1. We Start With Green Beans
   We start with top quality unroasted green beans. If they have been organically certified, they'll still be that way after decaffeination.
2. Add Pure Water
   We soak these beans in hot water. This hot water draws out the flavor essences of the beans just the way hot water does with ground coffee on a coffee press. The water becomes "flavor-saturated" in coffee essences.  we then take these beans and discard them.
3. Remove the Caffeine
   We then run this "flavor-saturated water" through a carbon filter. This traps and removes the caffeine molecules, but not the coffee essences.
4. Immerse New Beans
   New coffee beans are added to this "flavor-saturated water." Because this water is already saturated in coffee essences, only the caffeine is drawn out. This results in a full flavored, decaffeinated bean. In fact, our process removes 97% of the caffeine, which is the industry standard.
5. And That's Great Decaf
   Free of caffeine and chemicals, but full of flavor, these beans are then dried. They're now ready to be roasted and brewed into the best decaffeinated coffee you'll ever taste.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the Swiss Water® Process web site.

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Q: What does Fair Trade mean?

A: It means we can change the world, one cup at a time.

Coffee is the most heavily traded commodity in the world after petroleum. Yet most coffee growers – Small family farmers – have been left behind by this boom and can barely afford their basic needs. The availability of high quality coffees that you enjoy and these farmers proudly produce is being threatened, just as these families are threatened with losing their livelihoods. The "Fair Trade" movement has been established in an effort to sustain the high quality of specialty coffees and sustain the livelihoods of these small producers.

As an alternative to business-as-usual, Fair Trade:

• Pays farmers a decent, living wage for their harvest
• Creates direct trade links to farmers and their cooperatives
• Provides the farmers access to affordable credit, helping them stay out of debt to local loan sharks
• Promotes sustainable practices, such as organic farming, that help protect the environment and the high quality coffee products that you prefer.

Each of Vienna Coffee’s certified coffees promote sustainability in three important ways. Modern (since the ‘70s) coffee growing practices have caused soil erosion and severe damage to the environment throughout the coffee growing regions. International certifying agencies confirm that these beans are from producers that embrace traditional, sustainable Certified Organic practices in every step of production. Certification as Fair Trade coffee is verification that the Fair Trade principles described above are followed. Finally, the Shade Grown designation assures that the coffee was grown in the shade of a taller forest canopy, which provides habitat for wildlife such as songbirds. See our Links section for more information on these important issues.

"Thanks to Fair Trade, we have a seed of hope in our lives."
-- Jose Luis Castillo Vasquez, Las Colinas cooperative, El Salvador, and father of six

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Q: What does "SHB" stand for?

A: The SHB stands for “Strictly Hard Bean”, a designation reserved for coffees grown at an altitude of at least 3,900 feet above sea level. The higher elevation forces the coffee tree to work harder to produce fruit. The result is a more developed flavor and greater aromatic complexity.

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Q: What is the best way to brew coffee?

A: There are several steps:

1. Buy Fresh Coffee.
   
   Buy your favorite Vienna Coffee in small packages.  Freshness is vital to get the most out of any coffee.  Even though we use high-tech barrier bags with a one-way freshness valve, buy just what you expect to use up in the next two weeks.  We’ll make more so you won’t run out.

2. Start with fresh Cold Water

   Coffee is 98% water.  It’s only logical, then, that you must start with very good water.  Some tap waters are better than others so it depends on where you live whether we recommend bottled or treated water.  Too much mineral content including hardness OR too pure water will make your coffee less than it can be.

   Perfect coffee water, the “Gold Cup” standard contains about 150 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS), including about 50 ppm of Calcium hardness; no residual chlorine and no objectionable tastes from iron or other minerals.  Many spring waters are excellent for coffee but don’t expect a strongly mineral spring to yield very good coffee.  Never buy distilled water for your coffee!

   Brew your coffee at the right temperature.  The best temperature for brewing coffee is 195 to 205.  This is just below boiling.  Water that is too hot results in bitter coffee and too cool will yield weak, flat tasting results.

3. Use the correct grind size

   For best results, grind your coffee fresh just before brewing.  The flavor and aroma are far better that way.  Even the best coffee will lose a lot of its “Specialness” within a few days of grinding.  If you can’t grind it yourself, buy only what you’ll use in a week. 

   There is no all-purpose grind.  Conventional drip makers use a fairly fine grind but too fine a grind will result in bitterness from over-extraction.  Paper filter brewers take a finer grind than metal (permanent) filter brewers.  Espresso is ground very fine and French Press pots (our favorite way to enjoy great coffee) use a much more coarse grind.  Avoid a percolator, but if you must, use a very coarse grind to try to keep down over-extraction and bitterness.

4. Use the right amount of coffee

   We recommend using one (1) well-rounded (almost heaping) Tablespoon of ground coffee for each “cup” of water.  This translates to just over ¾ measuring cup of ground coffee per “12 cup” pot-full.  Note that the usual “12 cup pot” is only 64 fluid ounces (only about 5 1/3 ounces per “cup”).  A standard coffee scoop is 2 tablespoons.  Use 6 of those, heaping, for a 12 cup pot-full.

   Start there and if it’s too strong, dilute the finished product with hot water.  Don’t use less coffee! Even if you enjoy your coffee weaker, don’t use less coffee because that will cause the bitter components in the coffee grounds to be extracted too.  Brew it strong and cut with hot water if you want the best tasting coffee!

5. Treat it right – get it off the heat right away!
   
   Brewing a perfect pot of coffee, then letting it cook on the heat plate is almost criminal!  If you don’t plan to serve it all within minutes of brewing, transfer your coffee to a pre-warmed thermal server.  An airtight thermal server or airpot will keep coffee hot and preserve its flavor for hours.

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