Swiss Water vs Mountain Water: comparing our two decaf coffees

At our roastery we now have two decaf coffees: Mexico El Tucan Decaf and Colombia Excelso Medellin Decaf. Both were decaffeinated with water, without organic solvents, but each went through a different process: Mexico through Mountain Water and Colombia through Swiss Water. We compare them step by step to make it easier to choose the right coffee for your machine and your taste.

Swiss Water and Mountain Water: caffeine washed out with water

Many decaf coffees are made with solvents such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. Both of our coffees went through water methods. The green beans release caffeine into water saturated with soluble coffee compounds, and activated carbon filters capture it. As a result, the beans lose mainly caffeine rather than their other compounds.

Both producers declare the same result: coffee with 99.9% of its caffeine removed. What differs is the detail of the process, where it is carried out and, above all, the beans that go into it.

Mexico El Tucan Decaf: the Mountain Water method

Mountain Water is a process run by Descamex in Córdoba, in the state of Veracruz. According to the producer, it uses water from the area around Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak in Mexico. In simple terms, the process works like this: the green beans are first opened with steam, then soaked in hot water that dissolves the caffeine. The solution passes through activated carbon filters. The water, now free of caffeine but still rich in flavour compounds, goes back to the beans. Finally, the beans are dried and polished.

The beans come from small farms in Chiapas, Veracruz and Puebla. They are Typica and Caturra varieties, washed processed. We write more about the process itself in Mountain Water Decaf.

Colombia Excelso Medellin Decaf: the Swiss Water method

Swiss Water is a process run by the Swiss Water company in British Columbia, Canada. The key is Green Coffee Extract: a solution saturated with the soluble compounds of green coffee other than caffeine. Beans soaked in the extract release mainly caffeine, because the solution already holds plenty of the other compounds. Carbon filters capture the caffeine, and the extract goes back into the cycle.

The beans are Colombian Excelso from the Medellin area in the Antioquia department, Caturra, Typica and Bourbon varieties, grown at 1200-2000 m above sea level and washed processed. Excelso is a bean size grade, slightly smaller than Supremo. We describe the process in detail in Swiss Water Process Decaf.

Taste: fruity Mexico and chocolatey Colombia

The taste of decaf coffee depends both on the decaffeination method and on the beans themselves: origin, variety, processing and roast.

Mexico El Tucan Decaf is sweeter and fruitier. The aroma brings banana bread and milk chocolate. The cup has yellow apple, with a nutty bitterness on the finish. The body is medium and creamy, the acidity low.

Colombia Excelso Medellin Decaf is more classic. Milk chocolate, nuts and cocoa dominate, with no exotic accents. It is a profile well known to anyone who drinks traditional espresso.

Which decaf coffee should you choose?

• Do you mostly drink espresso, cappuccino or latte from a bean-to-cup machine? Choose Colombia. Chocolate and cocoa pair well with milk.
• Do you brew in a moka pot? Choose Colombia. It gives a brew with a clear nutty character.
• Do you like drip, V60 or Chemex? Try Mexico. Its fruity sweetness suits filter brewing.
• Looking for an evening coffee to drink black? Both will work. If you prefer sweeter notes, choose Mexico. If you prefer classic ones, choose Colombia.

The prices are similar: Mexico costs PLN 44 / 76 / 149 and Colombia PLN 45 / 78 / 153 for a 250 g / 500 g / 1 kg bag. Both are available as whole beans or ground for your brewing method. If you cannot decide, get 250 g of each and compare them at home. We write more about how much caffeine stays in decaf and how to choose it in our decaf coffee beans guide, and we compare all decaffeination methods in decaffeination methods.