What Is Water Process Decaf? A Guide to Chemical-Free Decaf Coffee

Decaf has come a long way. Today you can drink a decaf that tastes like great specialty coffee, without the caffeine and without chemical solvents. The key is how it's decaffeinated. Here's what "water process" decaf means, how it compares to other methods, and what to look for when you buy.

How is coffee decaffeinated?

Coffee is always decaffeinated while it's still green (unroasted). The challenge is removing caffeine while keeping the hundreds of other compounds that give coffee its flavor. There are three main approaches:

• Solvent methods: green beans are steamed or soaked, and a solvent such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is used to pull out the caffeine. Ethyl acetate decaf is often marketed as "sugarcane" or "natural" decaf.
• CO2 method: pressurized carbon dioxide acts as the solvent to remove caffeine.
• Water process: caffeine is removed using only water, time, temperature and filtration. No chemical solvents are used.

How water process decaf works

Water process decaf relies on a simple idea: caffeine and flavor compounds both dissolve in water, but you only want to remove the caffeine.

1. Soak: green coffee is soaked in hot water, which dissolves caffeine along with flavor compounds.
2. Filter: the water is run through filters (typically activated carbon) that trap caffeine molecules.
3. Create a flavor-rich water: the result is water saturated with coffee's flavor compounds but without caffeine.
4. Decaffeinate: new green beans are soaked in that flavor-rich water. Because the water is already full of flavor compounds, mostly caffeine moves out of the beans, so the flavor stays in.
5. Dry: the beans are dried back to a stable moisture level, ready for roasting.

The two best-known water processes are Swiss Water, done in Canada, and Mountain Water, done in Mexico. Both use water rather than chemical solvents to remove caffeine.

Is decaf completely caffeine-free?

Not quite. Decaf still contains a small amount of caffeine, typically a few milligrams per cup, compared with roughly 80 to 100 milligrams in a regular cup of coffee. Water process decafs are known for removing about 99.9% of caffeine.

Does decaf taste worse?

It used to, but modern water process decaf made from specialty-grade beans can be sweet, balanced and full of flavor. Two things matter most:

• Start with great coffee. Decaffeination can't add flavor, so high-quality green coffee makes a better decaf.
• Roast it carefully. Decaf beans are darker and roast differently from regular coffee, so they need an experienced roaster.

Tips for brewing decaf

• Buy whole bean and grind right before brewing, just like regular coffee.
• Check the roast date. Freshness matters for decaf too.
• Decaf can extract a little differently, so adjust your grind by taste: go finer if it's weak or sour, coarser if it's bitter.

Try our Mexico Decaf

Our Mexico Decaf is a washed, water process single origin with notes of milk chocolate, nougat and stone fruit. It's everything you love about a great cup of coffee, perfect for an afternoon or evening cup. Every bag has its roast date printed on it and ships within 5 days of roasting.

Keep exploring: Shop Mexico Decaf · Coffee subscription: save 15% · All roasted coffee