There are two ingredients in a great cup of coffee- water and coffee. We take all of this time to discuss where the coffee beans come from, what is the best roast, and the flavor. But, no time thinking about the water we use to prepare our precious cup of joe. What is the best water to use in a Keurig® coffee maker? Water makes up 98% of every wonderful brew. So we thought we would take a little time to discuss what is the best type of water to use for taste and longevity of your Keurig® brewer.
The most common concern when it comes to the water from your tap is hardness. If you have hard water it contains a high amount of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and chloride. These minerals can reek havoc on your plumbing, dishes, laundry and showers by depositing scale or lime. The same applies to your Keurig® brewer. Minerals pass through your brewer leaving their trail of scale and lime deposits. Over time this will reduce the efficiency of your unit and alter the taste of your coffee.
Most people with hard water use a water softener. Soft water is much easier on plumbing and even becomes more compatible with soap making washing more efficient. Problem solved, right? Not when it comes to your Keurig®. Softened water contains sodium ions that will form around coffee grinds and tea leaves making them less penetrable. This will slow down the extraction process, causing over extraction. Over extraction makes your coffee and tea taste bad and clogs your coffee maker.
