What is the best water for brewing coffee? Is the water used for hand brewing the same as that for Italian brewing?

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In the morning, I look at the drip coffee slowly pouring into the pot, and at the same time count this cup of coffee in front of me as my daily water intake. After all, a cup of coffee is nearly 98% water. At the same time, this means that the brewing water has a great impact on the flavor and quality of the coffee. If you want to brew the most delicious coffee, you must use the right water.

Through my conversations with Madrid-based barista Ivan Mora (now at La Colectiva Café), I hope we can better understand water and how Ivan uses his "homemade water" to brew excellent coffee. This article is the author's findings.

TDS vs PPM—Why Not All Water Is Equal

Water is usually not just water, it also contains "total dissolved solids" (TDS), which are tiny minerals and organic matter. These substances pass through the soil, water treatment plants or water supply systems, and finally remain in the water, affecting the finished coffee.

But the way and degree of their influence on coffee vary, depending on the "parts per million" (PPM) of water and the substances that make it up. Common substances include magnesium, calcium, and bicarbonate, all of which can greatly affect the flavor of coffee. For example, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood and Christopher Hendon found that bicarbonate can adjust the acidity of coffee and make the flavor mild. If the concentration is not right, the coffee may taste bland and not like coffee.

Ivan said: "When drinking plain water, it is difficult for us to taste the difference in TDS content." But he believes that after using water to brew coffee, we can clearly distinguish the difference in water. The wide variety of minerals not only affects the taste of coffee, but also affects the way coffee is extracted.

Ivan emphasized: "If the water quality is unstable, you cannot brew coffee of consistent quality. When the water quality is unsatisfactory, you can only brew mediocre coffee. Only the most suitable water can brew high-quality coffee." But what is the most suitable water?

Testing different types of water

In his quest for exceptional filter coffee, Ivan tested many types of water, and he says he thinks the best water has a mineral content between 75 and 180 PPM. In fact, he blended a variety of bottled waters (from high to low total dissolved solids) to get the water concentration to exactly 137 PPM.

Recently, he held a coffee tasting seminar to compare the taste and aroma of coffee brewed using the following water sources: tap water, filtered water, and his "homemade water". The only variable in brewing the three coffees was the water, and all other conditions were the same.

The result? He said: "The coffee brewed with tap water is really bad. I can't describe its flavor accurately, but it's just bad. Filtered water gives the coffee a strong acidity." But when it comes to coffee brewed with "homemade water", Ivan said the coffee tastes "full body, pure acidity, and no obvious shortcomings."

He used the same method to brew a fourth type of coffee with common bottled water, but that brand of water contained a lot of bicarbonate, so the aroma of the brewed coffee was lost and the flavor was affected.

In other words, water is important, but we may not always use the most appropriate water.

Does the "optimal water" exist?

If you want to make your coffee taste better with high-quality water, but you don’t want to test as much water as Ivan, good news! The Specialty Coffee Association has published a reference standard for water use:

"The water used to brew coffee should be clean, should not have any odor, have a calcium carbonate content between 50 and 175 PPM (water hardness), an alkalinity between 40 and 75 PPM, and a pH between 6 and 8."

But is it easy to meet all the conditions? The quality of tap water varies from region to region and also changes every day. The quality of bottled water is more stable, but the composition of each brand of water is not necessarily the same.

Christopher Hendon still advocates for magnesium-rich water, but says, "It's impossible to find a water with the perfect composition that will always give every coffee the flavor it deserves."

So you may not be able to use the "best water" every time, but you can improve the water quality by following the above reference standards.

Is there really a difference between "water for filter coffee" and "water for espresso"?

Is the water used to brew espresso the same as that used to brew filter coffee? According to the coffee information platform "Barista Hustle", it is not necessarily the case.

Filtered coffee can clearly bring out the various flavors and aromas of the coffee beans, but the flavors and aromas of espresso may not be so obvious, especially in latte or cappuccino, because milk will further affect the taste of coffee.

Ivan told me: "Every variable in the brewing process is complex and varies from barista to barista. Using "homemade water" to brew filter coffee is to amplify the subtle differences in coffee."

The secret of brewing coffee

In addition to PPS and bicarbonate, we have also talked about many other water quality standards, but what kind of water should be used for actual brewing?

Remember, the mineral composition of all brands of bottled water is not the same, and tap water varies by region.

Ivan advises: "Pay attention to the water you drink and contact the bottled water company (water company) to find out the composition of the water. Once you understand the water you use for brewing, you will know what can be improved."

If you love coffee but don’t want to rely on “homemade water” to make good coffee, you can compare the ingredients on the mineral water packaging with the reference standards of the World Specialty Coffee Association, brew the same coffee with water from different brands, and then choose the water you like. You can also observe which coffees are suitable for brewing with water from different brands.

When we brew coffee, we consider where the coffee is from, how it was processed, how deep it was roasted, the grind size and the brewing time, so why not pay a little more attention to the water?

Water has a huge impact on the flavor of coffee. With just a little testing and comparison, you can draw out the most diverse and delicate flavors and aromas of coffee according to the test results.

Written by Fernando Pocasangre

Translated from Perfect Daily Grind

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