Today we will cover the top ways to decaffeinate coffee, specifically speciality grade coffee.  This version will include simplified and advanced explanations. The first process we will talk about is Swiss Water. I will include both ways to think about it for reference as we share more coffee education. 

Swiss Water (Simple)

The Swiss Water Process is regarded as one of the more natural and environmentally friendly decaffeination methods since it doesn't involve the use of chemical solvents. It relies on water, temperature, and time to decaffeinate coffee beans while preserving much of their original flavor.

1. Soaking: They soak coffee beans in hot water to pull out the caffeine and some other stuff.

2. Filtering: They pass this water through a special filter that only catches the caffeine, leaving behind the good flavors.

3. Reuse: They reuse this water to soak more beans. Each time, it removes only the caffeine, leaving the flavor behind.

4. Repeat: They keep repeating this process until the beans are almost caffeine-free.

5. Drying and Packing: Finally, they dry the beans and pack them up for you to enjoy your decaf coffee!

Swiss Water (Advance)

Swiss Water Process is a method used to decaffeinate coffee beans without the use of chemical solvents like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate, which are commonly used in other decaffeination processes. Here's how it works:

1. Green Coffee Beans Selection: High-quality green coffee beans are selected for the process. These beans are usually from regions known for their premium coffee.

2. Soaking: The green coffee beans are soaked in hot water to dissolve the caffeine and other soluble components. This creates what's called "flavor-charged water," as it contains not only caffeine but also the natural coffee flavors and oils.

3. Passing through Activated Charcoal Filters: The caffeine-laden water is then passed through activated charcoal filters. These filters are specifically designed to capture caffeine molecules while allowing other coffee components to pass through.

4. Separation: After the caffeine is removed, the flavor-charged water, now devoid of caffeine, is separated from the beans.

5. Reuse of Flavor-Charged Water: This flavor-charged water is then used again to extract caffeine from a new batch of green coffee beans. Since it already contains the soluble components of coffee, it will extract only caffeine from the new batch, leaving behind the flavor compounds.

6. Repeat Process: This cycle is repeated until the beans reach the desired level of decaffeination, usually around 99.9% caffeine-free.

7. Drying and Packaging: The decaffeinated beans are dried and packaged for distribution.

EA Process (Simple)

The EA (ethyl acetate) process, also known as the natural decaffeination process, is another method used to remove caffeine from coffee beans. Here's how it works:

1. Preparation: They start with good-quality green coffee beans.

2. Steaming: The beans are steamed to open them up.

3. Ethyl Acetate Bath: The beans take a bath in a special solution made with ethyl acetate. This solution grabs onto the caffeine in the beans.

4. Rinsing: After the caffeine is removed, they rinse the beans to make sure there's no extra ethyl acetate left.

5. Drying: The beans are dried back to their normal state.

6. Quality Check: They check the beans to make sure they still taste great and have very little caffeine left.

7. Packaging: Finally, they pack up the decaf beans and send them out for you to enjoy!

Is Swiss Water and Mountain Water process the same thing?

The Mountain Water Process is similar to the Swiss Water Process, but it's sometimes specifically associated with beans decaffeinated using water from the mountains, hence the name. It's considered a natural and chemical-free method of decaffeination, preserving much of the coffee's original flavor.

EA Process (Advance)

The ethyl acetate (EA) process is considered more natural than some other decaffeination methods, such as the direct solvent method using methylene chloride. To be clear EA does not use those chemicals.  However, it's important to note that the term "natural" can can also be derived from natural sources or synthesized in a laboratory.

1. Preparation: Just like in other processes, high-quality green coffee beans are selected for decaffeination.

2. Steaming: The green coffee beans are steamed to open their pores and make them more receptive to the decaffeinating agent.

3. Ethyl Acetate Treatment: Ethyl acetate, a naturally occurring compound found in fruits and other sources, is used as the decaffeinating agent. It is derived either from fermented sugar cane or from the natural fermentation of acetic acid with ethanol. The green coffee beans are soaked in a solution of ethyl acetate, which selectively removes caffeine from the beans while leaving most of the flavor compounds intact.

4. Rinsing and Drying: After the caffeine is removed, the beans are rinsed to remove any residual ethyl acetate. Then, they are dried to the desired moisture level.

5. Rehydration: Once the beans reach the appropriate moisture level, they are rehydrated to their original state, as the steaming process can remove some moisture.

6. Quality Control: The decaffeinated beans undergo quality control checks to ensure they meet the desired standards in terms of flavor, aroma, and caffeine content.

7. Packaging: Finally, the decaffeinated beans are packaged and prepared for distribution.

Is EA process and sugarcane process the same thing?

The process involving ethyl acetate (EA) can be derived from two primary sources: one is the natural fermentation of sugarcane and the other is from the natural fermentation of acetic acid with ethanol. So, the "sugarcane process" you're referring to likely involves using ethyl acetate derived from the natural fermentation of sugarcane.

In this sense, yes, the "sugarcane process" and the EA process are related. However, it's essential to note that the term "sugarcane process" specifically emphasizes the source of ethyl acetate, which is sugarcane. The overall decaffeination method using ethyl acetate is the same, regardless of whether the ethyl acetate is derived from sugarcane or another source.

In summary, the sugarcane process is a subset of the EA process, where ethyl acetate is derived specifically from the natural fermentation of sugarcane.

CO2 (carbon dioxide) process (Simple)

The CO2 (carbon dioxide) process, also known as the CO2 method or supercritical fluid extraction, is another popular method for decaffeinating coffee beans. Here's how it works:

1. Preparation: They start with good-quality green coffee beans.

2. Soaking: The beans take a bath in water to open up.

3. CO2 Treatment: The beans go into a special container filled with CO2 under pressure. The CO2 grabs onto the caffeine inside the beans.

4. Separation: They lower the pressure, and the caffeine-free CO2 escapes, leaving behind the decaffeinated beans.

5. Reuse: They capture the CO2 and use it again for more decaffeination.

6. Drying and Packaging: Finally, they dry the beans and pack them up for you to enjoy your decaf coffee!

CO2 (carbon dioxide) process (Advance)

The CO2 process is considered a more natural and environmentally friendly method of decaffeination compared to chemical solvent-based methods. It preserves the flavor compounds in the coffee beans more effectively and results in a higher quality decaf coffee. However, it requires specialized equipment and is generally more expensive than other decaffeination methods.

1. Preparation: High-quality green coffee beans are prepared for decaffeination.

2. Soaking: The green coffee beans are soaked in water to open their pores and make them more receptive to the CO2.

3. CO2 Extraction: The beans are placed in a stainless steel extraction vessel and pressurized with carbon dioxide to a supercritical state. In this state, CO2 acts as a solvent, penetrating the coffee beans and bonding with the caffeine molecules.

4. Separation: The caffeine-laden CO2 is then transferred to another container where the pressure is reduced. This causes the CO2 to return to its gaseous state, leaving behind the caffeine.

5. Recovery of CO2: The CO2 is captured and reused in the process, minimizing waste.

6. Drying and Packaging: The decaffeinated coffee beans are dried to remove any remaining moisture and packaged for distribution.

Over the years we learned and have seen patterns in decaf coffee.  The most important rule is consistent here, high quality products in any of these decaf processes and you get a quality product out.   We hope you enjoyed this post. Please let us know if you have any questions!