When people first get their new home espresso machine, they often ask us – what water should I use? And why does it matter? Well, to put it simply, water quality matters for two main reasons – taste and longevity.
Your espresso is over 90% water, so your water will play a major role in the taste of your espresso shot. Another important consideration is how the water you use interacts with your espresso machine. Proper water quality will have a positive effect on the performance and longevity of your home espresso machine.
In this blog, we’ll go over some compatible water options for your Rancilio home espresso machine as well as some general information regarding the importance of water quality.
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Mineral build up is the enemy of your espresso machine...
The wrong quantity of minerals in your water can cause limescale build-up to happen, much quicker than it should. Mineral buildup can clog your boiler as well as the water and steam pathways, impacting the flow and quality of your brewing and steaming.
We do need some mineralization in your water, so over time you will have mineral build up. However, using water outside of recommended water quality ranges will allow scale build up much faster and create more frequent maintenance issues. Severe mineral buildup can clog your water and steam pathways, as well as reduce the unit's ability to fill or heat.
On the other hand, not enough minerals will also cause problems. Using pure reverse osmosis water or even distilled water without any mineral blend back will interact negatively with the boiler and other sensors. For instance, the Silvia Pro X has a level probe, and water free of minerals will not allow this sensor to function, causing your boiler to overfill.
All of these factors will directly affect the longevity of your espresso machine. Using a balanced water input will make sure everything runs smoothly and last for years to come.
Water minerality will also have a direct impact on taste, as it can enhance your coffee flavors or mute them. When brewing espresso, water acts as a solvent, pulling flavor compounds forward from the coffee grounds. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are critical for bringing these subtle notes to our palette. That is why using distilled water, which lacks these minerals, results in a flat tasting brew. Alternatively, if the water is very hard with too many minerals present, the flavor notes will be overwhelmed and muddy.
There are a few ways to analyze the water quality and level of mineralization, but basic measurements to look for are the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Hardness, and PH level. For water compatible with your home espresso machine, aim for a TDS of 30-150ppm, a total hardness measurement of 2-3 grains per gallon, and a pH between 6-8.
Let’s go over some compatible water options...
One easy option is to buy bottled spring water. Some brands may have more suitable mineral content than others. You should be able to check online for a water report from each brand and find one within the recommended mineral range. Some popular brands for home espresso machines include Poland Spring and Crystal Geyser.
Another option that will provide clear assurance that your water has the correct levels of minerality is to buy distilled water and add a mineral packet to it. A mineral packet we would recommend is Third Wave Water’s Espresso Profile. Not only are these packets designed with the correct minerality for your espresso machine’s health, but they will also balance your water to bring out the flavor profile you want from your espresso.
To prepare, you would add one packet of Third Wave Water’s Espresso Machine Profile to one gallon of distilled water. Afterwards, shake the bottle to ensure that the minerals are dissolved fully. Then, it's ready for use!
Please note that you should never use distilled or reverse osmosis water without some sort of mineral blend-back or a mineral packet!
With each of these options, we recommend using a BWT Best Save M Filter Pouch to protect against bacterial or fungal growth. This pouch is designed to slow and stop the development of mold and mildew in the water tank. It will also soften the water and positively impact taste.
This pouch sits in your water tank and needs to be replaced every 2 months.
We would also recommend emptying and cleaning your water tank each time you replace the filter pouch.
And of course, make sure to regularly perform a cleaning cycle.
If you would like to use water from your home tap, we would recommend using a water test kit to determine if it is too hard or contains any chemicals. In most communities, Chlorides or Chloramines will be present, usually for bacteria control, but we do not want those chemicals in our coffee boilers. You can purchase water hardness test strips from a variety of online retailers. If the water from your tap is not within the recommended water quality guidelines, we would refer you to the previous options. When deciding what water to use, make sure your water input has the correct levels of minerality.
Here are the water quality guidelines we recommend you follow for both the sake of your machine, and your taste buds...
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 30-150 ppm (parts per million)
Total Hardness: 2-3 gpg (grains per gallon)
pH: 6-8
Chloride: 0 ppm
Chloramine: 0 ppm
Silica: <5 ppm
Flow rate of water:0.5 gpm (gallons per minute)
Can I Use Alkaline Water? NO, not recommended for use in your home espresso machine
Can I Use Water with Electrolytes? NO, not recommended
What about my Brita/ZERO/PUR home filter? Test the filtered water and make sure it still falls in the guidelines. Most will not as they are designed to leave you with near 0 ppm TDS and 0 hardness (gpg).
What do I do if I use the wrong water? It depends on the amount of mineral buildup. If the machine is no longer functioning like it should, we would recommend taking it to your local technician. If it was a one-off situation, you should be fine to continue brewing normally.
Is a cleaning the same as descaling? No, cleaning should be done with espresso machine cleaners like Cafiza to remove coffee oil build up from the group head and brew valve. It technically is suggested to do a cleaning every day you use the machine, but if you rinse your group and knock out your used coffee puck immediately a fter each shot, doing a cleaning at least monthly or weekly should suffice. Descaling should be done a descaler like Dezcal that is a chemical process to remove or dissolve mineral build up from the boiler and heating element.
We can go on and on about water; these are just the surface level tips! Please feel free to keep digging into the wonderful chemistry that is your water and how it works with your coffee bean to create the goodness in your cup. Water is so important! But if you just want the high-level highlights for now, these tips should get you started and get you pulling great tasting espresso and taking good care of your Rancilio home espresso machine.
