How does water affect coffee?
What do you pay attention to when brewing coffee?
Brewing method? Origin of the beans? Roast level and freshness?
While all of these are very important, there's one more thing that's surprisingly often overlooked... and that's water!
This time, I'd like to talk about coffee from a slightly different perspective, focusing on the surprisingly important element of "water"!
Water accounts for about 99% of a cup of coffee. Therefore, the water used to brew coffee determines its taste.
Depending on the water, the taste can be extracted too weakly or too strongly. If you use water that doesn't suit the beans, you might not be able to bring out their deliciousness.
However, conversely, by understanding the properties of water and using it well, you can make coffee that you usually find too acidic more palatable, or maximize the deliciousness of the coffee you're currently drinking!
Just as there are many brands of water at the supermarket, there are various types and contents of water, even when simply referred to as "water."
Let's look at how different types of water affect coffee.
Water has a property called hardness. You've probably heard terms like "soft water" and "hard water." These are determined by the amount of calcium and magnesium contained in the water. According to WHO (World Health Organization) standards, water with a hardness of 120 mg/l or less is considered "soft water," and water with a hardness of 120 mg/l or more is considered "hard water."
Try brewing the same coffee once with soft water and once with hard water!
When brewed with soft water, coffee has a mellow, refreshing, bright, and acidic taste.
When brewed with hard water, it has a strong bitterness and a distinct taste.
There is no absolute answer to the question of whether soft water or hard water is better! It's good to choose water with different hardness depending on your preference.
However, it's easier to change the flavor by altering the roast level or brewing method of the beans, so generally, when brewing coffee, it is recommended to use "soft water" to achieve a smooth and easy-to-drink texture without any peculiar taste.
Have you ever seen "pH~" written on mineral water packages?
This pH represents the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. In other words, it indicates whether the water is acidic or alkaline.
The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with pH 1 being acidic, pH 7 being neutral, and pH 14 being alkaline.
So, what's the difference when you brew coffee with two types of water that have different pH values? The difference will be in the acidity of the coffee.
Remember your science lessons: acids and alkalis neutralize each other. The "quinic acid" that creates coffee's acidity is also neutralized and suppressed when mixed with alkalinity.
Therefore, if the water has a high pH value and is strongly alkaline, its ability to neutralize acid will be stronger, resulting in coffee with suppressed acidity!
In other words, the higher the pH value, the more suppressed the acidity of the coffee will be.
If you find the acidity of your usual coffee a bit too strong, you might enjoy it more if you try brewing it with high pH water.
However, while it's good to change the water to suit your preference, to truly appreciate the original flavor of coffee, it's generally recommended to use neutral water with a pH close to 7.0.
This prevents the coffee's flavor from becoming too flat and lacking acidity, or conversely, having too much harshness.
Looking back, the ideal water for brewing coffee is soft, neutral water.
Among commercially available options, Suntory's "Minami Alps Natural Water," with a hardness of approximately 30 mg/l and a pH of approximately 6.7, is close to the ideal!
For those who think, "But using bottled water every time I brew coffee is a bit much...", don't worry!
Tap water is neutral, and since it's boiled before brewing, you can brew coffee with tap water without any problems.
However, a slight tap water taste might remain, so it would be even better to use water that has passed through a household pitcher-type water filter!
Changing the type of beans or brewing method for the coffee you usually drink is important for improving coffee quality, but if you still can't achieve your ideal taste even after changing the beans or brewing method, try changing the water!
It might change the flavor and perhaps bring you closer to the taste you're looking for.
Brewing method? Origin of the beans? Roast level and freshness?
While all of these are very important, there's one more thing that's surprisingly often overlooked... and that's water!
This time, I'd like to talk about coffee from a slightly different perspective, focusing on the surprisingly important element of "water"!
The Relationship Between Coffee and Water
Water accounts for about 99% of a cup of coffee. Therefore, the water used to brew coffee determines its taste.
Depending on the water, the taste can be extracted too weakly or too strongly. If you use water that doesn't suit the beans, you might not be able to bring out their deliciousness.
However, conversely, by understanding the properties of water and using it well, you can make coffee that you usually find too acidic more palatable, or maximize the deliciousness of the coffee you're currently drinking!
What Kind of Water is Good? Differences by Water Quality
Just as there are many brands of water at the supermarket, there are various types and contents of water, even when simply referred to as "water."
Let's look at how different types of water affect coffee.
Water Hardness
Water has a property called hardness. You've probably heard terms like "soft water" and "hard water." These are determined by the amount of calcium and magnesium contained in the water. According to WHO (World Health Organization) standards, water with a hardness of 120 mg/l or less is considered "soft water," and water with a hardness of 120 mg/l or more is considered "hard water."
Try brewing the same coffee once with soft water and once with hard water!
When brewed with soft water, coffee has a mellow, refreshing, bright, and acidic taste.
When brewed with hard water, it has a strong bitterness and a distinct taste.
There is no absolute answer to the question of whether soft water or hard water is better! It's good to choose water with different hardness depending on your preference.
However, it's easier to change the flavor by altering the roast level or brewing method of the beans, so generally, when brewing coffee, it is recommended to use "soft water" to achieve a smooth and easy-to-drink texture without any peculiar taste.
pH Value
Have you ever seen "pH~" written on mineral water packages?
This pH represents the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. In other words, it indicates whether the water is acidic or alkaline.
The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with pH 1 being acidic, pH 7 being neutral, and pH 14 being alkaline.
So, what's the difference when you brew coffee with two types of water that have different pH values? The difference will be in the acidity of the coffee.
Remember your science lessons: acids and alkalis neutralize each other. The "quinic acid" that creates coffee's acidity is also neutralized and suppressed when mixed with alkalinity.
Therefore, if the water has a high pH value and is strongly alkaline, its ability to neutralize acid will be stronger, resulting in coffee with suppressed acidity!
In other words, the higher the pH value, the more suppressed the acidity of the coffee will be.
If you find the acidity of your usual coffee a bit too strong, you might enjoy it more if you try brewing it with high pH water.
However, while it's good to change the water to suit your preference, to truly appreciate the original flavor of coffee, it's generally recommended to use neutral water with a pH close to 7.0.
This prevents the coffee's flavor from becoming too flat and lacking acidity, or conversely, having too much harshness.
Prepare Water Suitable for Coffee
Looking back, the ideal water for brewing coffee is soft, neutral water.
Among commercially available options, Suntory's "Minami Alps Natural Water," with a hardness of approximately 30 mg/l and a pH of approximately 6.7, is close to the ideal!
For those who think, "But using bottled water every time I brew coffee is a bit much...", don't worry!
Tap water is neutral, and since it's boiled before brewing, you can brew coffee with tap water without any problems.
However, a slight tap water taste might remain, so it would be even better to use water that has passed through a household pitcher-type water filter!
Changing the type of beans or brewing method for the coffee you usually drink is important for improving coffee quality, but if you still can't achieve your ideal taste even after changing the beans or brewing method, try changing the water!
It might change the flavor and perhaps bring you closer to the taste you're looking for.