Ask most accomplished baristas, and they will most likely say without even a second thought, Yes! This is not necessarily because it is true, but more likely because most water used in restaurants and coffee shops for coffee making goes through a series of filters, but no one seems to know exactly what they do.
Are water filters necessary for coffee makers? Since water makes up about 99% of the cup of coffee that we drink, using water filters to remove unwanted impurities from the water is an important part of the coffee-making process. The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) that are in the water will make a substantial impact on the intended flavor of the coffee.
Filtered water means better-tasting coffee.
You may have heard people say that the best pizza comes from New York City (No offense to you Chicago pizza lovers out there).
This claim is believed to be at least in part because of the very low level of total dissolved solids naturally found in the water in New York City.
This happens to be an actual fact. The water supplied to most of New York City is soft water an very low in dissolved solids.
For example, in water quality reports taken in recent years, the average total dissolved solids in Chicago averaged around 150, whereas the water quality reports in New York City showed total dissolved solids averaging less than 70. These dissolved solids will, of course, make a difference in the taste of coffee also.
In fact, any characteristics of the water used to make any water-based beverage will, of course, carry over to the taste, odor or overall enjoyment of the beverage.
So, I want no dissolved solids in my coffee water?
Well if you want to drink coffee that tastes just like a coffee bean, then yes.
But most of us are used to drinking coffee with dissolved solids in it. As a matter of fact, most premium coffee companies highly suggest that restaurants and other merchants of there coffee maintain a certain level of dissolved solids in their water.
The key seems to be just what those dissolved solids are, and how much is just right.
Ideally, water that has been softened and then had the majority of its total dissolved solids removed using a reverse osmosis system, would be the first step to creating ideal coffee water.
Reverse osmosis is simply the removal of one thing from another, and in this case, we would be removing dissolved solids from the water. In most cases, the dissolved solids in water are primarily salts. Just imagine taking a sip of coffee that tastes like it was made with seawater.
Not exactly my cup of tea, if you’ll excuse the morning beverage play on words.
Different coffee suppliers may recommend different levels of total dissolved solids for use with their coffee. I have found that most
This will probably vary depending on the different flavors of coffee as well. If you would like to know your waters TDS, Check out my simple to use recommended TDS meter.
So, you could use a reverse osmosis system to remove the majority of the total dissolved solids that would make the coffee taste bad, and then add dissolved solids that would make the coffee taste good.
A good source of dissolved solids that would benefit the flavor of most coffee and is good for you would be running the water through calcite.
Calcite is the raw, untreated form of calcium, which we need as a regular part of our diet and adds flavor to water without that heavy salty taste.
How can I get the same great coffee taste as in the coffee shop?
Well, to be perfectly honest, more than likely, you can’t! Having a cup of coffee in a coffee house is partially a state of mind. The smells, sights, and overall setting are designed to add to the whole coffee drinking experience.
Even if you used the exact same water as the coffee shop uses, brewed it in the same type coffee maker and added the same flavors to it, there would still be something about it that’s not quite right.
Don’t try to imitate the coffee house coffee, just try to make the best you can with the water you have.
How can I make my coffee water better?
Before we talk about improving your coffee, we want to talk about improving the water that you are making the coffee with.
Is your water hard? Does it have any odor coming from it? Does it have a weird taste or bitter after taste? All these factors will affect the taste and aroma that you will get from the coffee that you make with your water.
Many coffee connoisseurs like to discuss the aroma, richness, and blends of coffee, but you never hear them talk about a coffees’ hardness.
Only a true coffee connoisseur would even know about water hardness and how it could affect the taste of the coffee. Some people even say that hard water makes a better cup of coffee than soft water.
I guess that it’s just a matter of opinion, and it depends on what you are used to.
The biggest problem with using hard water to make coffee is that it will clog up your coffee maker. When water is heated, any hardness that is in it is more inclined to adhere to surfaces that the water comes into contact with. This will include the coffee makers reservoir, the inside tubing, the heating elements and of course, the coffee pot.
What should I check for in my water to make a great cup of coffee?
If you notice any odor at all from your water, a carbon filter may be in order to prevent the odor being transferred to your coffee and ruining the pleasant aroma that you are looking for.
Certainly, you don’t want any unpleasant tastes from your water to interfere with the flavor of your morning coffee. So check the water that you will be using to brew your coffee.
Clear your pallet as if you were about to taste a fine beverage because that is what we are trying to accomplish here right.
Raise a cup of your water up to your mouth, check for any odd smells and then take a small sip. How did it smell? How was the taste?
Now heat up some of the same water as if it were a cup of coffee and check for any smells or odd tastes again. If the water tastes crisp and refreshing and is free of odors when both hot or cold, it should yield a great cup of coffee.
If your water has an odor or taste to it, you should consider using a reverse osmosis system or at least a water-filtering pitcher.
For mild odor or taste, a filtering pitcher may work just fine, and they are not too expensive. Give one a try and then decide from there if you want to purify your water even more.
You also may want to cut down your water by mixing it with store-bought reverse osmosis water.
This will often make water that makes coffee that is just ok, taste like coffee that is fantastic since you are not removing all the dissolved solids in the water that you are already accustomed to drinking. Try it and see what you think.
The standard coffee maker that you buy online or at a store will have a filter in it to filter out bacteria and help take out extra salts. If you want to take your home coffee brewing up a notch, a reverse osmosis system will remove the most extra tastes and odors in the water to bring out a better pure coffee flavor.
Thanks for the great post.
I did try the idea you listed on the post, that’s using the water filter.
And it helps. The taste is good.