Why Water Matters
Water is a pretty obvious key ingredient in your coffee but many overlook its importance. If you’ve been using tap water then you may not be getting the best out of your coffee beans.
Essentially tap water does contain impurities so you may not be getting the best flavour if you use it. When you also consider that water makes up 98% of any black coffee then you realise how important it is
Understanding TDS
Water purity can be measured by looking at Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). These are any organic or inorganic dissolved substances in the water. They are usually minerals, metals and salts. They will affect the flavour of your coffee. The TDS for tap water can be as high as 500 ppm (parts per million). Good coffee shops often use a filtration system to remove them but what can you do at home?
Bottled water can be a good choice. Or you could invest in a filter to use at home on your tap water. As well as improving the taste of your coffee you will also be looking after your coffee machine. Water used straight from the tap will build up limescale in your machine that is said to cause 70% of machine breakdowns.
Summary-Water Tips For Great Coffee
- Always use fresh water every time you brew. Don’t fill up one day and use the same water over a number of days, it must be fresh each time.
- Aim for the lowest TDS you can use, remember the higher the TDS the more the taste of your coffee will be affected.
- Use a filter if you can as a relatively cheap alternative to get the best water for your coffee machine.
- For the most pure water then use bottled water in your coffee machine.