introduction:
Many coffee lovers focus on the beans, the grinder, and the degree of roasting... but forget the most important ingredient: water!
Water makes up about 98% of your cup, and choosing the right type plays a key role in the taste of your coffee.
In this article, we'll learn about the effect of water on coffee flavor, its types, and how to choose the best one.
1. Why does water make a difference?
Water contains minerals (such as calcium and magnesium).
These minerals contribute to the extraction of coffee flavors.
- Low in minerals? Coffee comes out bland.
- Too many minerals? The flavor becomes "flat" or has too much bitterness.
✅ Balance is the secret
2. Types of water and their effect on coffee:
🔹 Tap water:
- Often contains chlorine and salts.
- Result: Impure taste and affects the coffee
- ❌ Not recommended unless filtered
🔹 Filtered water:
- An excellent and balanced choice.
- Removes impurities and preserves beneficial minerals.
- ✅ Best for daily coffee preparation
🔹 Distilled or demineralized water:
- Contains almost no minerals
- Result: Weak tasting coffee
- ❌ Not suitable, unless salts are added precisely (such as Third Wave Water)
3. Ideal standards for water in specialty coffee:
- TDS (Total Solids): Between 75 to 150 ppm
- pH: close to 7 (neutral)
- Chlorine: 0 (should not be present)
💡 If you don't have a measuring device? Use good home filtered water or balanced mineral water (without added flavors or salts).
4. The most popular types of commercial water suitable for coffee:
- Nestlé Pure Life
- Arwa
- Aquafina (reasonable, but tends to be light)
- The best? Try it and experience the difference yourself, because even water varies from country to country.
5. A light tip for detail lovers:
If you're looking for accurate and consistent results, try adding coffee-specific salts like Third Wave Water.
Distilled water is transformed into the perfect water for extracting flavor.
✅ Conclusion:
Taking care of your water is a simple step, but it has a big impact.
Your cup can be "much better" just by changing the type of water you use.
Try preparing the same coffee with different types of water, and let your taste decide what's best!