We’ve all been there. It’s 8:00 PM, you’re craving the cozy, spiced aroma of a Cinnamon Bun coffee, but you also value your sleep. For years, "decaf" was a dirty word in the specialty coffee world. It often meant "chemical aftertaste" or "flat, cardboard-like flavor."
At Coffee Beanery, we believe that choosing decaf shouldn't feel like a compromise. Whether you’re sipping a classic roast or our seasonal Cinnamon Holiday Blend, you deserve the full, rich experience of gourmet coffee—minus the jitters.
The secret to our flavor? It’s all in the Swiss Water® Process.
The Problem with Traditional Decaf
To understand why our decaf tastes different, you have to know how most decaf is made. Traditionally, caffeine is stripped away using chemical solvents like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. While these are effective at removing caffeine, they often take the coffee’s essential flavor oils and aromatic compounds along with them. The result? A cup that tastes "thin" and chemically.
The Swiss Water Difference: 100% Fresh, 0% Chemicals
When JoAnne and Julius founded Coffee Beanery in 1976, their mission was to bring the top 3% of the world's beans to every cup. That mission extends to our decaf drinkers. That’s why we use the Swiss Water Process—a non-solvent, 100% chemical-free method of decaffeination.
Here is how the magic happens:
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Pure Water: The process uses only hot water and a "Green Coffee Extract" to gently soak the beans.
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The Migration: Through a clever bit of science, the caffeine migrates out of the bean and into the water, while the flavor oils stay exactly where they belong—inside the bean.
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99.9% Caffeine Free: The result is a bean that is almost entirely caffeine-free but retains its original origin characteristics, body, and sweetness.
All the Fall Flavor, None of the Buzz
Because the Swiss Water Process preserves the integrity of the bean, it provides the perfect canvas for our legendary flavors. When you brew a cup of our decaf Caramel Pecan Pie or Butter Rum Cake, you are tasting the rich notes of toasted nuts and buttery pastry, not a processing plant.
50 Years of Inclusivity
For 50 years, we’ve been perfecting the "Perfect Pour." Since we began franchising in the 80s and expanded to locations overseas, our goal has been to make specialty coffee accessible to everyone—regardless of their caffeine tolerance.
Using the Swiss Water Process is just one of the ways we honor that 50-year legacy. It’s our way of saying: Yes, you can have that second (or third) cup of Maple Syrup coffee after dinner. We’ve got you covered.
Have you tried our Swiss Water decaf yet? Grab a bag of your favorite flavor today and experience the difference for yourself. You might just forget you're drinking decaf at all!
