Many coffee lovers focus on beans and grind size, but water quality is just as crucial for great espresso. Water makes up over 98% of your espresso, and its composition greatly affects both taste and machine health. The mineral content and pH levels of your water influence how flavors are extracted from the coffee beans. By paying attention to your water quality, you can significantly improve your espresso's taste and protect your machine. Whether you're brewing in your kitchen or at a campsite, paying attention to your water can take your espresso to the next level.
Nano Portable Espresso Machine (Forest Green)
1. Distilled Water for Espresso: Clean Machines, Flat Taste
Distilled water is made by boiling water and then cooling the steam back into water. This process removes almost all impurities and minerals from the water.
How Distilled Water Helps Your Machine
Using distilled water in your espresso machine has one big advantage: it prevents scale build-up. Scale is the chalky stuff left behind by water with minerals in it. It can clog up your machine and make it work less well over time. Distilled water doesn't leave this scale, so it keeps your machine cleaner for longer.
Problems with Distilled Water
However, the lack of minerals in distilled water can cause two main issues:
● Flavor Problems: Coffee made with distilled water often tastes overly acidic. This is because bicarbonate helps to tame the acidity of shot. If there are no bicarbonates to modulate the pH-level, the shot can get very acidic.
● Machine Issues: Many espresso machines need minerals in water to work right. They use these minerals to measure water levels. Without minerals, the machine might get confused and not work properly.
Distilled water can also cause problems for metal boilers and pipes. Water should have a minimum amount of bicarbonates to prevent corrosion.
While distilled water on the surface looks like an attractive option, it can make your coffee taste worse and could cause issues with your machine.
2. Tap Water: Easy to Use but Unpredictable
Tap water is the water that comes out of your faucets at home. Its quality changes depending on where you live and how your local water company treats it.
Why People Use Tap Water
Many people use tap water in their espresso machines because it's easy. You don't need to buy or prepare anything special - just turn on the tap and fill your coffee machine. In most places, tap water is safe to drink, which makes it a common choice for coffee makers.
Problems You Might Face with Tap Water
But tap water can cause some issues when making espresso:
● Different Hardness: Tap water can be "hard" (lots of minerals) or "soft" (few minerals). Hard water can leave deposits in your machine, while soft water might not make your coffee taste as good.
● Chlorine Taste: Many cities add chlorine to tap water to kill germs. This can make your espresso taste strange.
● Changing Flavor: The taste of your espresso might change from day to day because tap water quality isn't always the same.
● Other Stuff in the Water: Tap water can also contain large amounts of chlorides, which can cause corrosion in your espresso machine’s boiler and pipes. It’s recommended to keep chloride levels below 15 ppm to avoid corrosion.
If you decide to use tap water, it's a good idea to check your local water reports. Water should ideally be classified as soft. In technical terms look for water that’s between 3-5° dH (German degrees of hardness).
Nano Portable Espresso Machine (Space Grey)
3. Filtered Water: A Popular Choice for Better-Tasting Espresso
Why Filtered Water is Good for Espresso
Many home baristas prefer filtered water because it tastes better than tap water. The filters remove things that can give water an off-flavor, making your espresso taste cleaner and more consistent. Filtered water is also cleaner, as it removes tiny particles and some chemicals that might be in tap water. This can help protect your espresso machine from buildup and damage.
Things to Think About When Using Filtered Water
While filtered water is often a great choice, there are a few things to keep in mind:
● You need to change or clean filters regularly. If you don't, they can stop working well or even grow bacteria.
● Filters are different and do different things. Some will reduce calcium in your water, while some will only remove off-flavors and chlorine.
4. Spring Water: Natural Water for Your Espresso
Spring water comes from underground. It flows up through rocks and soil, which naturally clean it and add minerals to it. This water often tastes fresh and contains helpful minerals.
How Spring Water Affects Flavor
Many people who love espresso say spring water makes their coffee taste better. The minerals in spring water, like calcium and magnesium, can bring out good flavors in coffee. It often has just the right amount of these minerals to make your espresso taste rich without being too strong.
Things to Think About for Your Machine
While spring water can make your espresso taste great, it's not always perfect for your machine. Different springs have different amounts of minerals in their water. If the water is too "hard" (has too many minerals), it might leave deposits in your machine. Make sure to read the label, and consider the levels of chlorides or calcium before you add it to the boiler. Spring water can often be much harder than your tap water, so don’t assume it’s safe just because it’s in a bottle.
Environmental Concerns
Most people buy spring water in bottles to use in their espresso machines. This can be a problem for the environment. Making and throwing away plastic bottles can pollute the earth. If you want to use spring water, try to find it in eco-friendly containers or look for places where you can refill your own bottles.
Spring water can make your espresso taste very good. But before you choose it, check how many minerals are in the brand you want to use. Also think about how using bottled water might affect the environment.
5. Reverse Osmosis Water: A Pure Foundation for Your Espresso
Reverse osmosis (RO) water is purified water that has had nearly all minerals and impurities removed through a filtration process. This process forces water through a semi-permeable membrane, stripping it of dissolved solids, contaminants, and unwanted tastes. The result is water that is almost completely pure, with a neutral flavor and minimal dissolved minerals.
In the supermarket you’ll often see RO water marketed as “drinking water”. It’s generally not as pure as distilled water, and may have had a small amount of bicarbonates added to make it more tasty for general consumption. This type of water will typicall measure around 10-45 TDS on a standard salt-calibrated TDS-meter.
How It Helps Your Espresso
Things to Think About
6. Third-Party Specialty Waters: Espresso-Specific Solutions
These are waters mixtures made specifically for espresso machines by companies that specialize in coffee. They're designed to have the perfect mix of minerals and the right alkalinity level for making great espresso.
Benefits for Your Espresso
Specialty waters can really improve your espresso. They have carefully balanced minerals that help bring out the best flavors in your coffee. The pH level is also set just right, which helps your espresso taste smooth and not too acidic or bitter.
One big advantage is consistency. Every bottle of specialty water has exactly the same mineral content. This means your espresso will taste the same every time you make it, as long as you use the same coffee beans.
These waters are also made to be gentle on your espresso machine. They won't leave behind mineral buildup that can damage your machine over time.
Things to Consider
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