A Beginner's Guide to Water Filtration for Coffee

Did you need a cup of coffee to start your day full of motivation? Have you ever wondered why the coffee made at home tastes so different from the coffee brewed in cafe? And how many people drink an excellent coffee every day? We can't guarantee it.

Since the proportion of water in a cup of coffee is very large, the proportion of water in espresso is around 90%. While in a cup of filter coffee, the coffee powder can dissolve in water is about 1%-1.5%, then the water occupies more than 98%. But generally, it is one of the most overlooked parts of the production.

Water quality is a critical component for both home and commercial settings, whether it is a fully automatic coffee machine or a semi-automatic coffee maker. Not only does it affect the flavor, but it will also determine the life of the equipment used - after all, a machine is not cheap. When it comes to the topic of the impact of water on coffee flavor, extremely clean water can also have a negative impact that we should consider balancing.

In this article, we will discuss specifically the characteristics of water, the role of a water filtration system and why it is necessary. Finally, the different types of treatment correspond to each other.

The basic characteristics of water

There are four basic characteristics of water in coffee. PH, total dissolved solids(TDS), water hardness and alkalinity.

a. PH describes how strong or weak the acidity or alkalinity is in an aqueous solution. PH=7 is neutral. Coffee is generally a weakly acidic drink. If coffee is brewed with water that has a higher pH and is more alkaline, the acidity of the coffee will be weakened. However, no strongly acidic or alkaline water is suitable for coffee making.

b. Total dissolved solids are also the fine minerals and organic matter that pass through the soil, water purification plant or water supply system and end up in the water, affecting the finished coffee.

c. The hardness of water is the value of calcium carbonate contained in the water, which depends mainly on the structure of the local rock bed. Heating the water will dialyze the calcium carbonate content in the water, and over time you will see a build-up of chalk-like white material inside the machine or hand brew pot. Those of you who live in hard water areas will often see scale build up in your own hot water kettle, bathroom nozzle, dishwasher, etc.

The hardness of the water has a huge impact on the interaction between the hot water and the coffee grounds. Hard water changes the ratio of the chemical composition of the coffee powder, which in turn changes the ratio of the chemical composition of the coffee. Coffee brewed with soft water has a softer taste, while coffee brewed with hard water has more pronounced layers of flavor.

From a practical point of view, when using any kind of coffee machine that requires heated water, a filter coffee machine or espresso machine, soft water is a very important condition, otherwise the scale that builds up in the coffee machine will quickly cause the machine to break down.

Finally, let's talk about the alkalinity of the water. Alkalinity is a measurement that has the ability to neutralize the acids in the water. It contains carbonates, bicarbonates and hydroxides. The higher the presence of these substances, the better the water's ability to resist pH changes. Figuratively speaking, water absorbs hydrogen ions to protect itself from becoming too acidic.

Why is it necessary to install a water filter?

To remove harmful contaminants. In the United States, for example, water quality requirements vary from region to region. For water treatment plants, meeting standards comes first, and taste, or even safety, is not part of their plan. The water treatment plants in each region end up with different sources through your pipes (there are multiple sources of water for one plant), and transport to your home is also at risk of secondary contamination (invisible bacteria in the pipes). As a result, the water you receive may contain a large number of contaminants.

Extend the life of your machine. Too much mineral content or too much alkalinity in the water can lead to a build-up of scale that can damage or even destroy the machine and equipment. To get your money's worth and reduce the cost of post maintenance, a small coffee machine filter is very necessary.

Improves coffee taste. In water treatment plants, chlorine is put into the water as a disinfection ingredient. But there are always two sides to the coin, and it is the culprit for the bad taste and odor in tap water. The activated carbon material in water filters is able to remove chlorine residuals, pigments and pungent odors.

Generally speak, good water quality can make ordinary coffee beans drinkable and make fine coffee beans better, without wasting the flavor of each bean.

Types and Use of Water Treatment

Filter with activated carbon material

Auto-coffee machine water filters. The reason is that auto-coffee machines do not have the ability to disassemble and clean parts on their own, it is essential to install and replace the cartridge on time. This filter element contains high-quality ion exchange resin and activated carbon, which can stabilize calcium carbonate and remove impurities that remains in the coffee.

Coffee machine cartridges need to be replaced about once every two months, which for most people means that there is both time and money pressure. The price of some well-known brand cartridges (often including advertising costs) is not cheap, and here some replacement cartridges are also a great option.

YUNDA Auto-machine Water Filter

• NSF 42 Certification

• High-quality materials

• Activated Carbon

• Protect the machine

• Guaranteed after-sales service

Undersink water filter. It can be used in more scenarios, household, commercial, outdoor, etc. The quality of the water used in various types of coffee machines, hand brewed coffee, and the quality of the pure water you drink every day can be guaranteed. Absolutely, it has a wider range of filtration and, by the same token, will be more expensive.

The advantage of carbon filtration is that it removes harmful chemicals without eliminating the minerals that are important for coffee. It is worth noting that they struggle with removing chlorine and chloramines.

If you are concerned about this issue, you will have to make use of reverse osmosis technology.

Reverse osmosis filtration system. When you pick up a glass of water, somewhere out of sight. The water is forced through a membrane, the RO membrane, however, to remove up to 95% of the total dissolved solids. Our hair is about 13 microns, while the pore size of the RO membrane is only 0.0001 microns. It can effectively filter the impurities in the water, allowing people to get high-quality pure water.

For coffee, water that is too pure can be over-extracted, leaving you with bitter coffee and a dry mouth. Hence many RO machines will use a post-extraction system to add beneficial minerals to the filtered clean water.

Conclusion

To sum up, water is definitely more than just its chemical formula H20, it has an intricate structure inside. All the substances contained in it, in one way or another, have an impact on the coffee and the machine. As a beginner, it is impossible to test the parameters with instruments for every cup of coffee. Choosing a water filter according to your needs is the best choice for the safety of our drinking water and not to waste delicious coffee beans.