What kind of Water? - Barista at Home Enthusiast - Coffee Forum

Where possible I use Volvic mineral water in hand-filled espresso machines – which seems to have the right minerals and hardness for coffee extraction.

I also use a Brita water filter for general drinking and when brewing with a Hario V60, Chemex or Woodneck dripper.

In commercial coffee machines I always check that a softener/filter is in place between the mains and the boiler.

Water must have a certain amount of solids to be effective at extracting. If you try extracting with extremely soft water the results are dire.

The secondary effect is the amount of scale buildup you get. If I use Volvic I hardly need to descale (and when I do very little scale buildup is present)

Thanks Jason

2 methods I have used;

1. TDS – measures total dissolved solids (solid matter) and gives a ppm reading

2. Refractometer – more accurate and in my opinion easier

Readings are taken against / calibrated with purified water

We use filter water from a local 5 gallon supplier…hooked into a LP feed pump feeding the espresso machine. So no issues with solids there