Water: the ingredient everyone forgets
Coffee is 98% water - so the water you use changes everything.
TL;DR
- Coffee is ~98% water - quality matters.
- Aim for filtered, moderately soft water.
- Very hard or distilled water both flatten flavour.
You can buy the best beans in the world and still make a dull cup if your water's wrong. It's the ingredient hiding in plain sight.
What to aim for
Filtered water with moderate mineral content extracts the sweetest, most balanced cup. Distilled water tastes flat; very hard water mutes acidity and clarity.
Written by
Mara WhitfieldHead Roaster · Q-Grader
Mara has cupped on three continents and leads our roastery.
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