Our Decaf coffee is processed without the use of solvents.
According to some estimates, about 10% of coffee-drinkers routinely limit their caffeine intake, and the percentage increases when you consider people who choose to drink little or no caffeine occasionally or drink only at certain times of day. If you are among either group, please know that you do not have to sacrifice flavor.
It’s all about choice, and choosing the right decaffeinated coffee is similar to selecting the most satisfying caffeinated version. You have to consider the process being used to remove caffeine for decaf coffee
According to the USDA decaffeinated coffee must be at least 97% caffeine-free. Removing caffeine from coffee can be done by using solvents like ethyl acetate or naturally, using the Swiss Water® Process or Mountain Water® Process.
Water or Solvents?
It’s no surprise that a company like ours would opt for a water-based decaffeination process and avoid a chemical solvent. Burwell Beans will only buy water processed decaffeinated coffee. This can be Swiss Water® Process or Mountain Water® Process, depending upon the beans harvest calendar.
Ethyl acetate supposedly doesn’t leave any residual taste. But, who wants to drink something that’s been soaked in a chemical solvent?
The Swiss Water Process
Developed, patented, and introduced by Coffex AG, a Swiss firm, in the late 1970’s, the Swiss Water Process was the first commercial decaffeination method that did not use chemical solvents. Instead, it uses water, and monitors time and temperature to remove caffeine from unroasted coffee beans. Over the years, it has become a widely popular method for decaffeinating specialty coffee.
Coffee beans are immersed in pure water. This removes both the coffee flavor solids and the caffeine from the beans. The beans are set aside, and a carbon filter is used to remove the caffeine. This leaves water that is highly concentrated with coffee flavor.
Subsequent batches of green coffee are immersed in the flavor-charged water. Because the flavor components in the beans and in the water are equal, the original flavor remains in the beans. Only the caffeine seeps from the beans into the water. Once again, the water is passed through carbon filters. Therefore, trapping and then removing the caffeine from the water. The water flows back to the beans to remove more caffeine. This process continues for about eight hours, until nearly all of the caffeine is removed from the beans.
The Mountain Water Process
This process is performed at the state-of-the-art Descamex plant in Cordoba, Mexico. What distinguishes Mountain Water Decaf process, is the use of pure water from the glaciers of the highest mountain in Mexico.
Green coffee beans are immersed in water to extract the caffeine and the soluble components. These hold the elements of the individual coffee’s flavor so that the beans maintain their original taste characteristics. The beans are dried and packed once the caffeine has been removed. This process can be carried out with relatively small lots of coffee. Hence, specialty coffee companies, who may not produce high volumes, can take advantage of the process.
Making The Choice
At Burwell Beans, every choice we make is based on protecting our earth and all its living creatures. What is good for you is good for all of us!
