Palouse Coffee Club
What is Swiss Water decaf?
Swiss Water decaf is coffee decaffeinated with the Swiss Water Process, which removes caffeine from green, unroasted beans using water and activated carbon filters rather than chemical solvents. The method was first developed in Switzerland in 1933, and the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company of Burnaby, British Columbia introduced it in 1988.
How the Swiss Water Process works
Wikipedia's decaffeination article describes it in three moves:
- The process starts with green coffee extract: water that carries the soluble compounds of green coffee but not its caffeine.
- Fresh green beans go into that extract. Because the extract is low in caffeine, the caffeine moves out of the beans and into the extract.
- The extract runs through activated carbon filters that catch the caffeine, then goes back to the beans. The cycle repeats until the beans reach their target, which takes 8 to 10 hours.
After drying, the beans go to the roaster like any other green coffee. Decaffeination always happens before roasting.
How much caffeine is left depends on the standard. The United States requires at least 97% of the caffeine to be removed, and the European Union standard is 99.9% caffeine free by mass, Wikipedia notes. The National Coffee Association puts a cup of decaf at about 2 to 15 mg of caffeine, against about 95 mg in an 8 ounce cup of regular coffee.
Swiss Water vs other decaf methods
| Method | What pulls the caffeine out | Organic solvent? |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Water Process | Green coffee extract, cleaned through activated carbon | No |
| Ethyl acetate | Ethyl acetate, an organic solvent | Yes |
| Dichloromethane | Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), an organic solvent | Yes |
| Supercritical CO2 | Carbon dioxide under pressure, a method developed by Kurt Zosel | No |
The first commercial method, Ludwig Roselius's process from the early 1900s, used benzene. Modern solvent methods replaced it with dichloromethane or ethyl acetate. The National Coffee Association says every decaf is made through chemistry of one kind or another.
Washington State roasters that sell Swiss Water decaf
The company that brought the process to market is based in British Columbia, the province on Washington's northern border. These Washington roasters we list name Swiss Water on their own shops, checked September 27, 2026:
- Espresso Vivace, Seattle: a Swiss Water decaf Ethiopian Sidamo made only for Vivace. It also sells the decaf green for home roasters.
- Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Sumner: a Swiss Water Decaf that is organic and Fair Trade.
- Seven Coffee Roasters, Seattle: a Swiss Water Decaf Brazil Cerrado, next to its Nana's Decaf Blend.
Other listed roasters use or name different methods. Bluebeard Coffee Roasters in Tacoma sells an ethyl acetate decaf from Cumbres de Narino, Colombia. Indaba Coffee Roasters in Spokane sells a Decaf Water Process that is organic and Fair Trade, and does not name Swiss Water. Many others list a decaf without naming the method at all, so if the process matters to you, check the bag. A listing does not mean the roaster is part of the club. Every decaf here is roasted in Washington by a local crew; why local roasters matter says why that counts.
Getting decaf from the club
In the plan builder, choose Decaf as the style, with any roast level. Each box comes from a different independent Washington roaster, and the decaf method is that roaster's choice, so we cannot promise Swiss Water in every bag; the packing slip names the roaster so you can look it up. $16.99 a bag. First bag free, you pay $7.99 shipping. The decaf subscription page has the details.
Related terms and sources
Related: decaf, half caf, ethyl acetate decaf, CO2 decaf, green coffee, single origin coffee.
- Wikipedia: Decaffeination (history, how the Swiss Water Process works, 8 to 10 hours, US and EU standards, other methods)
- National Coffee Association: Decaf coffee (caffeine per cup, safety of the four methods)
- Roaster decaf methods: each roaster's own shop, checked September 27, 2026, as summarized on its profile page here.