When you order coffee from your favorite coffee shop, it’s hard to recreate that superior taste at home. But one of the biggest secrets to brewing great coffee is using the right water.
Even if you use the finest coffee beans, without the right water, your coffee will fall short. That’s because water makes up over 90% of the brewed cup, so its quality can have a significant impact on the flavor and aroma of your coffee.
Summary Points:
- The quality of water used to brew coffee can have a major impact on its taste and aroma.
- Tap water often contains impurities such as chlorine, hard minerals, salts, and contaminants, which can alter the flavor profile of the coffee.
- Filtered water removes these impurities, resulting in a purer, more flavorful cup of coffee.
- There are two main types of water filters: under-sink filters and water tank filters.
- Filtering your water before brewing coffee can help to improve the taste, aroma, and quality of your coffee, as well as prolong the life of your coffee maker.
Water’s Role in Brewing Coffee
As we all know, coffee is a matter of chemistry. It’s made by infusing ground coffee or coffee beans and water. This, in turn, allows the compounds in the grounds or beans to be broken down and released, resulting in a flavorful, dark brew in your pot or coffee cup. Hence, water plays a major yet often overlooked role in the brewing process.
What Happens When You Use Tap Water to Brew Your Coffee
When water is added to coffee, it binds with the acids in the beans, which gives the brew its body and flavor.
However, when tap water is used to penetrate the coffee beans, it often contains chlorine, hard minerals, salts, and other contaminants. The tastes of these contaminants bind to the water molecules and then to the coffee compounds, altering the flavor profile of the coffee. This is especially true when making more concentrated brews like espresso, which contain mostly water and little coffee.
Before spending money to upgrade your coffee beans or brewing equipment, consider upgrading your water. There are many ways of improving the quality of your water’s taste. One option is purchasing a quality water filter such as those offered by Big Berkey Water Filters.
How Filtered Water Helps Improve the Flavor of Coffee
Filtered water has been stripped of its impurities, making it a purer, more dissolvable liquid for brewing coffee. As a result, there are no added flavors to interfere with the natural flavors of the beans allowing the bean’s natural roast and regional profile to fully express themselves.
It also helps prevent sediment and limescale buildup in your coffee maker, prolonging its lifespan.
More on Water Filters
There are two main types of water filters: an under-sink filter and a water tank filter.
An under-sink water filter is the most effective, cost-friendly way to filter water from your tap. It contains various parts, including a filter head and filter cartridge to purify your drinking water and two to three hoses that connect to the sink’s plumbing.
On the other hand, the water tank filter is a compact device that installs in the water tank and then attaches to your coffee maker’s water supply hose. This allows water to be purified right before it enters the machine.
To continue purifying your coffee water, simply replace the small filter with a new one as needed.
No matter which type of filter you choose, it will help remove sediments and reduce calcium, aluminum, and other minerals and metals in your tap water for improved coffee flavor and aroma. It will also help make your drinking water taste better.
It also helps keep your coffee maker’s boiler, pipe fittings, and group head clear, which in turn helps prevent issues and premature breakdowns with the machine. You may also notice that your coffee maker is more efficient at heating your coffee.
Summary points on Water Filters
Under-Sink Water Filters
Under-sink water filters are arguably the most effective way to filter your tap water depending on your situation.
Advantages
- Most effective way to filter tap water
- Removes a wide range of impurities
- Can be used for all household water needs
- Long lifespan
Water Tank Filters
Water tank filters are installed in the water tank of your coffee maker. They are smaller and more portable than under-sink filters, making them a good option for people who live in apartments or small homes.
Advantages
- Less expensive than under-sink filters
- Easier to install
- Requires less maintenance
Water Quality & Coffee: Final Thoughts
Overall, the perfect cup of coffee begins with the cleanest possible water to activate the beans, which a water filter can help you achieve. This way, all you get in your cup is the pure unadulterated flavor of the precious flavor compounds, resulting in a great-tasting coffee.
It is also easy to add a filter to your home by simply installing it under the sink, or you can have your plumber install it inside your water tank to improve the water quality from all your faucets.
And since water filters also filter out up to 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and chemicals in your tap water, you can also have peace of mind knowing that you are not ingesting harmful pollutants as you enjoy your coffee.
So, while filtering your water when making coffee at home won’t provide you with the adorable cappuccino art like your favorite coffee shop, it can certainly help you enjoy the same great taste.
Leave a Reply