The Swiss Water® decaf process is a solvent-free decaffeination process that utilises pure fresh water – and never compromises the quality or taste of our beans.
By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the many benefits that may be associated with coffee consumption, and while this is great news for coffee drinkers… it’s not so great news for those avoiding coffee because of concerns related to caffeine. Sufferers of GERD may experience acid reflux and many advise limiting the intake of caffeine during pregnancy.
If this is the case, you may be surprised to learn that several of the benefits associated with coffee consumption don’t have anything to do with caffeine! So where does this leave us? Decaffeinated Coffee.
Decaf coffee often gets a bad rap. Caffeine removal processes using harsh chemicals like benzene and an assumption that your cup of coffee might end up tasting like an expensive cup of hot water don’t help either! There is however, a better way. A decaffeination process that lets you enjoy your favorite coffee 99.9% caffeine free, WITHOUT using harsh chemicals or ruining the taste or quality of the beans.
The Swiss Water Process® makes the most of three elements: water, temperature and time. So how does it work?
To begin with, our green beans are cleaned and hydrated with pure water in order to prepare them for caffeine removal. Our beans are not blended with any other varieties – the beans that go in, are the beans that come out – only the caffeine is left behind!
For the next step, Green Coffee Extract (GCE) – water with soluble coffee compounds and no caffeine or flavor of its own, is introduced to the beans. The beans are immersed in this solution and the caffeine then begins to seep out of the beans and into the GCE, until the ratio of compounds in the GCE and beans reach the point of equilibrium.
Now that the extract is saturated with caffeine molecules, it is passed through proprietary carbon filters specifically designed to remove the caffeine. Once the extract is again caffeine free, it is passed back through to the green beans, and the cycle continues for roughly 10 hours per batch of coffee – with regular checks on GCE flow, time, temperature and more to ensure a 99.9% caffeine free batch of coffee is the result.
At Lion Coffee we believe the Swiss Water Process® is the best way to produce our decaf, and provides a way for you to enjoy the same coffee tastes you know and love, minus the caffeine!
