First and foremost, I want to say that I am no chemist. What I do know that coffee is made up of 98.5% water and this water can have a huge impact on the taste of that joe. So after having this ah-ha moment (lol), I thought that I could possibly help you figure out what the best water for coffee is without boring you with the science details.
Water quality does affect your coffee’s taste. It’s actually responsible for bringing out the coffee’s best flavors. So, the mineral content, pH, and contaminants are a few things that can alter the taste. After all, if you are going to invest time and money on a good quality cup of coffee then you don’t need to let the taste of your water spoil the entire experience.
The answer if you don’t feel like reading the entire post:
I recommend a filter, even a pitcher filter. I’ll explain why in this post if you really want to know.
Tap Water
Tap water is everybody’s go-to for brewing coffee, especially if you are using a drip machine. It’s easy and readily available. But either way, no matter which coffee maker you choose, you may not want to get your water straight from the tap.
It contains traces of aluminum, copper, iron, chlorine and other contaminants.
The hardness of the water matters too. You don’t want soft water because it contains sodium ions that will make your coffee taste flat.
It is said by most experts that hard water is better because it can produce a stronger more flavorful cup of coffee.
You can always do a cup taste test of your own to figure out which water you prefer. All you need to do is make one cup with all the water methods you are considering and taste test them. You can then make a determination what your own preference is.
I have said it a thousand times, what I think tastes great may not be the same as you and that’s ok. I love that we are all different. It makes the world more interesting.
Distilled Water
So if you have water that has been stripped of its ions and minerals in a machine (coffee maker) that has it, don’t you think it will take from the surrounding space? Yes.
The World Health Organization has said consuming distilled water prevents your body from being able to take in magnesium, calcium, and other essential elements.
There is a product that you can add to distilled water that will put the minerals back in and it is made specifically for coffee. As seen on shark tank, all you have to do is add one packet to one gallon of distilled water, shake to dissolve, and whola!
Reverse Osmosis Water
There is a debate about using reverse osmosis water. Some say it will produce a great cup of coffee but others say it can make your coffee taste flat. I guess it all depends on what their coffee tasted like before they used Reverse Osmosis.
Reverse osmosis takes out all the contaminants and minerals. You need some minerals to bring out coffee’s flavor.
You can always blend the water back in but who wants to do that?
Bottled Water
If bottled water is all you have then use it but I would steer clear of it. Its hard to know what the mineral content is as well as the pH, and you don’t know the harness.
My Recommendation
My recommendation is filtered water. They will filter out the chlorine and contaminants without messing with the mineral content. And since we established the fact that minerals are needed for the best flavor, a filter is the right choice.
Filtered water is also good for your health. The filter takes out impurities. It also helps with nutrient absorption so if its good for your health and makes your coffee taste better, go ahead and make the switch.
But don’t stress about the coffee, at the end of the day just like with everything else associated with coffee, it is a matter of what taste good to you versus what tastes good to me.
I prefer to filter my water because of the health benefits associated with it and the fact that it is easy. I have well water and it has lots of sediment so filtering is a great choice for me.
