Water massively impacts your coffee’s flavours. But most of us struggle to fix our water because water science is confusing…

…until now! In this special collaboration with Lucia Solis (Making Coffee podcast), I guide her through the two most important concepts you need to understand to get great-tasting water for coffee: hardness and alkalinity.

We go step-by-step through:

• Why these concepts matter for coffee flavour and equipment

• How to test your water at home

• How to fix it, depending on what you’re working with

These aren’t one of my usual narrative episodes—they’re a straightforward, practical guide to help you take control of your water.

By the end of these episodes, you’ll be able to say: “I know what good water for coffee is and how to get it”.

I hope it helps you as much as it helped Lucia.

Check my website for all the visuals mentioned in this episode, including:

SCA graph for excellent water (the “map”)

Map of different water hardness across Paris

My Berlin water report

The nightmarish table of conversions…

Results from my water tests in my Berlin studio

Bottled water brands rated for their hardness and alkalinity

Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter

Resources mentioned in the episode:

SCA’s Water Quality Handbook

Hardness and alkalinity dripper testing kit (also good for keeping your fishies happy)

BWT Penguin Filter Jug (what I used to use with the magnesium cartridges)

BWT BestAqua ROC (what now I use)

BWT BestBarista (for cafes)

Create your own water by adding minerals to very soft or distilled water: JoJo Hersh’s simple calculator using epsom salts and bicarbonate of soda, and Barista Hustle’s more elaborate one.

Want to go deeper into water chemistry?

BWT White Paper on the effects of magnesium (German) Christopher Hendon’s book Water for Coffee Do an online Certificate of Advanced Studies at the Coffee Excellence Centre

Read The Craft and Science of Coffee Barista Hustle's Water course Some water content on YouTube by James Hoffman and Lance Hedrick

Season 3 of The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat

Water massively impacts your coffee’s flavours. But most of us struggle to fix our water because water science is confusing…

…until now! In this special collaboration with Lucia Solis (Making Coffee podcast), I guide her through the two most important concepts you need to understand to get great-tasting water for coffee: hardness and alkalinity.

We go step-by-step through:

• Why these concepts matter for coffee flavour and equipment

• How to test your water at home

• How to fix it, depending on what you’re working with

These aren’t one of my usual narrative episodes—they’re a straightforward, practical guide to help you take control of your water.

By the end of these episodes, you’ll be able to say: “I know what good water for coffee is and how to get it”.

I hope it helps you as much as it helped Lucia.

Check my website for all the visuals mentioned in this episode, including:

SCA graph for excellent water (the “map”)

Map of different water hardness across Paris

My Berlin water report

The nightmarish table of conversions…

Results from my water tests in my Berlin studio

Bottled water brands rated for their hardness and alkalinity

Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter

Resources mentioned in the episode:

SCA’s Water Quality Handbook

Hardness and alkalinity dripper testing kit (also good for keeping your fishies happy)

BWT Penguin Filter Jug (what I used to use with the magnesium cartridges)

BWT BestAqua ROC (what now I use)

BWT BestBarista (for cafes)

Create your own water by adding minerals to very soft or distilled water: JoJo Hersh’s simple calculator using epsom salts and bicarbonate of soda, and Barista Hustle’s more elaborate one.

Want to go deeper into water chemistry?

BWT White Paper on the effects of magnesium (German) Christopher Hendon’s book Water for Coffee Do an online Certificate of Advanced Studies at the Coffee Excellence Centre

Read The Craft and Science of Coffee Barista Hustle's Water course Some water content on YouTube by James Hoffman and Lance Hedrick

Season 3 of The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat

Every time we open a bag of beautiful specialty coffee — like Erick Bravo’s from Finca El Chaferote in Huila, Colombia — we’re drinking something that’s been on a long journey.

And I mean long! Over 1500 kilometers north up and down the Andes mountain range, a distance more than twice the height of France.

Along the way, it passes through dozens of hands, machines, and decisions. We follow it through muddy mountain sides, dusty dry mills, and hurricane-battered coastal warehouses — places where all kinds of things can go wrong. A leaky roof. An overly aggressive polishing machine. Or even theft.

But here’s the mystery: getting Erick’s coffee to port costs 50% more than sending a commodity coffee through the same route.

Why?

That question led me deep into Colombia’s coffee supply chains — and what I found changed how I think about the real cost of treating coffee with care.

Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter

Find your next favourite Colombian coffee from The Coffee Quest

Taste coffees from Erick Bravo’s award winning farm, Finca El Chaferote, and follow him on Instagram.

Season 3 of The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat