Swiss Water Decaffeination Process

JONO'S Decaf Blend is pretty damn tasty. It's so tasty that even the biggest of coffee snobs might struggle to tell that its a decaf. Thats because we use a specialty grade coffee that is decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Method which is chemical free. 

Swiss water decaffeination is a process that removes caffeine from coffee beans without using any chemicals. The process works by soaking the coffee beans in water and using a carbon filter to trap the caffeine molecules. The water is then discarded, and fresh water is added to the beans, which are then allowed to soak again. This process continues until the caffeine levels in the coffee beans are reduced to the desired level. The process is called "Swiss water" decaffeination because it was developed by a Swiss company caled Coffex around 1980. It is considered a natural and safe method of decaffeination because it does not involve the use of chemicals.

The specific steps in the Swiss water decaffeination process are:

  1. Soaking: The coffee beans are first soaked in hot water to dissolve the caffeine and other soluble compounds in the beans.

  2. Caffeine removal: A carbon filter is used to remove the caffeine molecules from the water, leaving the other soluble compounds behind in the water.

  3. Discarding the water: The now decaffeinated water is discarded and fresh water is added to the coffee beans.

  4. Re-soaking: The coffee beans are then re-soaked in the fresh water to allow the remaining soluble compounds to diffuse back into the beans.

  5. Repeat: This process is repeated several times until the desired level of caffeine is reached in the coffee beans.

  6. Drying: The coffee beans are then dried to their original moisture content.

  7. Grading: Finally, the decaffeinated coffee beans are graded based on their quality and size, and are then ready for roasting.