Now that's some good quality H2O

 

To make a great cup of coffee, the quality of the water you use is just as important as the beans. Learn about the importance of water in coffee making and how to optimize your coffee preparation for the best taste.

cup with water


    Most of us don't often think much about water, but when making coffee you must realize that more than 98% of the stuff in your cup IS water.  The first thing to NOT do is simply use tap water.  Please for the love of coffee, at least use a filter if you aren't using bottled water.  The next thing to avoid is using distilled water.  I know that sounds a little funny since first I am saying to use purified water, but then don't use ultra-purified water.  The distilled water is completely devoid of minerals which would help the water to absorb some of the coffee content.  Also, it can damage your expensive electronic equipment because it will leach minerals out of the metal parts.  

    The best product to use is bottled filtered water.  Another big thing to note is that the mineral content of water affects the flavor you taste.  Because different water sources are going to have different profiles it is entirely possible to have the same coffee at home and then at work and end up with completely different results even within the same city if the water is ultimately sourced from another location.  It is important to realize the key to improving your coffee is consistency.  

    You should always treat it like a science experiment and introduce as few variables at a time as possible.  This allows you to figure out what actually contributes to a good cup.  As always "good cup" is subjective, so what one person enjoys most is going to be highly personal.  The exact grinds to water ratio, the grind size, the extraction time, etc. are all things you will have to work out to determine your own preferences.  When you use the same bottled water every time it helps to know which of these factors are responsible for helping you find that perfect coffee experience.  You may need to change up the brand of water to enhance the flavor, but that is just part of the journey.  

Have you noticed a change in your coffee that may be related to different water?  If so, please share your story in a comment below.


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Comments

  1. Steve P.November 7, 2020 at 9:54 PM

    You provided some valuable information on good quality H20, and the importance of using it when preparing coffee. Great blog!

    ReplyDelete

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