HOW WE BREW is important to us all in specialty coffee, and
as a practice, it has changed so much in recent years. As a barista
trainer, technician, and competitor, I've come to realize that
making amazing coffee beverages requires good quality water.
Water makes up 98 percent or more of brewed coffee and 95
percent of espresso—which basically means that water and coffee
have a strong relationship, so knowing about water is crucial. The
question is: What makes good water?
Tell me if this situation sounds familiar: You're on a trip, and
you stop into a café for a coffee, and it's wonderful—so wonderful,
in fact, that you buy some of the beans to take home. After your
trip, you're back in your own café or kitchen and you pull out that
bag of coffee, eager to experience that taste profile again. You
prepare your cup carefully and sit down to enjoy it.
But it tastes totally different.