We have chosen to offer only Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffees. This is a completely chemical-free process, using only water and carbon filters. The Swiss Water Process has been fine-tuned to deliver all the flavor characteristics and body of each coffee with virtually no caffeine. Indigo Coffee offers a full selection of Swiss Water Decafs.

In the Swiss Water Process, green (unroasted) beans are soaked in water to remove the caffeine and many of the coffee's oils and flavor elements. The water is passed through carbon filters to extract the caffeine. This yields "flavor-charged" water -- saturated with flavor components but free of caffeine. This first batch of beans is discarded. Next, the coffee beans to be decaffeinated are soaked in this flavor-charged water. The water draws out 99.9% of the caffeine from the beans, but the oils and flavor components can't pass into the flavor-charged water, which is already saturated with these components. The beans are then removed from the water, polished and dried.

All decaffeination methods, including chemical processes, use water. So a "water-process" Decaf does not guarantee a chemical-free Decaf. Look for Indigo's "Swiss Water" Decafs to guarantee a 100% chemical-free Decaf with the flavor and quality of Indigo's selection and roasting.