How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Swiss Water Decaf Coffee

You brew Swiss Water decaf the same way as any good coffee: fresh beans, the right grind for your method, water just off the boil and accurate weights. The one difference, in our experience, is that decaf can extract a little more readily, so if a cup tastes bitter or harsh, go slightly coarser or slightly cooler before you change anything else. Below are tried and tested starting recipes for seven methods.

If you’re new to Swiss Water decaf and want to know how it’s made, our guide to what Swiss Water decaf is covers the process. This page is all about the brewing.

Swiss Water decaf brew recipes at a glance

These are starting points, not rules. Taste, then adjust one thing at a time.

Four things that matter more than the method

1. Fresh coffee. Decaf is no more forgiving of stale beans than regular coffee. Buy freshly roasted and keep the bag sealed, somewhere cool and dark.
2. Grind just before brewing. A burr grinder gives a more even grind than a blade grinder, and evenness is what stops one cup tasting both sour and bitter. Our guide to grinding coffee at home goes into it.
3. Weigh, don’t scoop. A cheap set of digital scales is the single best upgrade for most home brewers, because scoops vary a lot from one coffee to the next.
4. Use decent water. In hard-water areas, filtered water makes a clear difference to sweetness and clarity. More in our piece on water quality for coffee.

How to make Swiss Water decaf in a cafetière

1. Boil the kettle and leave it for 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Add 30g of coarsely ground coffee to the cafetière and pour in 500ml of water, making sure all the grounds are wet.
3. Leave for 4 minutes. Stir the crust that forms on top, then skim off any foam with a spoon.
4. Press the plunger gently, just below the surface, and pour straight away so it doesn’t keep brewing.

Cafetière suits our decaf particularly well: the natural Brazil body and peanut sweetness come through clearly.

How to make Swiss Water decaf as a pour over

1. Rinse the paper filter with hot water and discard the water.
2. Add 15g of medium-fine coffee and pour about 40ml of water to wet it. Wait 30 seconds while it blooms.
3. Pour the rest slowly in circles, keeping the water level steady, until you reach 250ml in total.
4. Aim to finish draining at 2½ to 3 minutes. Faster and thin? Grind finer. Slower and bitter? Grind coarser.

If you’re deciding between hand pouring and a machine, our comparison of pour over and drip brew may help.

How to make Swiss Water decaf in a filter machine

Use 60g of medium-ground coffee per litre of water, or 30g for half a jug, and scale for the number of cups your machine makes. Fresh, cold water in the tank, a rinsed paper filter and a clean machine are most of the battle. Turn off the hotplate once it’s brewed, or pour into a flask; decaf stewing on a hotplate goes bitter as quickly as anything else.

How to make Swiss Water decaf espresso

1. Dose 18g of finely ground coffee into a double basket, level it and tamp firmly.
2. Aim for about 36g of espresso in the cup in 25 to 30 seconds.
3. If it runs fast and tastes sour, grind finer. If it runs slowly and tastes bitter, grind coarser.

Decaf shots often run a little faster than regular coffee at the same setting, so expect to grind a notch or two finer. Our decaf makes a sweet, chocolatey flat white or latte.

How to make Swiss Water decaf in a moka pot

1. Fill the base with hot water from the kettle up to the safety valve. Starting hot shortens the time the coffee sits on the heat.
2. Fill the basket level with fine-medium coffee, a little coarser than espresso. Don’t tamp.
3. Screw it together using a tea towel, and put it on a low to medium heat with the lid open.
4. When the coffee turns pale and starts to sputter, take it off the heat and run the base under the cold tap to stop it.

How to make Swiss Water decaf in an AeroPress

1. Rinse the paper filter in the cap. Add 15g of medium-fine coffee to the chamber.
2. Pour 230ml of water at 85 to 90°C and stir three or four times.
3. Fit the plunger to create a seal, wait until about 1 minute 30 seconds, then press gently for around 30 seconds.

The AeroPress is very forgiving and a good way to dial in a new bag of decaf in a single mug.

How to make Swiss Water decaf cold brew

1. Stir 100g of coarsely ground coffee into 1 litre of cold filtered water in a jug or large jar.
2. Cover and leave in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours.
3. Strain through a paper filter or a fine sieve lined with muslin.
4. Serve over ice, diluted with water or milk to taste. It keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Decaf cold brew is the answer to a hot summer evening, and it makes a good base for iced lattes.

Fixing a disappointing cup of decaf

What to drink it with

Our Swiss Water Decaf has roasted peanut, milk chocolate and cookie dough notes, so it sits happily alongside chocolate puddings, buttery biscuits, shortbread and a slice of cake after dinner. Milk brings out the chocolate side; black, the nuttiness is clearer.

Brewing questions

What is the best way to brew Swiss Water decaf?

Whichever method you enjoy. For our decaf we particularly like cafetière and pour over, which show off its sweetness, and a milky espresso drink.

Do I need a different grind for decaf?

Start with your usual setting for the method. For espresso you will often need to go a little finer; for filter, taste and adjust.

Should I buy ground or whole bean decaf?

Whole bean if you have a grinder, as it keeps its flavour for longer. If not, we also sell it ground for cafetière and filter, or for espresso, so choose the one that matches your kit.

How should I store Swiss Water decaf?

Sealed, at room temperature, away from light, heat and moisture. Avoid the fridge, where it picks up moisture and smells.

If you brew mostly filter or cafetière, our filter and cafetière coffees include plenty to try alongside the decaf, and the whole decaf range is in one place.