the major ingredient

Water quality can have a dramatic effect on the resulting taste.

When you consider that a cup of coffee is mostly water it should be obvious that the quality of the water you use to make your coffee can have a dramatic affect on the taste of the resulting brew.

The ideal water to use should be clean and fresh and be without chlorination. If your tap water is naturally soft and tastes good at room temperature, chance are it will be alright to brew coffee with otherwise purified waters are the safest way to make the very best of brews. The water used should not have been artificially softened since this may result in removal of the salts and minerals necessary for the water to extract the flavour at the right rate. Water that has already been boiled should also not be used. The temperature of the water is another critical factor in the brewing process. In order to extract the full range of flavours from your favourite coffee the water should be around 90°-96°C (194°-205°F) or just off boiling for most processes.