Search the Community

I was told by the supplier of my new espresso machine that the best water to use is Lidl own brand bottled water. Anybody else use this?

Hi guys, Need some advice please. Will filtered water be enough for my Barista Express or will i be better off getting the bottle water (Ashbeck)? many thanks in advance. Mark.

At work on an offshore rig I got two water options. From tap, which is produced on the rig, and bottled water. The tap water is no good, so I'm using bottled water. I'm not too happy with the water quality though. Brews made with the same beans I use at home tends to be more acidic and overall less great. I brew V60. Is it possible to add something to the bottled water to potentially improve the quality of my brews? I know some people make their own brew water with distilled water and some minerals. If the bottled water is low in minerals or the balance is off somehow, would it be possible to add some minerals to it?

Recently moved from Edinburgh to South London and struggling with a solution for my dual boiler. I don't want to continue buying bottled water due to the plastic waste. Renting so I can't plumb in my own filtration system. I know a Brita filter just doesn't cut it in these 'ard parts. Can't find a shop that sells RO water by the gallon, except expensive high volume delivery services. Was hoping to find a cafe that I could fill up a jug at every 2 weeks or so. Would be happy to buy a coffee at each refill to support the cafe. Haven't had any luck at the places I've visited so far. I appreciate it can be a challenge for them due to plumbing/liability issues. Anyone know a cafe that might help me out, or can suggest a different solution to the problem? Any help much appreciated.

The latest media news reports that micro plastic is being found in bottled water, this is a new ball game for boiler problems beyond limescale :yuk:. Something else in the mix. Jon.

Just bought a new Barista Express and I'm loving it. Getting some really nice consistent shots from it thanks to the great posts on here and some really nice coffeee from Rave. I live in a medium/hard water area and I'm using the stock filters and tap water. Just wondered if if anyone is using bottled water in their Sage Barista or DB?

Hey all, I'm planning on giving bottled water a try in my sage espresso machine for a couple of months. My question is, should I leave the built in water filter in place or is it redundant when using bottled water. I plan on using either ashbeck or volvic. Cheers.

So that suggestions on blends of readily available bottled water are more easily searchable, here's a new thread split away from the general/making water for brewed thread, as that now seems to be concentrating more on making/enhancing water for coffee.http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?21305-Water-for-Coffee For those that just want to pick up one bottle from the supermarket & brew away, then Volvic & Waitrose Essential are pretty good datums (of course, these can be blended with each other too). Currently liking: 1 part Strathmore to 2 parts Glaceau to 3 parts Volvic. 2 parts Harrogate to 3 parts Glaceau. A/B'd these 2 and really couldn't tell a difference. (Red figs highlighted in yellow are estimated). [/url]

I live in a very hard water area - TDS of 312 when measured just now with a TDS meter. That level of water hardness would kill an espresso machine without very regular - too regular - descaling. I've been using different makes of bottled water - Volvic (TDS of about 110) and I've settled on Asda Eden Falls which has a TDS of about 80. I've measured and confirmed the label TDS measurements with a TDS meter. A TDS of 80 is not soft and will lead to scale build up although with gentle descaling (? citric acid) I'm hoping its not too bad. I'm putting the bottled water through a Brita jug filter and I can get the TDS down from 80 to 74 by doing that. It's such a small amount that it's hardly worth doing. Oddly, the Brita filter can remove about 100 TDS from the tap water to bring it down to about 210 TDS but it has much less of an impact on the bottled water and can even increase the TDS of some types of bottled water (I assume it's something to do with potassium but I'm completely ignorant on these things). Question is - if I don't want to use an artificial water softener (and I really don't), what's the best way of getting not too hard water for use in a heat exchanger espresso machine? I want to get a decent balance between taste and the need for descaling and I don't want to spend too much money on a solution. Asda Eden Falls works out at less than half the cost of Volvic so it may be my best option given that there's no way I can use tap water with a TDS of 312 (or even 210 after a Brita filter has done its thing). The other thing is that when I have briefly tried using hard water tap water (as an experiment) the coffee really did taste far superior to softer water coffee

Only recently, after a few misadventures with an Aqua Optima filter, have I realised the need to fill my Fracino Cherub with bottled water. Most of the talk on the forum seems to be about Volvic or Tesco Ashbeck (which I can't find here in Wales - just a locally-branded Tesco own brand alternative). However, what about Asda's offering? As I understand it, the critical variables for reducing scale are calcium and dry residue. Asda's own brand seems better than Volvic or any others I've seen in that regard - calcium is only 13mg per litre and dry residue 92mg. Is this the best bottled water for espresso?

Note from risky: This thread is for discussion of making water for coffee. It's a bit 'sciency'. If you'd rather just mix bottled water you can find on the shelves of your local supermarket, please join this discussion. Volvic is terrible*. Just saying *Literally cant use this for filter coffee anymore, would rather go without !

Flojet (BW2000A) BOTTLE WATER DISPENSING for sale, in very good condition. £40 + £6 postage or cash on collection

I was just giving my Duo temp pro a spring clean and I wondered if anyone had tried theirs without the filter, and if so, did they, you, get any more pressure through the head? I always use bottled water, because what comes out of our tap tastes awful, so maybe the filter is overkill? All comments or experiences very welcome.

Just an update on relevant TDS on frequently mentioned bottled waters. VOLVIC TDS. 90. ASHBECK TDS. 53. WAITROSE ESSENTIAL . STRETTON HILLS. TDS. 75.