# What water do you use for Pour-Over?



## ckrhodes (Feb 19, 2019)

Just wondering what water everyone uses for a Pour-Over / Filter coffee.

At the minute I've been brewing with a normal kettle in order to get high temps, and have been using tap water all this time. I'd like to step up my pour-overs by using better water but I feel it would be a waste to use so much bottled water every time I make a coffee, which is usually 1 or 2 times a a day.


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

Hi CK. I'm in your neck of the woods 👋

There's several options. Personally I just use a brita filter myself. This suits my lifestyle anyway as we always have brita filtered water in the fridge as we drink a lot of squash in our house.

A higher end option that I've been discussing recently is going for an Osmio. But that appears to be more for machine longevity primarily and taste second.

A more scientific option could be to acquire the 'right' minerals and add them to your water yourself. There are threads about this on here.

Fourth, stick with bottled water.

There may be one or two options I haven't thought of but that's the gist of it. As I haven't got a proper espresso machine and only drink pour over I find that the Brita filter seems to be the most sensible option for me.

Just to ask, if you were to use bottled water wouldn't you measure out (roughly) how much you're using? i.e. you wouldn't do a full kettle if you only needed 250ml right? I haven't used the bottled option mainly for not wanting to use more plastic than I already do.

James Hoffman has done some good videos on water. I found them useful and interesting. @MWJBhas also done some excellent water guide information here.


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## Blue_Cafe (Jun 22, 2020)

Who's to say that bottled water is better than tap?

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/live-healthy/tap-water-vs-bottled-water


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Blue_Cafe said:


> Who's to say that bottled water is better than tap?
> 
> https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/live-healthy/tap-water-vs-bottled-water


 It isn't. You need o specify which water as tap & bottled don't identify specific characteristics of the water. The majority of both will have unsuitable aspects.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Blue_Cafe said:


> Who's to say that bottled water is better than tap?
> 
> https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/live-healthy/tap-water-vs-bottled-water


 If you try the lovely tap water (straight) from the Thames Valley area you'd know why 🙂 - I personally brew with tap water too, but the amount of limescale is nonsense. 🙂


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

Mark beat me to it (although I learned it from him 😂 )

If the OP's water is the same as mine, which it may be as we live fairly close, it's shocking for scale. I've never analysed it though. It's destroyed several things in my house in double quick time, from tap to shower heads etc.


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## Blue_Cafe (Jun 22, 2020)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> If you try the lovely tap water (straight) from the Thames Valley area you'd know why 🙂 - I personally brew with tap water too, but the amount of limescale is nonsense. 🙂


 Ha, yea, its all relative huh. I suppose the high mineral content gives it a good flavour. I find really pure water isn't great tasting.


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## Blue_Cafe (Jun 22, 2020)

Rapid said:


> Mark beat me to it (although I learned it from him 😂 )
> 
> If the OP's water is the same as mine, which it may be as we live fairly close, it's shocking for scale. I've never analysed it though. It's destroyed several things in my house in double quick time, from tap to shower heads etc.


 I have a water hardness of 0.

Its quite something seeing a 15 year old kettle as unsullied as the day it was born lol.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

Rapid said:


> Personally I just use a brita filter myself.


 not good enough to prevent limescale here - ok for pour over though



Rapid said:


> brita filtered water in the fridge


 do you boil fridge cold water?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ckrhodes said:


> Just wondering what water everyone uses for a Pour-Over / Filter coffee.
> 
> At the minute I've been brewing with a normal kettle in order to get high temps, and have been using tap water all this time. I'd like to step up my pour-overs by using better water but I feel it would be a waste to use so much bottled water every time I make a coffee, which is usually 1 or 2 times a a day.


 The most important thing you can do is identify the grind size & pour regime for your most common brew size. This will be the same for whatever water you choose.

If you are going to modify your water there is always a cost in waste.

Generally water with a high alkalinity will attenuate acidity at normal extractions, water with low alkalinity will push acidity at normal extractions.

