It’s not secret that the water you use to brew your coffee can have a major effect on the final flavor profile. The difference between good cups of coffee and great cups of coffee is usually the quality of water you use for brewing.
Not only can the water you use affect that flavor of the brew, it can make cleaning your coffee maker harder. Mineral deposits from low-grade water can build up in your urn and further affect the flavor profile and ruin the entire pot. But read on to find out which is the best bottled water for coffee machines.
Fiji Natural Artesian Water
Editors’ Choice: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
Fiji is a refreshing choice and the company (Coca-Cola in case anyone was wondering) uses pure sourcing methods to remove minerals and other harmful contaminants. Fiji water is often considered the best flavored water because, well, it has no flavor.
It’s pure water which means that when you use it to make your coffee, you will get the full, robust flavor profile of your beans. This particular pack comes with twenty-four 16.9 ounce bottles which is perfect for individual cups.
Essentia Ionized Alkaline Water Bottled
Editors’ Choice: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
Essentia Water is often considered the best water for coffee because it is perfectly pH balanced at 9.5. This means it is free of caustic contaminants and is as flat a flavor profile as you can get from bottled water.
In this particular case, you get 24 twenty ounce plastic bottles so you can make a bit more coffee with each bottle of this particular pack. Essentia Water is always purified using an advanced reverse osmosis process.
Evian Natural Spring Water
Editors’ Choice: 4.7 out of 5.0 stars
Many people believe evian to be the best bottled water for espresso machine use because of the minerals it contains. While for normal coffee, you may want a flat flavor profile form your water, with espresso makers, a hint of mineral taste can really fill out the flavor of your java.
In this pack you get twenty-four 16.9 pounce bottles which is actually the perfect size for a few espresso shots. Evian water also features naturally occurring electrolytes like the Essentia Water entry at #2.
Icelandic Glacial Natural Spring Alkaline Water
Editors’ Choice: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars
Possibly the best kept secret as far as filtered water for coffee goes, Icelandic Glacial Natural Spring Alkaline Water goes to painstaking measures to remove silica, minerals or trace metals. All that’s left is water in its purest form.
This water is sourced from a natural spring in Southern Iceland and is further purified and naturally alkalized via volcanic rock filtration. This brings the water to a perfect pH level before bottling and ensures a totally neutral flavor.
Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water
Editors’ Choice: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
If you don’t feel like spending a ton of money just for your coffee machine water but still want healthy, great tasting Joe, then this pack from Acqua Panna will be perfect for you. A 24 pack of 16.9 ounce bottles is very affordable and will last you a good amount of brews.
The great thing about this water is that it tastes great in green tea too. The water has been sourced from the same natural spring in Tuscany, Italy since 1564. This is an established Italian brand that is making a lot of noise for their high quality water here in the States.
Smartwater Vapor Distilled Premium Water Bottles
Editors’ Choice: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Not only does Smartwater deliver a great product, but they do so at an agreeable price as well. You can snag a 24 pack of 20 ounce bottles for just around $36. And as far as distilled water for coffee goes, you can’t so much better than Smartwater.
Distilled water is a great choice for drinking or brewing because the distillation process eliminates the trace minerals and bacteria that can be present in water no matter how pure the source is. Smartwater delivers a neutral flavor profile so your coffee taste comes through 100%.
Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water
Editors’ Choice: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
We end our list with possibly the best value we have mentioned thus far. Crystal Geyser water is as taste-free and pure as you can get for the lowest price. This is great water for casual coffee drinkers who don’t want to mineralize their coffee makers.
This pack comes with twenty-four 16.9 ounce individual bottles. Whether you are brewing up black coffee or intend to load yours up with creamer and sugar, Crystal Geyser is a great choice as a go-to replacement for tap water.
Bottled Water for Coffee Machines Buyer’s Guide
The best bottled water for coffee machines in your particular case will depend on your preferences. But here are some tips that should lead you to the perfect-tasting cup of coffee:
Condensation Distillation
Many people consider distillation the best method of purification because it eliminates the smallest contaminants. But condensation distillation is the most natural distillation process and tends to produce exceptionally pure water.
Smaller Bottles
The reason we included smaller, personal sized bottled water packs on our list is because pouring big gallon-sized bottles of water into your espresso machine or coffee maker can be inconvenient and very messy. Smaller bottles are much quicker and easier.
Mineral/Mineral Free
There are different schools of thought in terms of minerals vs. no minerals. Some like the taste that minerals can add to coffee and some prefer a flat flavor profile. Be sure to know which you prefer and read the labeling of your water properly to make sure you are getting a product that is in line with your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is bottled water good for coffee machines?
A: Yes. In fact, the Specialty Coffee Association of America recommends using bottled water for brewing coffee.
Q: Should you use filtered water to make coffee?
A: Filtered water from a pitcher or from a faucet filter is an option for better tasting coffee
Q: What water is best for coffee?
A: Fiji water is often ranked as the best water for coffee
Some Parting Advice
As with all things, be sure you know how you like your coffee to taste before making a decision on which water to buy. The best bottled water for coffee machines will depend on your taste buds but our list represents the preference of various Java enthusiasts so you are sure to find the perfect water for your tastes here.
Keep an open mind, don’t be afraid to expand your flavor horizons and pick up some of the bottled water packs on our list for your next cup of coffee!