Which is Better for Coffee: Soft or Hard Water?

Are you among the 79% of Americans who prefer to prepare their coffee at home versus buying a cup of joe every day? We don’t blame you; buying coffee out can be an expensive habit, especially if you like flavored lattes. If you like to brew coffee at home every morning, then you likely want to make a tasty cup that rivals your local craft coffee shop. That means educating yourself on different types of roasts, the various origins of coffee beans, and the best way to prepare it to your taste. We can help! As water treatment experts, we know a thing or two about how your home’s water can affect the taste and quality of your coffee. Read on for our top advice on which type of water to use when brewing your morning cup: soft or hard water.

Soft vs. Hard Water

Before we dive into the effects of using soft and hard water for coffee preparation, let’s first quickly define what differentiates soft and hard water: minerals and pH levels. Hard water contains minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which gives it a “hard” feeling and a somewhat minerally taste. Soft water, on the other hand, has those minerals removed, resulting in that silky smooth feeling and a more tasteless water. The presence of minerals affects the water’s pH levels; hard water is usually higher in pH and soft water is usually lower in pH. That’s because the water’s mineral content reduces the acidity of the water, making it more alkaline, resulting in a higher pH level.

Which is Better for Coffee?

Now that you have a base understanding of soft and hard water, let’s talk about how this affects your coffee. It should go without saying that the cleaner-tasting water you use to brew your coffee, the better testing it will be. So, while hard water isn’t dangerous to drink, it can definitely affect the final taste of your morning cup of joe. Consider the metallic-y taste of hard water on its own. While the flavor of the coffee beans might mask that, it’s certainly still there, affecting your coffee’s flavor underneath.

The best water to use when brewing coffee for a great-tasting cup is filtered soft water with as low a mineral content as possible. Using soft water, which is usually tasteless, will allow the flavor of your chosen coffee beans to shine instead of being muted by the dull flavor of hard water containing minerals. Additionally, hard water can cause mineral buildup in pipes and water-using appliances, including your coffee/espresso machine. This buildup can reduce your machine’s effectiveness and lifespan—something that owners of expensive espresso machines definitely want to avoid!

Soft Water for Your Morning Coffee

Have you been using hard water to make coffee at your home, and are you interested in upgrading your cup to taste much better by using soft water? If so, contact us at Miami Water & Air to have a whole-home water softener system installed at your residence. When you reach out to us, we’ll schedule a free water test at your home to help determine exactly which of our water treatment systems are right for you. Get in touch today for better coffee at home tomorrow!