Water is of the utmost importance when preparing a good coffee with a great aroma, body and flavor. Even so, many times the properties of the water we use are not taken into account. Next, we are going to discover what water hardness is, why it is so important and how we can measure it to prepare an ideal cup of coffee.
The hardness of water in coffee
The hardness of water refers to the concentration of calcium and magnesium found in it. It can be expressed in different units, but the most common is in the concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per milligrams of liters of water.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we can classify the degrees of hardness of water into four groups, according to their calcium carbonate concentration.
Soft water: Less than 60mg / l CaCO3
Semi-hard water: Between 61mg / l and 120mg / l CaCO3
Hard water: Between 121mg / l and 180mg / l CaCO3
Very hard water: More than 181mg / l CaCO3
According to the Association of Specialty Coffee SCA , the hardness level of the water to prepare a cup of coffee should be between 17 and 85mg per liter. We would be talking about soft waters.
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Water and coffee
Measuring water hardness before making coffee is a breeze with the water hardness test strips . You just have to remove the strip from its packaging, dip the four squares in a glass of fresh water for a few seconds, remove and wait a minute. dogs that look like bears
Next, look at how many squares have changed color. Depending on the number of red squares, the hardness of the water will be higher or lower:
One square: Soft water
Two squares: Semi-hard water
Three squares: Hard water
Four squares: Very hard water
If the water hardness test strips indicate medium or hard water, we recommend using the De'Longhi water filter . By reducing limescale build-up in the coffee machine, we ensure a good operation of the coffee machine and preserve the natural aroma and flavor of the coffee. The water filter enhances the taste of hard or medium water, to ensure that you use the best water to prepare your coffee.
As we have commented previously, the best water to prepare a great coffee is soft water, since it is the one that will interfere the least in the taste of the coffee.