Bagpu55 - Im on the same boat as you. However, unless you have it side by side, you’ll find very hard to be able to tell the difference. Saying that, I remember when I started using the distiller (I went from Ashbeck to Distilled water) and I immediately noticed that my coffee was very “bright”. And then I remember speaking to Dave about it, and he said that our tastebuds get used to new tastes very easily. And he was right.

However, try this:

  • Brew a Moka Pot, or Aeropress, or whatever else that’s not espresso with the water you use in your espresso machine;
  • Use Volvic, or Tesco Ashbeck, or Waitrose Essentials (Lockhills?) (stuff that people put into their machines) and then try something different, like Evian.

It’s a very good way of asserting what difference water makes when brewing.

    6 months later

    Ro-Ro The man says 100ml shoots into the grouphead in minute 6 and five seconds!

    It’s a lever, that’s how they work. You need around 50-60 ml to make an espresso. If your water is expensive, then you need to consider different machines. I mean that’s why you’re here (not to advertise water I hope)? What machine have you got at the moment.

    Contact me

      13 days later

      Which one is a good bottled water to use in the UK?

      My question echoes erkals.

      Some of us for a multitude of reasons I’m sure only use either tap water or bottled water. So, whilst I know there are many brands out there, which if any of the bottled waters people on here have used would be the lesser of evils for our machines?

      In my Sage I have only ever used Waitrose own (Lockhills?) and in the past in my Gaggia have used Tesco’s Ashbeck basically because those were mentioned on the forum.

      • MWJB replied to this.

        It’s my understanding that 50/50 Ashbeck and Volvic is about the perfect mix 🤔

        Volvic is too high in something to use exclusively.

        Happy to be corrected though 🫣

        • MWJB replied to this.

          Couple of cut and pastes from a coffee forum in a previous life …


            Waitforme Ashbeck has increased in alkalinity since that recommendation, no harm in Volvic with it to reduce Volvic’s hardness & alkalinity, but seems an expensive way to go.

              a month later

              So have I understood correctly? If I’m using Ashbeck in my Elizabeth, shall I still continue replacing the tank water filter as well, or is that not necessary anymore?

              a year later

              erkal Ashbeck at 46mg/L bicarbonate is fine, check the label.


                This is Ashbeck that I bought about a week ago

                I used to use Tesco’s Ashbeck as it was recommended on here and then someone mentioned Waitrose bottled water, so I thought I would give that a go and have been using it ever since. But, as you posted the picture of the Ashbeck minerals, I thought out of interest I would see what the difference was against Waitrose water. The result?…. Not a thing. Every mineral content is exactly the same. So, as I have been having to travel 13 miles to go to Waitrose and only a mile and a quarter to Tesco, I think I will be going back to Ashbeck.

                  Both Tesco Ashbeck & Waitrose Essentials Lockhills are Cumbrian water from Armathwaite. At some point in the past it was softer/lower pH/lower alkalinity.

                  It’s definitely a more recent thing, they weren’t always the same

                  Lockhills same as Ashbeck I think

                  I found this one from Sainsbury’s preferable to Ashbeck for espresso.

                  Flair 58, Mahlkonig EK43, Kinu M47, 1zpresso ZP6.

                    JimmyP - you have a Flair - so you should be good. I wouldn’t put that into the boiler of my coffee machine. It would be a white rock in no time. 😊

                        Chase Spring is also very high in alkalinity, so tends to mute acidity and make coffee chewier in body, it’s pretty typical of hard UK tap water.