Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world with tremendous increase in popularity over the decade. Today, coffee is incorporated as an important part in many of our daily routines for many to kick start the day. With its demand, coffee can be readily found in almost every household, workplaces, eateries and beverage stores in various forms and convenience packs due to its commonality.

Coffee also serves to encourage social interactions during coffee breaks, clientele meetings, coffee dates and cafe runs as a social atmosphere boost. Coffee tasting and brewing workshops are popular too, a great medium to bring communities of people and coffee enthusiasts together.

The coffee industry in Singapore has evolved and expanded over the years. With entrants of more local specialised coffee roasters, distributors, hipster cafes, homegrown specialty coffee stores and renowned international franchise coffee chains over the years serving us an impeccable wide variety of coffee selections. We get to enjoy broadened exposure to more coffee bean varieties imported from various countries and origins.

A combination of fresh coffee roasting, grinding of beans, a good quality espresso machine, and well-trained coffee baristas works in fusion to make up the perfect cuppa coffee.

Water quality plays a great deal in coffee brewing as an essential base ingredient, comprising 98% of the cup of coffee.

In Singapore, the quality of tap water is safe for consumption right out the tap as water has been treated through a stringent process of filtration, disinfection and chemical treatments to remove bacteria, particulate and odour for it to be passable. One of the chemicals used for treatment, chlorine, is used for water disinfection with functions to destroy bacteria and viruses. So very often, the taste of chlorine in tap water is present, which too affects the taste of coffee.

Aside from the water quality coming from the treatment plant, it's also possible that contamination can occur when water runs through a network of old or corroded water pipes, dirty faucets, stagnant water etc., picking up particulate and unpleasant tastes on the way. Such inconsistencies in water could highly depend on the conditions of water treatment, location and delivery methods.

In commercial settings where water and beverages are served to customers and clients, installing a water filtration system is very important. No doubt, using good quality water gives you a greater peace of mind and makes better-tasting beverages.

Another important reason for using good water, and that’s protecting your investment in brewing equipment.

Scaling occurs directly on surfaces of heat transfer when water is heated. They are formed by calcium and magnesium naturally present in water, forming a whitish, hard scaling surface. Scaling coats the machine interior, clogging up the machine and narrowing water passages which affects the machine performance and longevity in the long run.

Although they are generally non-toxic, layers of scale can deter water from the heat source such that the water cannot be heated up to the optimal temperature which affects the machine performance relating to the overall taste and effectiveness of coffee extraction.

Water has the ability to cause damage to the espresso and coffee machines that are your heavily invested equipment. Besides coffee machines, other common appliances that are prone to water scaling damage are tea brewers, ice makers, steamers, water boilers and more.

No doubt, having proper timely prevention and maintenance beats paying for costly repair fees in the long run. Although you can’t completely escape from the effects of water on equipment, you can do something to reduce and slow down the damages. With a quality water filtration system, your equipment can stretch out a much longer lifespan.

Understanding your requirements helps in personalizing your own water solutions such that you address your needs well and not overpay for excessive solutions. It's not a one-size-fits-all!

Tap water has dissolved minerals and salts that varies depending on where you live. It is critical to use good water filters suited for coffee brewing to remove impurities in water that interfere with the flavour and the output.

Water hardness is also a varying factor. It is determined by the level of calcium and magnesium present in water measured by unit ‘parts per million’ or ‘PPM’.

Research shows that when using water with high PPM in coffee brewing, there are tendencies where coffee will be over extracted; resulting in an astringent-tasting flavour with bitterness and unbalanced acidic notes. On the other hand, anything that is too low on PPM lacks the ability in extraction, likely causing under-extraction with seemingly flat, sharp and thin tasting coffee.

Tap water comprises other elements besides H20. The taste and flavour of water can be affected by some other elements such as:

• Water Hardness - The level of dissolved calcium and minerals present in water
• Chlorine - Added chemical during water treatment that prevents growth of viruses and bacteria in water
• Dirt, dust and other particulate - Particles and unpleasant tastes may be caught on to your drinking supply

Having a water filter system helps you address your concerns for your desired water recipe, keeping the good stuff in and bad stuff at bay.

While water hardness can harm your equipment or coffee machines, it is unwise to remove all the minerals completely. Minerals and calcium present in water are still important building blocks of nutrients for health and wellbeing. This is all about striking a balance between benefitting your equipment and getting the optimal taste of your coffee brew.

Above all, Better Water = Better Taste = Better Coffee!

To tailor your water recipe according to your needs, Everpure commercial filtration offers industry-standard quality water for food service, beverage, and commercial needs.

A water filter system can range from a single stage, all the way up to 4 stages or more. Here are some of our completed installations for our clients specializing in specialty coffee and tea brewing.

Stage 1 : Sediment Filter - Removes particulate suspended sediments in water
Stage 2 & 3 : Carbon filtration - With anti-bacterial, anti-scaling and finer filtration capabilities as small as 0.5 microns in size
Stage 4 : Water Softener - Tailoring of water hardness levels

Many quality commercial coffee machines are very expensive investments itself; which does not include the yearly maintenance costs. A suitable filter system has to be well maintained to be able to keep up with the high usage demands in commercial settings.

Other than the financial aspect of protecting their equipment, our clients pride themselves in delivering the best tasting beverages with good quality water.

As mentioned, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all. Water filter systems are tailored to suit your needs as closely as possible. Other aspects have to be considered, such as water pressure, capacity, longevity of use, conditions of the installation site and more.

Check out our range of Everpure commercial water filter systems here or feel free to reach out to us at 6841 5952 for a free assessment or any enquiries!