Water Guide
Water’s Importance
Water comprises 98% of a cup of coffee. Anything riding along in the water will find its way into your cup of coffee after it is brewed. Not only that, but minerals in water help extract coffee and reduce certain types of unwanted acidity. Cafes spend heavily on water purification systems and even add minerals back in to ensure the perfect water composition for consistent and flavorful coffee and espresso. In fact, certain minerals or the absence of minerals can harm the equipment in which coffee is brewed.
Taking the extra time to learn about water and how different aspects of water can effect the taste of the brew and the longevity of equipment is well worth diving into for those looking to get the most out of their specialty coffee purchase and equipment investment.
Enhance Flavor
One of the easiest ways to improve coffee quality is to reduce the amount of off flavors in water. Most tap water is treated with chlorine which can negatively impact the flavor of coffee. While chlorine may not have much flavor in a cool glass of water, once heated and passed through the coffee grounds the flavor of chlorine is magnified. We want a neutral tasting water so that only the flavor of the coffee is present in the cup.
Luckily, removing chlorine is easily done by practically any household water filtering system. A Brita, Zero Water, or other comparable water filtering device will easily remove chlorine, sediment, and other components that can mask the coffee’s best qualities.
Improve Extraction
Removing off-tastes is a great way to improve the flavor but water composition also affects how the coffee is extracted as well. Water not only acts as an ingredient in coffee, but it is also what draws the coffee oils, soluble compounds, and aromatics out of the coffee. We also want to make sure we have a neutral pH water to start. Somewhere between 6.5 and 7.0 pH is acceptable. Most tap water qualifies as neutral.
Water hardness is the amount of dissolved minerals in the water. We want some minerals, but not too many. We can use water hardness to adjust our water to achieve the ideal taste and extraction. There are three main types of minerals we look for. They are magnesium, calcium, and a bicarbonate. All three minerals fall out of solution with water when the water boils. This causes scale in hot water pipes and equipment that heats water. The amount of these minerals affect the water hardness and alkalinity. Alkalinity is the water’s ability to buffer acidity. This means as acidic components within the coffee are extracted into the water, the alkalinity of the water fights against turning the water acidic. We want some acidity, but not too much. So a balance is needed.
This sounds very complicated! Not to worry. We have easy solutions.
Equipment Safety
Hard water can prematurely damage equipment and make coffee that tastes over extract, harsh, or bitter. Balancing the minerals in coffee makes for a smooth, flavorful, and lively cup of coffee without sacrificing equipment longevity. Having too few minerals in water, such as with distilled water, can actually damage equipment as well. Without minerals, the water can draw out metals within the equipment and cause permanent corrosion damage. It is very important not only for taste but for equipment health to not directly use RO or distilled water in any coffee brewing method.
Espresso machines are especially harmed by poor water quality due to the pressures, small passageways, and amount of time the hot water stays in the system. If scale happens in an espresso machine, it may be irreparable. So special consideration should be made when supplying an espresso machine with water. Typically the manufacturer can help with those needs.
Water Solutions!
Luckily, there are a few easy solutions for getting quality and safe water!
Filter Brew
Purify water at home: Filtering tap water with either a Brita or equivalent water filter system will remove nearly all of the odorous components and will leave behind enough minerality to properly extract coffees. There is no way to make sure it is filtering the water perfectly for coffee, but it will be much better than using tap water alone.
Buy purified water: Buying large 1, 2.5, or 5 gallon jugs of purified water is a great way to have clean, neutral, and softly mineralized water. Again, it won’t be perfect for coffee but it will be much closer than most tap water. Be sure not to get spring water because it will likely have too many minerals.
Make fancy coffee water: A new solution on the scene are packets of minerals that can be added to a gallon of distilled water to get the perfect ratio of minerality for coffee extraction. Several companies make these including Third Wave Water and Perfect Coffee Water. They can be a bit pricey but for those that want to go above and beyond, there is that solution.
Be a crazy scientist! Lastly, some coffee enthusiasts mix their own coffee water solutions and play with different ratios to maximize the flavor. We won’t go into detail here, but there are some great resources for those that want to try their hand at making their own here.
Espresso Water
Manufacturer knows best: While it may be easy to dump tap water or a random jug of purified water into an espresso machine, it is very important to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions. We can’t be aware of the right water for every machine, but we can provide a few pointers.
Fancy espresso water: Third Wave Water and Perfect Coffee Water created a special formulation specifically for the needs of espresso machines. These may be a good solution for safe and taste water.
Buy water: Some manufacturers like La Marzocco help folks at home by naming specific water brands that they have tested for compatibility. Check with your manufacturer and you may be in luck with a cheap supply of safe water from a big box store near you.
Scientist time: Many home baristas with fancy espresso equipment make their own water to ensure longevity, reduce cost, and maintain consistent flavor. Check out this site to get starting making your own.