The Mountain Water Decaffeination Process is trademarked to the Descamex facility in Mexico. As a popular natural method for decaffeination, the Mountain Water Process uses pure water as an extraction solution, separating the caffeine compounds from the unroasted green coffee

Mountain Water decaf process green coffee is chemical-free. The decaffeination process removes roughly 99% of the coffee’s caffeine while preserving flavor the coffee’s original sensory profile. This lot of Veracruz green coffee beans was sourced from small holders across the region. The coffee combines Tipica, Bourbon and Caturra varieties. Before undergoing decaffeination at the Descamex facility, it was washed and fully sundried.

Water-based decaf processes: Swiss Water Process and Mountain Water Process

The Swiss Water Process and Mountain Water Process are both trademarked to facilities in Canada and Mexico. Both are water-only and free from chemical solvents, making them popular natural methods of decaffeination.

The Swiss Water Process, first pioneered in Switzerland, uses a proprietary Green Coffee Extract (GCE) solution, made from soaking coffee in pure water to extract caffeine and other desirable coffee compounds that influence flavor. The GCE is filtered through activated carbon to remove caffeine, leaving behind “flavored” water. The first batch of beans is discarded, but the GCE is kept and flushed through another batch of beans. Because the GCE is now caffeine-free, the caffeine in the new beans automatically extracts itself and migrates into the GCE solution. By repeatedly flushing beans with GCE and filtering the GCE through carbon, the process simultaneously removes caffeine while keeping the beans saturated in flavor-rich water.

When coffee — like the Peru Santo Domingo — goes through the Swiss Water Process, the result is a 99.9% decaffeinated coffee that retains bright acidity and flavors like milk chocolate, green apple, and caramel.

The Mountain Water Process is similar but occurs in the Descamex facility in Mexico. The pure water used in the caffeine extraction solution comes from Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in the region, and also results in 99.9% decaffeination. Like the Swiss Water Process, this water-based decaffeination is chemical-free and can therefore retain organic certifications for the original beans.

Information Source: Genuine Origin