This week I have used Waitrose Lockhills & (alternative) a mix of tap water & Zerowater to give around 50mg/L Alkalinity. For some brighter coffees stock tap water can be fine (it's what I use if visiting relatives locally, or at work), or lower alkalinity (Voss/Deeside) can help clarity.

First step is to get a KH (alkalinity) drop kit, see what your tap water is. Or, get it from your local water authority.


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## Blue_Cafe (Jun 22, 2020)

MWJB said:


> The most important thing you can do is identify the grind size & pour regime for your most common brew size.


 How do you recommend this to be done?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Blue_Cafe said:


> How do you recommend this to be done?


 Make few brews, exactly the same way, make notes, think about what it is that you don't like about them & refine until you can take an unknown coffee & get a representative cup. E.g. if all your coffee is silty, grind coarser & pour at a slower rate (pulses are good here). If all/most of your coffee is tangy/unripe/weak. Grind finer (but not so fine cups are excessively silty) and/or pour at a slower rate.

Basically, identify that water is your problem, after ensuring that you're not going to continue with the same malfunctions with different water. (Maybe @ckrhodesis better at brewing than I am & apologies for going off-track if so, but if the brew parameters aren't given, then my 1st suspicion is always method).

Water changes the taste, like a different coffee changes the taste, but it doesn't trump the mechanics of making the drink.


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

ZiggyMarley said:


> not good enough to prevent limescale here - ok for pour over though
> 
> do you boil fridge cold water?


 Same here but I only do pour over now days.

2nd point, yes I do.


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## 17845 (Jan 10, 2018)

I have an Osmio so I use RO water in the kettle.


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## ckrhodes (Feb 19, 2019)

Thanks for all the info guys!

I've been experimenting with different methods, and always find my pour-over's to not be a great coffee experience compared to a latte. Compared to instant coffee it's a massive step up, but I feel like I can't taste the flavour notes of the coffee like I can with a latte/espresso. I actually haven't bought a pour-over from anywhere else other than what I've made myself, so I have nothing to compare to haha.

I make 2 drinks almost every day at 30g coffee to 500ml water, as well as rinsing the filter that's probably around 600/700ml water per pour-over. It's not really viable to bulk-buy so much bottled water. I do have a water filter on a plumbed in fridge, and have tried using that a few times but because the filter doesn't soften the water it doesn't make too much of a difference.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ckrhodes said:


> Thanks for all the info guys!
> 
> I've been experimenting with different methods, and always find my pour-over's to not be a great coffee experience compared to a latte. Compared to instant coffee it's a massive step up, but I feel like I can't taste the flavour notes of the coffee like I can with a latte/espresso. I actually haven't bought a pour-over from anywhere else other than what I've made myself, so I have nothing to compare to haha.
> 
> I make 2 drinks almost every day at 30g coffee to 500ml water, as well as rinsing the filter that's probably around 600/700ml water per pour-over. It's not really viable to bulk-buy so much bottled water. I do have a water filter on a plumbed in fridge, and have tried using that a few times but because the filter doesn't soften the water it doesn't make too much of a difference.


 OK, is there any way you can break down what you're actually doing (grind size, brewer, pours, pour timing, total brew time)?

If you are using commonly used white paper filters, drop the rinsing stage, or use tap water to rinse if you have some strange compulsion to continue rinsing.

I'd brew with more coffee to water (34-35:500g) for a start.


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## Stu Beck (May 31, 2020)

Comparing a latte with pour over might not be the best way to figure out if you're making a good brew? It took me a while to adjust to drinking pour over coffee vs milk based drinks!

I'd defo try a v60 from a local cafe and if you like the drink buy a bag of the same beans and see if you can recreate the flavours at home. You might already be making a good brew and if not you're in the right place for advice 😀

If you prefer milk based, I'd suggest using an aeropress to make concentrated coffee (e.g. 18g coffee to 90g water) that can make a tasty latte style drink.


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