Dear Diva:
Does a water decaf process dilute the taste of the coffee? from Jane, New York

Dear Jane,

The idea that the “water” process washes out the flavor of the decaf coffee is a myth…
Our sponsor's method of decaffeination, called the SWISS WATER® Process, uses water that is pre-saturated with caffeine-free soluble coffee flavor compounds. In the decaffeination process, green beans (before coffee beans are roasted they are called “green”) are soaked in this pre-saturated water, and because caffeine is a soluble solid it migrates from the beans into the water, where it is captured by filters. The flavor and body of the coffee is maintained by closely monitoring the solids and caffeine levels. The resulting green coffee beans are 99.9% caffeine-free, ready to be dried, bagged and shipped to discriminating roasters everywhere. The SWISS WATER® Process uses only water, and is 100% chemical-free, whereas many decaffeination processes use harsh chemicals like methylene chloride or synthetically manufactured ethyl acetate, (even when they say they are water processed). For a further explanation with helpful visuals, check out SwissWater.com…