What type of water should you use?

What type of water should I use?

Water makes up ~98.5% of the final coffee product in your cup; the water you choose can set you up for success or drag down the quality of your coffee. The mineral content of your water, in particular,  is going to directly affect the extraction process and shape your experience in the final cup. What type of water is the best? We'll discuss our favorites below. 

• Filtered tap water: Depending on the region, the quality of your water might vary, but if you live in an area with good water, there are strong advantages to using tap water. First and foremost, tap water is readily available and requires no extraneous packaging or transportation, making it the most eco-friendly option. Tap water naturally contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, which are essential for coffee brewing. Add in good filtration to remove many contaminants that might otherwise add a strong odor or taste, and you are set up for some darn fine coffee. 

• Spring water: Spring water is a widely available, consistent source of what would otherwise be the best-case scenario for tap water. Rich in the naturally occurring minerals that aid in coffee extraction, free of chemical taints that might negatively affect the taste or smell of the final cup, and consistent year-round and wherever you go, unlike filtered water. Spring water is more of an investment than tap water, but it might be the best-case scenario if your tap water isn't ideal. 

• Third Wave Water: Third Wave Water is a gateway to a whole new approach to coffee. Instead of optimizing the water that you have, Third Wave Water lets you build the perfect water from scratch to uplift your coffee. Add one of these pre-measured packets to low to no mineral content water for perfect brewing water.  Third Wave Water requires a mineral-free base, which can be distilled water, reverse osmosis water, deionized water, or even water from a Zero Water filter. 

• When each makes sense: 

  • If you are fortunate enough to live in a part of the world with well-mineralized (not too soft, not too hard) water with minimal to no contaminants, filtered water is an easy and low-cost choice.

  • If you don't mind investing a little bit of money for more control over your brewing, or if your tap water isn't suitable, using spring water can offer a stable, consistent, worry-free experience to your morning routine. 

  • If you love high-end coffees and enjoy putting in a little extra effort, you can use Third Wave Water to extract more delicate and complex notes and ensure a balanced mouthfeel every time. Third Wave Water won't make a mediocre cup good, but if you are already tweaking variables for an optimal extraction, it can make an excellent cup even better. 

What type of water should I avoid?

• De-mineralized water: Distilled water, reverse osmosis water, deionized water, and water from a Zero Water filter all serve as excellent bases for Third Wave Water and, for the very same reasons, do not make a great base for coffee. Each preparation of water has had most, if not all, of the mineral content stripped out. Because the development of complexity and mouthfeel in coffee is directly affected by the mineral content, using demineralized water will result in a flatter, thinner experience in the cup.  
• Highly mineralized bottled water: While a balanced amount of minerals is beneficial, each mineral involved has a negative attribute or flavor that presents itself at higher concentrations. Higher concentrations of calcium add a "chalky" mouthfeel and may even hinder extraction. Magnesium in excess becomes bitter. Mineral content is also responsible for limescale buildup in your brewer, and a higher concentration necessitates more frequent descaling to maintain your machine.
• Softened water: If you live in an area with especially hard (high mineral content) water, you may have a water softening system installed. These systems use ion exchange to replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium and potassium ions. While introducing sodium into coffee can be useful to eliminate bitter notes, and potassium in small quantities can help to balance acidity, in higher concentrations, sodium can make for a perceptibly salty experience, and too much potassium adds a bitter note to coffee, cancelling out the small benefit of the increased sodium content.

How water affects descaling

• Hard water: This term is used to describe tap water that has a high mineral content. Hard water contributes to a faster mineral buildup on the internal components and shower head of your Ratio brewer. You will need to perform more frequent descaling cycles to stay ahead of limescale; this may be as often as every other week or even weekly, depending on how often you are using your brewer and the degree of hardness of your water. 
• Soft water: This term is used to describe tap water that has a notably low concentration of minerals. While you will not be gaining the benefit of flavor and extraction enhancements that minerals bring to the party, you may also find that descaling cycles will not need to be performed as frequently. Even with a soft water profile from your tap water, maintaining a consistent schedule will still be necessary to prevent accumulation. 

In conclusion

The water that goes into your coffee can have drastic effects on the final brew. By knowing and applying your newfound knowledge of what coffee needs and where you can find it, you can determine the best path for you and your coffee setup to bring out the most in your morning cup.