GoKawiilThere is no shortage of tweaks you can make, even without extensive barista training, to nudge your coffee toward professional-level quality. As the thing that happens at the start of the day for most of us, and perhaps several times a day more (depending on caffeine addiction), why wouldn't you want your coffee to be absolutely on point? It's about tone-setting, in addition to basic, mandatory caffeination.
If you're doing everything else you can: buying freshly roasted and locally sourced beans, grinding accordingly, minding your brewing ratios and using the best method for brewing, and your coffee still isn't passing the vibe check, what more could possibly be done?
Well, you might have to go back to the other major source in your coffee game: the water. I spoke with Jose Lepe, Director of Sourcing and Quality Control for Sightglass Coffee, about how what goes into the reservoir or kettle affects your coffee outcome as much as, if not more than, what goes into the grinder.
How water affects coffee flavor
Most aromas, metals and naturally occurring flavorants aren't removed from water simply by boiling. Chris Monroe/CNET
Whatever you smell or taste in your tap water isn't boiled out during coffee brewing, and your dark roast isn't necessarily robust enough to compensate for off-tasting water. "There are different things in municipal water supplies that have some aroma," says Lepe. "So you should filter your water mainly to get rid of off-flavors and smells." A metallic tang, mustiness or hints of chlorine or other chemical flavors, even if slight, could be a sign that it's time to try filtered water for your coffee.
You should filter your water mainly to get rid of off-flavors and smells. Jose Lepe, Director of Sourcing and Quality Control for SightGlass Coffee
Not everyone necessarily has to do this, though, if your tap water tastes neutral or clean. "A lot of the best coffee cities in the U.S. -- Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, New York -- all of those places have amazing water," says Lepe, "so if you make coffee with it, it's gonna taste pretty good."
If you live somewhere with great tap water and you still aren't satisfied with your coffee, you might have to go back to the drawing board on beans/grind/process/ratio/temperature. But if this is resonating with you so far and you live somewhere with less-than-ideal tap water, read on.
Equipment considerations with water
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