Water Quality & Brewing Your Coffee

What is Water Quality?
Water quality is a term that refers to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. Water can be contaminated by many things, including dissolved solids (e.g., salts), dissolved gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) and microorganisms (e.g., bacteria).
The importance of water quality in brewing coffee cannot be understated--the type of water you use will affect both your cup quality and taste profile! The following are some factors that can affect your brew:

How Does Water Quality Impact Coffee Brewing?
Water quality is a crucial factor in brewing coffee. The mineral content and pH of your water will affect how well your coffee extracts, which can have a big impact on flavor. If you use hard water for brewing, it's important to know that some minerals (like calcium) will bind with acids during extraction and create bitter flavors in your cup.
For example: if you're using tap water from the Thames Valley--which has very high levels of calcium--you might want to consider using filtered or distilled water instead because these minerals are likely contributing to an overly acidic brew.

What is the Best Water Quality for Brewing Coffee?
The best water for brewing coffee is one that has a neutral pH balance, low mineral content and a temperature of 92-96 degrees Celsius. The pH balance of your tap water can be tested with a simple home test kit purchased from any local hardware store or online retailer. If your tap water has too much acidity or alkalinity, it will affect the taste of your coffee because it will either make it taste bitter or sour.
The mineral content in your tap water also plays an important role in determining its quality as well as how long you should let your grounds steep before pouring yourself a cup of joe! Minerals such as calcium carbonate (which causes scale buildup on faucets) and magnesium sulfate (which causes hard water) can affect the flavor profile by making things bitter or acidic respectively; so if you live in an area where there's lots of these minerals present then consider using filtered/distilled bottled water instead!

How to Test Water Quality?
To test the quality of your water, you can use a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter to measure its mineral content. This tool is relatively inexpensive and easy to use; it will tell you how much calcium and magnesium are in your water as well as other important minerals. You can also buy pH test strips that will tell you whether or not your coffee brewing water has an acidic or alkaline pH balance--this is important because it affects how well extraction happens during brewing. If these tests show that there are high levels of minerals in your water supply, consider buying a filter system so that they don't affect the taste of your coffee!

How to Improve Water Quality for Brewing Coffee?
Filtering. The most effective way to improve the quality of your water is to filter it. The best kind of filter will remove chlorine, chloramines and other chemicals that can affect the taste of your coffee.
Mineral additions. If you don't want to invest in a new filter system, adding minerals back into your water can also be helpful in improving its taste and quality for brewing coffee at home or in a cafe setting where there are many different types of coffees being made at once (and therefore different mineral requirements).
pH adjustment: If you're dealing with hard water then consider using an acidifier like lactic acid or citric acid before brewing your coffee so that it doesn't end up tasting bitter due to alkalinity levels being too high during extraction

What Are the Different Types of Water Filters?
There are three main types of water filters:

Activated carbon filters, which use a substance like charcoal to remove impurities from water. These can be either permanent or portable and are often used in refrigerators and coolers.
Reverse osmosis filters, which use pressure to push the liquid through a semi-permeable membrane that separates out pollutants from the rest of the water (this process is called reverse osmosis). This method is popular because it removes almost all contaminants from your drinking supply without adding any chemicals or minerals back into it.
Distillation filters use heat and evaporation to separate contaminants from liquid by boiling them away into steam before condensing it back into liquid form at room temperature--this means you'll get purer-tasting coffee than with other methods!

What is the Best Water Filter for Coffee Brewing?
The type of filter you use is important because it affects the taste of your coffee. There are many different types of filters, but the two most common are paper and metal mesh.
Paper filters allow more oils to pass through than metal ones do, so they're better for brewing strong, full-bodied coffees. They also tend to be cheaper than metal mesh filters and easier to clean because you can just throw them away when you're done with them.
Metal mesh filters allow less oil through than paper ones do--which means they produce a lighter-bodied brew--and require more frequent cleaning because they need to be washed in hot water before each use (or else they'll get clogged up).

What Are Some Alternatives to Filtering Water?
There are a few ways to improve the quality of your water. Boiling water is one option, but it's not the most convenient. Bottled water can be expensive and may not have the same mineral content as tap water, depending on where you live. Distilled water has been boiled off and then condensed back down into liquid form; this process removes all minerals from the water, so it's not necessarily something you want to drink regularly (or at all).
If you're looking for an easy way to filter out impurities without having to boil or buy bottled beverages every day, consider investing in a filter system.

Tips for Brewing Coffee with Filtered Water
To brew coffee with filtered water, you'll need to adjust your grind size and water temperature.
The best way to do this is by using an electronic scale that measures in grams. The recommended range for coffee grounds is between 7 and 11 grams per 1/2 cup of water (about 100ml). If you don't have a scale, here are some approximate measurements:

Finely ground coffee = 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water
Medium-finely ground coffee = 3 tablespoons per 8 ounces of water
Medium coarsely ground coffee = 4 tablespoons per 10 ounces of water

Conclusion
As you can see, water quality is an important factor in brewing coffee. It's also important to note that filtered water has many benefits beyond just making better tasting coffee. Filtered water is healthier than tap water because it removes chlorine and other chemicals that can be harmful to your body. If you're interested in learning more about the health benefits of filtered water, check out this article.