Swiss Water® Process decaf green coffee. Chemical-free. Origin-true. Ready to roast.

Decaf has a reputation problem. For most of its history, the decaffeination process — typically involving chemical solvents — stripped the coffee of the same aromatic compounds that made it worth buying in the first place. The result was a cup that tasted like a compromise: flat, thin, and unmistakably second-best.

The Swiss Water® Process changed that. And it changed what roasters who take their decaf programme seriously can offer their customers.

Orange Brown Imports sources Swiss Water® Process decaf green coffee from Colombia — specialty-grade and processed using a method that removes 99.9% of caffeine without a single drop of chemical solvent. The origin quality that makes Colombian green coffee exceptional at altitude is preserved through the decaffeination process and delivered to your roastery intact.

If your decaf menu is an afterthought, this page is for the roaster who wants to change that.

What is the Swiss Water® Process?

The Swiss Water® Process is a patented, 100% chemical-free method of decaffeination that uses water, time, and temperature to remove caffeine from green coffee beans. It was invented more than 40 years ago specifically to provide a decaffeination option that is chemical-free, tastes better, and is more true to the original terroir than solvent-based methods.

Here is how it works in four steps:

Step 1 — Green Coffee Extract (GCE) is created.
Green coffee beans are first soaked in hot water, which extracts caffeine along with the coffee's soluble flavour compounds. This water — now rich with the flavour profile of the coffee — becomes the Green Coffee Extract. The GCE is caffeine-saturated at this stage and is passed through carbon filters that selectively remove the caffeine, leaving the flavour compounds intact. The result: a caffeine-free water solution that is fully saturated with coffee flavour.
Step 2 — Fresh beans are immersed in the GCE.
The next batch of green coffee beans is immersed in this caffeine-free, flavour-saturated GCE. Because the GCE is already saturated with flavour compounds, those compounds have nowhere to go — they stay in the bean. Caffeine, however, is not present in the GCE, so it migrates out of the beans and into the solution through diffusion.
Step 3 — Caffeine is filtered out and the GCE is renewed.
As the GCE absorbs caffeine from the beans, it is continuously cycled through carbon filters that capture and remove the caffeine molecules. The refreshed, caffeine-lean GCE is recirculated back over the beans. This cycle repeats over approximately 8 to 10 hours until the beans reach 99.9% caffeine removal.
Step 4 — Beans are dried and prepared for export.
The decaffeinated green beans are dried under carefully controlled temperature and airflow conditions tailored to the specific origin, preserving moisture profile and shelf life. They are then prepared for export exactly as a non-decaffeinated green coffee would be.
The result is a green coffee that retains its origin character — the terroir, the varietal expression, the processing notes — with 99.9% of the caffeine removed and zero chemical residue.

Swiss Water® vs other decaffeination methods

Not all decaf is created equal. The method used to remove caffeine has a direct impact on what ends up in the cup — and on what you can tell your customers about how their coffee was made.

	Swiss Water® Process	Solvent-based (EA / MC)	CO₂ Process
Chemical-free	✓ 100% chemical-free	✗ Uses ethyl acetate or methylene chloride	✓ Chemical-free
Caffeine removal	✓ 99.9% guaranteed	~ 97% (USDA minimum)	✓ 99%+
Flavour preservation	✓ High — origin character retained	✗ Can strip aromatic compounds	✓ Very high — selective extraction
Certifications compatible	✓ Organic, Fairtrade, Kosher, Halal	✗ Not compatible with organic	✓ Compatible
Roaster transparency	✓ Easy to communicate to customers	✗ Difficult to market positively	~ Less widely understood
Cost	~ Mid-range	✓ Lowest cost	✗ Highest cost
Availability	✓ Widely available — industry standard	✓ Widely available	~ Limited facilities worldwide
Best for	★ Specialty roasters who want quality and a clean story	Volume-driven commodity decaf	Ultra-premium single origin decaf

Why Colombian green coffee for decaf

The choice of origin matters as much for decaf as it does for any other green coffee — perhaps more. The Swiss Water® Process preserves the coffee's natural character, which means the quality of what you start with is exactly what determines the quality of what you end up with.

Colombian green coffee from the Andes is one of the finest decaf bases available for a simple reason: its natural cup profile — bright acidity, clean sweetness, medium body, and complex aromatics — survives the decaffeination process with more of its character intact than heavier, earthier origins. The clarity and fruit-forward quality of Colombian Arabica gives a Swiss Water® decaf something that many Brazilian or blended decaf offerings cannot: a cup that tastes like a specific, identifiable origin, not just a generic decaf.

