I’m still toying with the idea of getting a machine to go alongside my La Pavoni Europiccola, something that requires a little less input from me to get a good cup of coffee. The thing that’s been on my mind these last few days is water quality and what I should be using. After looking at some of the water requirements from Rancilio and Lelit it seems that my tap water is not too far from the mark. I downloaded my local water info and have ordered a TDS test from Ebay. Is anyone able to offer any advice from the data in the link?

Average alkalinity is a little bit low but not terribly so. Other than that it’s fine, still things in there you don’t want like chlorine and aluminium (and traces of other things). A charcoal filter will at least help with the former. Not sure what you intend to do with the TDS meter, check it for consistency to see if it falls around min/max TDS as a way of approximating where all the other things might be? Probably won’t be too successful at that.

    Rob1 still things in there you don’t want like chlorine and aluminium (and traces of other things

    So I’m guessing that something like a Brita filter would be helpful?

      Not sure. If Brita is just a carbon filer then yes, you don’t want a softener really. Not that it would hurt but you’d increase sodium and lower hardness and you really don’t need to.

      On the Brita site it lists 3 elements of filtration:

      Superfine mesh retains coarse particles coming from pipes.

      Powerful Ion Exchange pearls block limescale build up, soften the water, help to protect appliances, reduce metals like lead and copper that might occur in old pipes.

      MicroCarbon pearls made from coconut shells lock away chlorine and other odour impairing substances in its millions of pores, deliver pure and fresh taste.

      Do you have space to set something like an ro filter setup?

      As good as your water can be there will always be stuff in it you dont want,

      A basic RO system can be had for less than 100, and rodi will be the perfect base to add minerals too

      Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

        Cuprajake Do you have space to set something like an ro filter setup?

        There is probably space, but it’s not my house!

          Even better, no bill haha

          Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

          Just watched a video by Mark at Whole Latte Love. He states that using a BWT filter jug means that you would never need to descale your espresso machine.

            Flat_Eric - ask him to move to London and report back after a couple of weeks 😉

            What I’m saying is that all is relative. Put some soft/moderate hard water through and most likely it will do a good job for 4 weeks.

            Put some hard/very hard water through and you’d be lucky if the filter lasts 1.5 weeks under normal usage. If you have one , you can easily monitor the water TDS on a daily basis and check when it starts to fail.

                MediumRoastSteam Four weeks is exactly how long the filter lasts. I live in a soft water area and my water quality is very close (but not exactly) to what is specified by Rancilio and Lelit. Therefore I’m thinking that if I monitor the TDS I could use my tap water in whatever machine I decide to purchase. I’m thinking that the addition of a Brita or a BWT filter jug would be an additional safeguard.

                  Flat_Eric I live in a very soft water area & tried the BWT Jug using the Magnesium cartridges with a view to increasing the mineral content of my water. After 3-weeks I stopped using it as it’s the only time I’ve had the vac-relief valve on my machine stop closing properly & I had to clean it. It was coated with a fine white residue, though it did just wipe off.

                  I’ve also used the Brita filters (The cartridges are interchangeable with the BWT) & I still do for drinking water as they remove the chlorine they like to add in abundance here. Though I have found they also reduce the pH of the water a little

                  I’ve started using a Zero jug for my coffee & mineralising it myself, which is now my preferred method.

                  To put the softness of my tap water into perspective. I started using the Zero jug at the beginning of December & 3+ months later I’m still on the same filter with the TDS on the supplied meter still reading 000. (It’s not broken I’ve checked 😉)

                  I did read a tip somewhere about extending the life of your Zero cartridge if you also have a Brita jug by running your tap water through the ‘relatively’ less expensive Brita filter first before running it through the Zero jug so you’re putting less rubbish through the Zero filter

                    I have been experimenting my own ‘no-cost’ water treatment approach (water purists you might want to stop reading here for your own sake!).

                    I live in a hard water area and I already own a Brita jug for other reasons. I have tested that a brand new filter is capable of producing at least 20 liters of softened water (from 300+ ppm to 70ppm). After this, the filter starts declining and goes above 150+ppm. So at the beginning of the month and before using the jug for any other reason I stockpile 15-20 liters of filtered water that I will use through the month.

                    I have been using this approach for more than 3 months and I still have zero traces of scale in the mushroom.

                    Time will tell if this is going to work in the long term!

                    8 days later

                    Today I was wandering around Wilkinsons looking for various things and I spotted a Brita Filter Jug with filter reduced to £12. It appeared to be the only one left so it was a no brainer for me, I can try a few tests with it and see what it’s like. Watch this space!

                    I’m in a hard water North London area. Been using a BWT Magnesium filter. I started using them for six weeks, than moved it back to four weeks.

                    Is there a more scientific way to know when it’s time to change up? I downloaded my Thames Water report, but it’s a brain frying list of numbers … what am I looking to measure?