The Swiss Water Process and the Mountain Water Process are natural methods of decaffeinating coffee. They both use only water as a solvent and are free from chemicals, making them popular choices for coffee lovers who are health-conscious or environmentally responsible.
The Swiss Water Process was first developed in Switzerland in the 1930s, hence its name. It uses a proprietary Green Coffee Extract (GCE) solution made by soaking coffee beans in pure water. The GCE solution is then filtered through activated carbon to extract caffeine, leaving behind “flavored” water. The first batch of beans is discarded, but the GCE solution is then used to flush another batch of beans. Because the GCE solution is caffeine-free, the caffeine in the new beans extracts itself and migrates into the GCE solution. The process is repeated several times until the desired caffeine level is achieved. This method results in coffee that is 99.9% caffeine-free, while also retaining the coffee’s rich flavors.
The Mountain Water Process is quite similar to the Swiss Water Process, but it occurs at the Descamex facility in Mexico. The company uses pure water from Pico de Orizaba, the largest mountain in the region, in the caffeine extraction solution. This detoxifies the beans naturally, leaving them 99.9% decaffeinated. The Mountain Water Process is a more recent method that was introduced in the early 2000s.
Both methods produce high-quality decaf coffee beans, but coffee connoisseurs debate which method yields a better flavor. Some coffee aficionados argue that the Swiss Water Process produces better-tasting coffee, while others claim that the Mountain Water Process preserves more of the original coffee bean flavors. The truth is, both methods remove caffeine while preserving as much flavor as possible.
When it comes to environmental impact, both processes are eco-friendly as they don’t use any chemicals. Additionally, the Descamex facility in Mexico reuses and recycles almost all of the water used in the decaf process. In contrast, many chemical methods of decaffeinating coffee leave behind harmful byproducts, making these two natural decaf processes much more sustainable.
Decaf coffee drinkers no longer have to settle for chemical-laden coffee. Now, it is easier than ever for coffee lovers to enjoy their favorite brew without caffeine and chemicals. The Swiss Water Process and the Mountain Water Process are two of the most natural and environmentally-friendly methods of decaffeinating coffee while still retaining the rich flavors. Next time you're looking for decaf coffee, look to Mom's Decaf at Mascara Bros to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee minus the caffeine.