble flavour compounds. The beans are removed, leaving a concentrated liquid called Green Coffee Extract.
2. Filtering the caffeine
   The extract passes through activated-carbon filters designed to trap caffeine molecules while allowing the smaller flavour compounds to remain in the water.
3. Soaking the coffee
   A fresh batch of green beans is soaked in the caffeine-free, flavour-rich extract. Because the water is already saturated with coffee flavour compounds, primarily caffeine moves out of the beans.
4. Continuous circulation
   The liquid repeatedly circulates between the beans and carbon filters. Caffeine is gradually captured while the coffee’s character is retained.
5. Drying
   Once decaffeination is complete, the beans are carefully dried back to a stable moisture level.
6. Roasting
   The decaffeinated green beans are roasted normally to develop their sweetness, body and origin character.

Why it is distinctive:

• Uses no added chemical solvents
• Designed to preserve the coffee’s original flavour compounds
• Works particularly well with high-quality specialty coffee
• Can produce a clean, balanced and origin-led cup

Fun fact:

The process relies on osmosis and diffusion: caffeine naturally moves from an area of higher concentration inside the beans into the surrounding caffeine-free extract.

Swiss Water states that its process removes 99.9% of the caffeine, making it one of the most thorough decaffeination methods available.

3. CO₂ decaffeination method:

The CO₂ method removes caffeine from green, unroasted coffee using pressurised carbon dioxide. Under carefully controlled temperature and pressure, the CO₂ becomes highly effective at dissolving caffeine while leaving much of the coffee’s flavour structure intact.

How it works:

1. Hydrating the beans
   The green coffee is gently steamed or soaked. The added moisture opens the beans’ cellular structure and makes the caffeine easier to access.
2. Pressurising the chamber
   The hydrated beans are placed inside a sealed stainless-steel extraction vessel. Carbon dioxide is introduced under high pressure, becoming either liquid or supercritical CO₂.
3. Extracting the caffeine
   The pressurised CO₂ moves through the beans and selectively dissolves caffeine. Most carbohydrates, proteins and flavour-forming compounds remain inside the coffee.
4. Separating the caffeine
   The caffeine-rich CO₂ moves into a separate chamber. Reducing the pressure or passing it through water or filtration equipment releases the caffeine.
5. Recycling the CO₂
   The cleaned carbon dioxide is repressurised and circulated through the beans again. This cycle continues until the desired amount of caffeine has been removed.
6. Drying and roasting
   The decaffeinated beans are returned to a stable moisture level before being roasted normally.

Why it is distinctive:

• Uses carbon dioxide instead of an organic solvent
• Selectively targets caffeine
• Preserves much of the bean’s flavour-forming material
• CO₂ can be captured and reused throughout the process
• Particularly efficient for processing larger batches

Fun fact:

“Supercritical” CO₂ is neither a conventional liquid nor gas. It has the mobility of a gas but the dissolving ability of a liquid, allowing it to move through the beans and capture caffeine efficiently.

The caffeine separated during commercial decaffeination may also be recovered for use in products such as soft drinks, supplements and pharmaceuticals. The process is performed while the coffee is still green, before roasting.

4. Sugarcane / EA decaffeination method:

The Sugarcane Process removes caffeine from green, unroasted coffee using ethyl acetate (EA). This compound can be produced from fermented sugarcane and is also naturally present in ripening fruit.

How it works:

1. Hydrating the beans
   The green coffee is gently steamed to increase its moisture content. This swells the beans and opens their cellular structure.
2. Introducing ethyl acetate
   The hydrated beans are washed with ethyl acetate. EA selectively dissolves the caffeine and draws it out of the coffee.
3. Repeating the extraction
   The caffeine-rich liquid is drained away and replaced with fresh EA. This cycle is repeated until the required amount of caffeine has been removed.
4. Removing the EA
   The beans are thoroughly steamed to remove the remaining ethyl acetate. EA evaporates readily because it has a relatively low boiling point.
5. Drying the beans
   The decaffeinated beans are carefully dried back to a stable moisture level, ready for storage and transportation.
6. Roasting
   The green beans are roasted normally, developing their sweetness, body and origin character.

Why it is distinctive:

• Often processed close to origin in Colombia
• Typically preserves sweetness and body particularly well
• Can retain more of the coffee’s fruit-led character
• Usually produces a rounded, approachable cup
• Offers a shorter supply chain for Colombian coffees processed domestically

Is sugar added?

No. “Sugarcane” describes the source used to produce the ethyl acetate—it does not mean sugar is added to the coffee. Any sweetness in the finished cup comes from the coffee itself and its roasting.

Fun fact:

Ethyl acetate naturally contributes to the aroma of fruits such as bananas, apples and pears. The same compound can be created by fermenting sugarcane into ethanol and combining it with acetic acid.

For your Popayán Decaf, the Sugarcane/EA method suits its milk chocolate, caramel and shortbread profile because it can preserve sweetness and body while removing most of the caffeine. EA is permitted as a coffee-decaffeination agent subject to strict residue limits.