Coffee equipment, of any sort, does not like minerals in water. Unfortunately water in the midwest often has 15 grains per gallon (GPG) hardness or higher. This hard water, when boiled, leaves behind carbonate solids. These carbonate boulders block tubes, cause cracking of heating elements, and can even rupture boilers. Once all this starts to happen, remediation becomes very, very expensive since it often involves taking apart the machine, dipping all the pipes and boilers in some sort of acid mixture, and putting it back together again.
It’s a long, miserable, expensive day for all involved.
The easiest and most cost effective way to prevent the above from occurring is with the cheapest, professionally installed, water softener one can get. Espresso machines only sip water, and while coffee brewers consume a bit more odds are most establishments aren’t making more than a half dozen gallons a day. Capacity is rarely an issue. If space is a concern, a reverse osmosis system (RO) can often be installed in smaller spaces, though RO does waste a substantial amount of water in comparison to a traditional water softener. Ultimately, the goal is to get the water hardness below 3 GPG, something that can be easily tested for via cheap test strips from your online retailer of choice.
The observant will note we have dodged the topic of “water filters” - they merit a section all their own so watch this space…
Logo by Dominic Sowle Background by Mike Kenneally via Unsplash