Our Colombian Swiss Water® decaf is sourced from the same network of high-altitude Andean farms that defines our Colombian green coffee programme — specialty-grade and selected for cup quality before it ever goes near the decaffeination facility. The roaster who buys our Swiss Water® decaf is not getting a commodity lot that happened to be decaffeinated. They are getting a specialty green coffee whose decaffeination was a considered step in a quality supply chain, not an afterthought.

Why your decaf programme matters more than you think

Decaf drinkers are not a niche. They are a growing and loyal customer segment — and one that is frequently underserved by roasters who treat their decaf as an obligation rather than an opportunity.

Consider the roaster's customer who cannot drink caffeine for health, pregnancy, or sensitivity reasons. For them, the decaf on your menu is not a secondary option — it is the only option. If it tastes flat or chemical, they leave. If it tastes like a real, well-sourced coffee, they become some of your most loyal customers — because they have nowhere else to go.

<cite>Swiss Water® Process decaf roasters describe their decaf customers as the purest coffee drinkers — they drink for the flavour, not the caffeine, which means they are more attuned to quality differences than caffeine drinkers who may not notice.</cite>

A Swiss Water® Colombian decaf also gives you something commodity decaf does not: a story. Chemical-free. 99.9% caffeine-free. Sourced from high-altitude Colombian farms. Processed without solvents in a certified facility. That story belongs on your menu, your packaging, and your social media — and it is a story that differentiates you from every roaster still using solvent-based decaf.

What roasters receive when they source our decaf

Full origin traceability.
Our Swiss Water® decaf comes with the same traceability we apply across our entire green coffee network — origin country, region, and sourcing details provided so you can communicate the coffee's story with confidence.

Specialty-grade green coffee.
We do not source decaf separately from our quality standards. The Colombian green coffee that goes into our Swiss Water® decaf programme is selected to the same standard as our non-decaffeinated offerings. Cup quality is the baseline, not a bonus.

Swiss Water® certified.
Every lot we supply carries the Swiss Water® Process certification — independently verified 99.9% caffeine removal, 100% chemical-free processing, and full compatibility with organic, Fairtrade, Kosher, and Halal certifications if the base coffee carries them.

Ready to roast on arrival.
Swiss Water® decaf green coffee roasts differently from non-decaffeinated green — it typically requires lower temperatures and shorter roast times, and the moisture content differs. We provide roasting guidance with every order so you can dial in your profile efficiently.

Frequently asked questions

Does Swiss Water® decaf taste like regular coffee?

Yes — significantly more so than solvent-based decaf. The process is specifically designed to preserve the coffee's natural flavour compounds while removing caffeine. A well-roasted Swiss Water® Colombian decaf should be recognisable as Colombian specialty coffee to any trained palate. The caffeine is gone; the character is not.

Is Swiss Water® Process decaf organic?

The Swiss Water® Process itself is certified organic by the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA). If the base green coffee carries an organic certification, the Swiss Water® Process does not compromise that certification — making it the only decaffeination method compatible with organic coffee.

How does Swiss Water® decaf roast differently from non-decaf?

Decaffeinated green coffee — regardless of method — behaves differently in the roaster. The moisture content is typically higher after decaffeination, and the cellular structure of the bean has been modified by the water immersion. In practice this means Swiss Water® decaf tends to reach first crack earlier, requires slightly lower drum temperatures, and can tip or scorch more easily than green coffee of the same density. We provide roasting notes with every order.

What volume is available?

Our Swiss Water® Colombian decaf is available in quantities suited to roasters of all sizes — from small orders to larger volumes. Get in touch through the form below and we will confirm current availability and quantities.

Can I get samples before committing?

Yes — always. Request samples through the form below. We will send you the current Swiss Water® Colombian decaf lot so you can cup it, test it in your roaster, and confirm the fit before placing an order.

Do you offer Swiss Water® decaf from other origins?

Yes, we can source other decafs by request. Contact us if you are looking for another origin

Ready to upgrade your decaf programme?

Tell us about your roastery and your current decaf situation — volume, what you are roasting now, and what you are looking for. We will send you samples of our current Swiss Water® Colombian decaf lot at no cost and provide full sourcing and roasting details.

No commitment. No minimum order to get started. Just exceptional Colombian decaf, processed without compromise.

Explore our other green coffee offerings

Colombian green coffee — Nariño — the high-altitude origin behind our decaf programme

Custom Sourcing — sourcing any green coffee to your specification

Broker Services — direct farm trading, facilitated end to end

Coffee Micro-Lots — farm-specific, limited-quantity specialty lots