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Contact this writerThe water where I live is larded with lime and other chemicals, plus city-added chlorine. Besides not being healthy, the water simply does not taste or smell good. Using a filter removes a great many of the chemicals and the bad tastes and smells. Coffee and teas both taste and pour as clearly as they should.
EVERYTHING tastes better with filtered water, even in cooking. Definitely use it on house plants; the difference in the foliage is amazing.
In addition, not only does filtered water improve the taste of coffee and tea, but the simple taste of water, itself. For truly good health, drink water comparative to 60% of your body weight every day. And that should be water, not coffee, tea, Kool-Aid type drinks or other soft drinks. Add a bit of lemon to your water if you dislike plain water. Lemon also is good for you and helps balance your digestive system. Limes are good, too, for a spicier, different flavor.
The best way to work yourself onto a water drinking schedule is to have at least one eight-ounce glass before grabbing for that first cup of coffee or cup of tea. Carry a big container of ice water to work with you and drink it before your first coffee or tea break. Make a habit of drinking a glass of water after meals (preferably warm; it's better for digestion) before you have your coffee or tea.
None of us want to give up the comforts of coffee and tea or other favorite flavored drink, but we can (should) work plenty of water into our days, too.
As far as filtering systems go, I don't like the taste of soft water so I don't have a whole-house system (soft water is great for washing and bathing; saves enough soap in a hard-water area to pay for itself). I had poor luck with grandkids breaking the faucet filters. I may go back to one of those in the kitchen now that they are older and understand how to handle things better. In the meantime, I use a large Brita pitcher in my kitchen with small ones in the bathrooms. Once you get used to the taste of filtered water, even toothbrush and rinse water does not taste right with straight tap water. There are good brands of filter pitchers and systems other than Brita, but I started back when Brita was about the only one around. I'm satisfied with is so I stick with it.
I also keep bottled water in the refrigerator for guests who prefer cold water (I prefer mine at room temperature except in iced tea since warm drinks really are better for digestion) and when I have to take water with me on drives or to doctor's appointments. Some places have filters on their drinking fountains, others do not. One thing I recently read about bottled water, though, is that one never should freeze any plastic-container drink (which I previously did in order to have a fast cold drink or one that would thaw out at a ball game or picnic). One of the big cancer centers came out with a warning that freezing anything in this type plastic can encourage cancer - and so can microwaving anything with plastic. But just refrigerated, bottled water is great with no health problems attached.
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Does filtered water improve the taste of coffee and tea?Add your voice
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No, because water is just the universal solvent to extract the essence of the flavors from ground coffee beans and tea leaves or dust.
The solvent therefore ought not improve or spoil the original taste of the coffee and tea it sought to extract, but act only as the carrier.
In other words, water, filtered or otherwise ought not improve or worsen the taste of coffee and tea, it ought to be neutral to do its intended work as a solvent.
However, having said that, whilst filtered water will not improve the taste of fine coffee and tea, bad tasting water will definitely destroy the taste of good coffee and tea, all things being equal.
This being the case, there is a valid argument in using filtered water that tastes neutral or "tasteless" in domains where unfiltered potable water tastes nothing but peculiar.
The art and science that goes into making an excellent cup of coffee and tea begins with the most basic foundations: high quality and fresh ingredients, clean utensils, pure neutral pH and tasteless tasting water, right brewing water temperature, optimum brewing time etc.
The secret to a great cup of coffee or tea is in extracting the essence of the flavor from the ground coffee or tea leaves through infusion with the correct water, water temperature and brewing time, without introducing other flavors either through improperly cleaned utensils, undesired oxidation or even foul tasting water in the first place.
No, filtered water per se does not improve the taste of coffee and tea; it helps not to spoil their taste, all things being equal.
There is another important aspect to making a great cup of coffee or tea: dissolved oxygen in water.
While there is still a big debate out there amongst tea and coffee connoisseurs over the role of dissolved oxygen in brewing water, some believe that the more oxygen the better tasting and some the reverse, the consensus is always to bring water to just under the boil i.e around 95 to 98 degrees C.
The idea is not to continuously boil and therefore drive away existing dissolved oxygen in the water, but bring the brewing water to its optimum temperature, high enough to extract the maximum amount of flavors from the ground coffee beans and tea leaves, but not too high a temperature to vaporize the volatile aromatic essence and lose them to the atmosphere which otherwise would have remained in the infusion.
Therefore, it is also a good idea to always cover the brewing utensil like coffee and tea pots. It actually serves two purposes: stop the water temperature from cooling down faster than it should and secondly to avoid the lost of volatile aromatic oils to the atmosphere.
After all, just like people, aromas cannot be at two places at one time: it is either in the pot or in the air.
Enjoy your next cup of great tasting coffee or tea!
Top "No" articles on:
Does filtered water improve the taste of coffee and tea?-
1 of 16
by Alex Kee
No, because water is just the universal solvent to extract the essence of the flavors from ground coffee beans and te...read more
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2 of 16
by Liz Roberts
Maybe I'm dense or not as sophisticated as I thought. I can't really tell if coffee or tea has filtered water in it o...read more
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