- Ideal TDS
- 75–250 ppm total dissolved solids
- Ideal pH
- Around 7, right at neutral
The Hidden ingredient
Every bag we roast gets fussed over before it leaves the roastery. Then it lands in a kitchen where the biggest ingredient in the cup rarely gets a second thought. Water makes up about 98 percent of every coffee you brew. The beans are the other two.
That number changed how I brew at home. You can start with the best beans we have and still pour a flat cup if the water works against you. Give the water the same attention you give the grounds and everything we roasted into the bean gets through.
What Good Water looks Like
- pH
- Good brewing water sits right around neutral, a pH of about 7. Water that drifts acidic or alkaline pulls the cup along with it.
- Minerals
- Aim for 75–250 ppm of total dissolved solids. Magnesium and calcium do the real work of extraction, drawing flavor out of the grounds as the water moves through them.
- Temperature
- The sweet spot for brew water is 197–204°F. Hot enough to extract fully, not so hot that it scorches the grounds.
- The Easy Fix
- No lab required. Bottled spring water or a simple filter on the tap gets most kitchens comfortably inside the range.
Minerals and Maintenance
Minerals give with one hand and take with the other. The same magnesium and calcium that pull flavor into your cup slowly build up inside your kettle and your espresso machine, and high-mountain water can be generous with both. Scale coats the heating element and the temperature starts to drift. Every cup after that comes out a shade dull.
So I treat descaling as coffee work, not housekeeping. A regular pass with a descaling solution keeps the machine honest. When the equipment is clean the water fades into the background, which is where it belongs.
Water is the silent conductor of every cup.
The Secret ingredient
The secret ingredient in a better cup was never much of a secret. It comes out of your tap. Check the water once, fix what needs fixing, and every coffee you brew after that starts ahead.
Our half of the recipe is the other two percent, roasted in small batches here in Jackson Hole. Bring good water and we will bring the rest.
