What brands of water are best for coffee? Is Ice Mountain suitable?

[Axmann8]

Recently, I've been so worried about the type of water I use for my coffee. When I use our jug water we get at the store (it goes through reverse osmosis and everything), the coffee seems to taste sour and not worth drinking.

We recently bought a bunch of 1-gallon jugs of Ice Mountain water, and I read that bottled water is much better to use for coffee because it actually contains minerals necessary to prevent overextraction.

Does anyone else here use Ice Mountain water in their coffee, and know if it is a suitable water for it?

 

[CCafe]

RO water without mineral buffering will always taste bad. If your going to use bottled water, drink a bottle first. If you like the taste then its most likely going to produce a good coffee. Water that has any type of taste that you don't like won't produce good coffee period. Its just that simple.

Now more over to the point a lot of bottle water just happens to be slightly more filtered then the stuff that comes out of the tap. I've been to a few bottling companies that call there water some sort of mineral or spring water when in fact its the local cities tap water ran through a higher end filtration system.

Anyone can have that type of quality it just requires a little more investment. I would say get a prefilter down to 10 microns followed by a carbon block/filter medium that runs down to .5 to 1 micron would be suffice.

 

[NolanBrian]

I agree and thanks for the post

 

[Axmann8]

Well, I have something to report... The Ice Mountain water is flowing through my Bunn coffee maker now, and it's still too sour/acidic for my liking. It doesn't taste like this when I run it through the tap. Maybe I should mix in tap water with the bottled water? The reason I don't use pure tap water is because it doesn't get enough of a clean taste, and I can still tell it's tap. But at least it doesn't taste sour like this.

Could it be the coffee I'm using? I'm using 100% Columbian Maxwell House (Yes, I know), but I've never had this problem with lesser brands like Folders or Maxwell House before. But, with this latest canister, I haven't been able to make a single good-tasting cup.

 

[curious]

i have big RO machinery in my company and i dont recommend it for drinking.
its just to clean eg no minerals .
some RO also have an anionic/kationic exchanger which changes also the Ph of water.
in europe eg there where many tests that tap water is cleaner ,better than mineralwater.
however if your tapwater has a small chlor fume/taste dont use it.
a filter of 1 micron is good and cheap.

 

[andyrodgers]

RO water without mineral buffering will always taste bad. If your going to use bottled water, drink a bottle first. If you like the taste then its most likely going to produce a good coffee. Water that has any type of taste that you don't like won't produce good coffee period. Its just that simple.

Now more over to the point a lot of bottle water just happens to be slightly more filtered then the stuff that comes out of the tap. I've been to a few bottling companies that call there water some sort of mineral or spring water when in fact its the local cities tap water ran through a higher end filtration system.

Anyone can have that type of quality it just requires a little more investment. I would say get a prefilter down to 10 microns followed by a carbon block/filter medium that runs down to .5 to 1 micron would be suffice.

very nicely explained , thanks for guidance

 

[eldub]

I really doubt the water is making your coffee come out sour.

Btw, we prefer Neenah Springs Artesian.

lw

 

[MarkPer]

Hello Community,


A cup of coffee is mostly water. The coffee dominates the flavor, but the effects of the taste, mineral content and acidity of the underlying water can make a big difference to how much you enjoy your cup of coffee. Ideally the clean drinking water you use to make your coffee should be neutral in acidity and taste, and be naturally fresh and aerated. Normal tap drinking water is usually fine to use to make your coffee, and it is a taste that you will be accustomed to. However, the properties of the drinking water you get from your tap do vary widely depending on where you are. You may prefer to filter the water you use for your coffee making. The desirable taste of coffee is slightly acidic, or for it to have some "verve" or life on your tongue. Tap water that is strongly alkaline rather than neutral, such as in limestone regions, can detract from this sensation. One solution is to compromise and use a lighter roast that may not seem so flat. You may prefer instead to use a bottled drinking water to make a better tasting cup of coffee than the cup you will get using very alkaline tap water.


Best Regards,
Mark Per

 

[ppkgan]

So what about distilled water without minerals? I would think that pure unadulterated water would give you a purer result. Not that I use it here but just thinking when reading.

 

[graydog]

I have a distiller and prefer coffee made with it. I have found the bitter taste comes from running too much hot water through the coffee grounds. I fill the Mr Coffee glass pot with 12 cups of water, pour only 1/2 of it into the coffee maker, leave the other half in the pot. Turn the machine off when it finishes. It stays good for a half day or more. Re-heat a cup in microwave for 60 seconds.

 

[IDrinkPurelyCoffee]

I would double check everything in the list not just the water. It could be the coffee maker needs cleaned, it could be the coffee beans are now different. Coffee prices have been going up recently, so Maxwell House may have changed the blend to keep the price reasonable. You won't know until you cross each item of the list:

1. water quality
2. coffee (grind) & type of coffee
3. coffee maker condition
4. storage conditions (is it stored too long?)

So start with the coffee maker: and make the coffee the way you usually do, then compare it with coffee made in french press, say. There will be differences, but if you detect the sour notes in the coffee pot but not in the French press, it could be the coffee maker is overheating the water or needs cleaned.

If no luck, try brewing different coffee in the pot, and see how it comes out. Is it just that blend of coffee that tastes sour? Or do others taste sour.

Just be methodical, until you find the culprit.

Kenneth