I've been tempted to buy a better grinder, but a friend suggested trying different brew water first. Our tap water leaves scale in the kettle, and coffee often tastes dull even when I think the grind and recipe are close. I'm not planning to turn the kitchen into a chemistry lab. Would a side-by-side tasting with bottled low-mineral water tell me anything useful, or is water chemistry a rabbit hole best left until the basics are truly consistent?
Deciding whether water chemistry is worth paying attention to before buying more gear
- coffee
- water
- chemistry
- paying
17
1 reply
I’m less certain it’s worth chasing too early. If the grind is inconsistent or the coffee is stale, better water won’t fix the basic dullnes...
I’m less certain it’s worth chasing too early. If the grind is inconsistent or the coffee is stale, better water won’t fix the basic dullness.
That’s fair. I’d probably do one bottle test, not a full deep dive, just to see whether the difference is obvious enough to matter.
1 reply
Yes, the water can tell you something useful before you buy more gear. If the same coffee tastes clearer or brighter with low-mineral water,...
Yes, the water can tell you something useful before you buy more gear. If the same coffee tastes clearer or brighter with low-mineral water, that usually means your tap water is flattening it out.
Also, scale in the kettle is a decent clue that your water is on the hard side. I’d try a simple side-by-side before going down the whole rabbit hole.