The Invisible Ingredient: Reverse Osmosis for Espresso
2023-09-10 5 min readBy Technical Team
Contents
- 98% of Your Beverage
- Protecting the Machine
- The Flavor Profile
98% of Your Beverage
A cup of coffee is roughly 98% water. If you are buying $20/kg specialty beans but running them through chlorinated tap water, you are throwing money away. #Protecting the Machine
Beyond flavor, water filtration is an insurance policy. Scale build-up is the number one cause of espresso machine failure. A commercial Reverse Osmosis (RO) system strips the water down to 0 TDS, and then a blending valve re-introduces just enough minerals to extract the coffee properly. #The Flavor Profile
Properly mineralized water acts as a solvent, pulling the sweet and acidic compounds out of the roasted coffee. Too soft, and the coffee tastes flat. Too hard, and the coffee tastes chalky and muted.Technical FAQ
Why is tap water bad for espresso machines?
Tap water often contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, which turn into scale when heated, eventually clogging the machine's narrow restrictors.
What is TDS?
Total Dissolved Solids. For coffee, a TDS between 75-150 ppm is ideal for extracting flavor without causing excessive scale build-up.
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