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Coffee Topics
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Brewing Water QualityWhen brewing espresso and other coffee roasts the quality of the water is extremely important. Mineral content, chlorine and other odors can adversely affect the taste of your brew. There are several things that can be done to improve the tap water you use to make coffee.
If your water has a high mineral content, you can reduce it in a couple of ways. First realize that water heaters tend to precipitate the minerals out of your water supply. This happens when the incoming cold water comes in contact with the water heater's heat source. You are probably aware that if you don't flush the sediment in your water heater on a regular basis you can end up with a layer of cement (precipitated mineral deposits) inside the bottom of your heater tank which will surely require the heater to run longer to make hot water and could eventually cause a leak when the bottom of the tank cracks from the excessive heat. Therefore, drawing water from your hot spigot and allowing it to cool to room temperature before pouring into your coffee or espresso maker will give you water with fewer minerals.
Also, drawing your water in advance and allowing it to sit for a few hours will let the chlorine and other odors dissipate into the atmosphere. Finally, clean your coffee equipment regularly to reduce the build-up of calcium and lime deposits. Published: March 2004, Last Modified: September 2011 |
