There are two ingredients in a great cup of coffee- water and coffee. We take all of this time to discuss where the coffee beans come from, what is the best roast, and the flavor. But, no time thinking about the water we use to prepare our precious cup of joe. What is the best water to use in a Keurig® coffee maker? Water makes up 98% of every wonderful brew. So we thought we would take a little time to discuss what is the best type of water to use for taste and longevity of your Keurig® brewer.
The most common concern when it comes to the water from your tap is hardness. If you have hard water it contains a high amount of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and chloride. These minerals can reek havoc on your plumbing, dishes, laundry and showers by depositing scale or lime. The same applies to your Keurig® brewer. Minerals pass through your brewer leaving their trail of scale and lime deposits. Over time this will reduce the efficiency of your unit and alter the taste of your coffee.
Most people with hard water use a water softener. Soft water is much easier on plumbing and even becomes more compatible with soap making washing more efficient. Problem solved, right? Not when it comes to your Keurig®. Softened water contains sodium ions that will form around coffee grinds and tea leaves making them less penetrable. This will slow down the extraction process, causing over extraction. Over extraction makes your coffee and tea taste bad and clogs your coffee maker.
Because distilled water is such a good solvent, it causes the coffee grounds to swell and slows the flow of water. This leads to bitter, over-extracted coffee or possible brew basket overflow.
Water for your Keurig® Brewer
Many refrigerators now come with a filter built in. You can easily add one to your sink faucet or some go as far as a whole house filter. We recommend speaking to a water professional to be sure that you are purchasing a reputable filter. Filters will eliminate the smell and taste of chlorine, sulfur and iron as well as some minerals. Your Keurig® will thank you by lasting longer and producing better tasting coffee. The filter can be on your fridge, your sink, free standing or these filters specifically designed for classic Keurig models or these for Keurig 2.0.
Our preferred option is bottled water. Not all bottled waters are created equal. There are several types- spring, distilled, mineral, etc.. This can be confusing and if you pick the wrong one you can be doing more harm than good. You should never use mineral or spring water in your Keurig® brewer. They both contain high amounts of minerals that your Keurig will not like.
Distilled or reverse osmosis (ro) water are excellent choices for brewing coffee in your Keurig®. These are purified waters that containing less than 1 PPM of minerals. This lack of minerals will leave your Keurig® brewer happily serving up your delicious morning coffee for many, many years. Distilled and reverse osmosis water will also reduce the dreaded descaling routine. I actually know someone who has had a brewer for several years and has never used anything but distilled water and has never had to descale her unit nor has she ever had a performance issue.
*Please see the up date at the bottom of this post concerning purified water for brewing coffee with Keurig® machines.
However, please note, distilled water should not be used in Keurig® models 2.0 and newer. This water is too pure for the sensors to operate properly. If you are using a Keurig® 2.0 or newer model which you likely are, stick with filtered water or use a Keurig filter.
But, does distilled produce great tasting coffee?
My vote is yes, but, there are some coffee snobs (no offense, I certainly don’t blame you for wanting a perfect cup of coffee) out there who are concerned with the mineral content. They argue that there needs to be some minerals in the water to bring out the taste of the coffee, much as salt brings out the taste in food. This may or may not be true you can test it for yourself.
Given that minerals in the tap water can cause problems for the machine, it might stand to reason that the best option for a Keurig is distilled water, which has had any impurities and minerals removed (via Healthline). However, this isnt the answer either, as most Keurig machines are built with sensors that are meant to detect the mineral content in water. If theres no mineral content, as is the case with distilled water, youll get an error message.
Instead of distilled water, you can try using bottled filtered water, although it can get pricey and produce quite a lot of plastic as well. Instead, you can try filtering your tap water through a home filter, such as a Brita filter. You can also purchase carbon filters that live in the water reservoir of the machine. Even if you are using another method to filter your water, you might consider using the Keurig branded carbon filters just as a backup since it cant hurt to filter twice.
Keurig machines have their own series of drawbacks (depending on the model, they can be pricey, and there have been concerns about the environmental impact associated with using Keurig cups, according to Story of Stuff). However, they certainly have one thing going for them — theyre super convenient.
As wonderful as a fancy espresso machine can be, it can be tiresome to jump through all the hoops to make a perfect cup of coffee. The grinding and the brushing and the tamping can be a bit much in the early hours of the morning before any caffeine is had.
Since coffee is some 98 percent water, the water quality will affect the taste of your cup of coffee as well as how your machine operates over the long run (via Another Cuppa Joe). If you use hard water that comes out of your kitchen tap, for example, which is often packed with a number of minerals like calcium, it can build up in your machine, requiring a decalcifying method such as vinegar or lemon juice to break up the white buildup in the machine (via The Kitchn).
3 Mistakes You Should Never Do To A Keurig Coffee Maker
FAQ
Why does my Keurig say not to use distilled water?
Why should you not use distilled water in a coffee maker?
Can you use distilled water with a Keurig?
Why should you not drink distilled water?
Does a Keurig tolerate distilled water?
The Keurig 2.0 does not tolerate distilled water because it is too pure for its sensor. Due to electrical impulses, the unit may think there is no water in the reservoir. It will continuously alert you to add water. Using filtered tap water is the best option for this type of Keurig.
Keurig vs Nespresso: Which is healthier?
Each Nespresso pod is made with a flat top and through a series of multiple and strategic perforations in the capsule, hot water is pumped through. Keurig provides a vast array of beverages and flavors and while Nespresso features the signature crema top layer that often characterizes a true cup of espresso coffee
What happens if you use bad water in a Keurig coffee maker?
Using bad water in your Keurig coffee maker can shorten its lifespan. Minerals in hard water can cause scale build-up inside the machine, leading to clogs and leaks. Filtered Tap water or Bottled water is best for Keurig. Avoid distilled water in Keurig – as no mineral content makes the coffee less tasty.
Can you use tap water in a Keurig?
You can use tap water in Keurig if it’s drinkable and has less amount of minerals. Do some research and find out whether the water in your area is good or not and how much mineral content it contains. Never use undrinkable tap water in your Keurig machine (It’s obvious though! I don’t why I am saying that)