dutchy101 I’m also plagued with London water and looking at a zero jug as temporary measure until softened and RO fitted.

30l just into the Minima would last me a long time. How other so you replace the filter?

    I’ve had the machine 2 months now and I’ve filtered 15l of zero water on my 2nd filter since getting the machine (will be making up a further 5l today and this will leave me with 2 × 5l of water ready to use in the Minima).

    From memory I think the first filter made me 30 - 35l of zero water, but I am keeping tabs ths time around.

    I performed a service boiler drain at 6 weeks which drew out 1.4l. The alkalinity levels were a little on the high side in the water I tested after draining the service boiler (it had doubled), which I was a little perplexed by. I’m going to test the water again today after 2 weeks to see what the state of play is after 2 weeks

      Thanks. That’s a lot of water in 2 months!

      I’m thinking I use 5l a week So hoping I can leave the filter in for a few months. Looks like Zero say they don’t get bacterial growth like Brita can.

        simonc That’s a lot of water in 2 months!

        It seems like it, but a lot of the water is used for warming cups before shots, cleaning the group, which I do after each shot and backflusing every day etc. I also draw a cup of water for a cup of tea most days

            dutchy101 Good point.. I am a bit tight with my water at the moment as its bought (although more plastic issue than cost) and I have a quooker so use that for warming cups, rinsing portafilter etc and tea. But yes I would probably run more if the water was more readily available and once have taste tested more espressos and got better dialled in I might start drinking some more long blacks, or even go back to an afternoon v60 with this water.

              Yeah, when I consider that prior to buying the machine, I was using Tesco Ashbeck water which was £1.25 for 5l, a filter on the zero is probably costing me about double the price of the Ashbeck, but at the same time, I’m not using a filter in the machine as I was with the Bambino and the water I’m using will be better for the machine too.

              In a couple more months, I should have my Skuma unit (provided it comes as per the delivery schedule), so the Zero was always a stop-gap which enabled me to get the machine I wanted when I wanted it. Put it this way, £12.50 wouldn’t get me 2 pints in the pub after work, so if it does me a month or so for water in my machine, which I use every day, it’s not too bad!

                dutchy101 Do you mind me asking what swayed you to go with the Skuma and not the Osmio zero, It’s something that I have been looking at as an option.

                    I’m wondering on size and looking at the 2.8 jug Vs the larger squarer one with the tap. Either they are the same size and W,L,D are round the wrong way or the dimensions of the 4.7l don’t match the picture.

                    They appear to be not much difference in size, with the squarer one more efficient in its footprint. I’m tempted to go with that one as it will live in a cupboard and only used for this. But concerned if it turns out to be much bigger than I expect.

                    Any ideas?

                    2.8L

                    Dimensions (L x W x H): 29.5 × 15 × 28 cm

                    4.7L

                    Dimensions (L x W x H): 29.6 × 27 × 14.2 cm

                    Meldrew

                    Not at all. There were a few reasons

                    1. It came up as a kickstarter a few months ago and I got it for a steal compared to the full price of the Osmio (provided it still materialises of course)
                    1. At the time I had won a few quid on sone very profitable football bets and I was buying this as a pre-cursor to moving on the Sage Bambino that I had at the time and getting a Minima that needed RO water.
                    2. I liked the unique concept of the remineralised water that the unit offers having the option to be able to choose different mineral compositions whilst still being able to take pure RO water as and when required
                      19 days later

                      dutchy101 From memory I think the first filter made me 30 - 35l of zero water, but I am keeping tabs this time around.

                      So I’m on my 2nd filter and the TDS reading in the zero water has gone up to 2 from 0 after filtering 30 litres of water, so my previous recollection was about right. Using the TDS reader in my tap water, it is reading north of 400 at the moment. The Britta filtered water is around 250 so presumably there could be some benefit to filtering the Brita filtered water through the zero jug in terms of getting more from the zero filter, but since I have 3 more filters left, plus approximately 9 litres of remineralised water sitting ready to go and I am expecting my Skuma unit in June, I think I’ll just crack on as I am.

                      Each filter is lasting me about 6 weeks for water for the Minima, so I’m going through about 5 litres a week.

                          dutchy101 That’s good news. I imagine my water is similar for TDS, being just outside London and I use around 5 litres, maybe a bit more if I pull hot water for occasional long blacks from the Minima rather than the quoker.

                          My decision now is on the traditional jug or the squarer dispensers with the tap at the bottom that can do more in one go.

                            I guess it comes down to the space you have available. I’m using the 2.8L jug and it doesn’t take too long to filter the water for my needs. I tend to leave the jug full in the fridge so it only takes one refill on top at the time I want to make up a 5l batch of water for my machine.

                            3 months later

                            Lakeland have started selling them too. I was intrigued to find the TDS readout from the Zero gizmo for tap water was exactly what my water company said at 208, the Tesco water was 83 though I was expecting slightly under 60 based on the 2.5 x and 4 x calculation.

                            • MWJB replied to this.

                              ZeroWater have 20% off all jugs & dispensers at the moment. They’re also doing an offer for a 6-cup jug & 3 filters for £35. Considering if you buy 3-filters on their own from them it will cost you £43. That’s quite an offer.

                              Zero Jug Offer

                              SurreyAlan Lakeland have started selling them too. I was intrigued to find the TDS readout from the Zero gizmo for tap water was exactly what my water company said at 208, the Tesco water was 83 though I was expecting slightly under 60 based on the 2.5 x and 4 x calculation.

                              The x2.5 and x4 calculation only gives you total hardness, if there’s other stuff in the water (usually is) then that will be in addition to calcium & magnesium ions. Water companies rarely give TDS as ppm, or mg/l dry residue, more often they give conductivity, which can be based on a couple of different scales & you need to know which one the meter uses.

                                14 days later

                                Question for zero water filter users: I’m thinking of buying one of those giving the cost of electricity going up and distilling becoming rather expensive. My usage is low, approx. 2 litres a week. My water is hard so I’m trying to maximise the effectiveness and life of the filter.

                                If I were to draw the whole jug of water every week, would you keep the jug empty in between or keep it always full? If always full, would I then be using water that’s always at least a week old and sitting in the jug?

                                  MediumRoastSteam I’d keep it empty - in fact, I’d unscrew the filter, shake it as dry as possible and pack it in cling film and store it in the fridge, if you plan to use it only once a week.

                                  It takes about 15 minutes to filter 2 litres of water, so it’s no problem to have it ‘empty’ (BTW, the water will then sit for ‘up to a week’ in your coffee machine, but that is clearly not a problem either, since you seem to be doing that with distilled water today).

                                  Life of the filter is - I understand - totally dependent on water hardness; each filter contains ion-stripping resins for 18,000 mg/CaCO3 equivalent. This may sound a lot, but with water in “our” areas in the South-East we are looking at 40-60 litres/filter.

                                      CoyoteOldMan - thank you. I was aiming for 30L as life expectancy, so that’s within the acceptable parameters.

                                      If I do what you suggest… is the filter like a Britta one where you have to soak and “prime it” before you use it or can you just filter it through straight away?