Why does my coffee ...
 

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[Closed] Why does my coffee taste bad with bottled water?

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Before you get all snobby, this is instant, but I'm comparing instant with instant (douwe Egberts)

When staying in my caravan, I used bottled water - Buxton, or Volvic and the coffee tastes considerably worse than it does at home/work/anywhere else.

Google suggests it should be fine.

Discuss


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 11:30 am
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It's not picking up a taint from the kettle of the cup is it?

Why not fill a bottle with tapwater at home and use that to compare (and cut down on single use plastics in the process).


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 11:33 am
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Is it not the "hardness" of the mineral water i.e. the higher mineral content compared to the relatively "soft" water in Matlock?


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 11:46 am
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What sort of cup are you using in the caravan? different materials make the drink taste different even if they are not leaching substances into the drink. For this reason I use an enamel mug when camping despite the weight. coffee tastes better out of it that out of plastic or aluminium


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 12:23 pm
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different materials make the drink taste different even if they are not leaching substances into the drink.

And colour even more so.

As suggested above, take some water from home, mug from home and kettle from home, give them all a go and see what makes the biggest difference.


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 1:22 pm
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Long version: Article on water in coffee

Short-version: if there aren't enough minerals in the coffee it won't work properly.

This is my assumption anyway.


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 2:08 pm
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Long version: Article on water in coffee

Water is a “living” element and is always in motion. It is the only element in nature that we use every day that can cross three different physical states: liquid, solid and gaseous.

I'm oot before it suggests brewing up next to a "crystal" or some such


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 2:15 pm
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I'm going to second the two non-woo suggestions above - either it's the minerals in the mineral water, or it's the cup you're using.

Next time take a cup from home, take tap water from home, or both?


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 2:22 pm
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We have hard as nails tap water so I often buy morrisons "spring" water for brewing beer as it's really soft.

I've put it through the coffee machine and not noticed a difference other than it doesn't need descaling anywhere near as often.


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 2:49 pm
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Don't use the "sparkling" stuff.


 
Posted : 24/01/2020 3:11 pm
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Pretty sure it's not the kettle, it was new but has now had a fair amount of use. Mugs are proper mugs.

CBA taking water from home. I'll live with it, just thought the STW Fu might have had a definitive answer


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 8:46 am
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just thought the STW Fu might have had a definitive answer

Does Mrs asstr make the coffee at one location and not the other? Do you find your hair loss worse in the same location?


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 10:00 am
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It’s the taste of caravan sadness coming out.


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 10:04 am
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Given that most of our taste is in fact smell, it's probs something in the caravan


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 10:06 am
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Does Mrs asstr make the coffee at one location and not the other?

Her coffee tastes worse than in the caravan. Saturday morning, I hear the kettle go on and rush out of bed before she gets chance to make it. She doesn't seem to be able to grasp the concept of two full teaspoons of coffee 😂

It’s the taste of caravan sadness coming out.

🙄😂 Like the bloody Hilton my van, no sadness 👍

it’s probs something in the caravan

My mouldy socks possibly 😂


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 10:18 am
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The water where I live is soft but bleachy as I live in a tower block, the water is pumped to the top of the building and stored temporarily in a header tank, gravity providing the pressure, (said pressure is like a firemans hose, cold water can fill a bath in about two minutes!) I have to filter the water else it tastes horrible.

I used to get my coffee from an artisan coffe grinding place and they recommended bottled spring water. In their opinion Tescos ashbeck spring was the best, so im guessing it's not the water but the cup or kettle that's doing it.


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 11:58 am
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Ashbeck is really soft, i use it for making some styles of beer (the water ph affects the enzymes in the mash so its a bit more than just the taste of the water as it would be in instant coffee).

I would suspect they recomend it as it doesnt scale up coffee makers. I often use it and then re use the bottles as demijohns for cider to assuage my guilt over them being single use 😂


 
Posted : 25/01/2020 12:07 pm
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Like the bloody Hilton my van, no sadness

Paris Hilton? Or Luton Hilton?

I've spent a night in one of the above and it didn't exactly fill me with joy.


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 8:49 am
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morrisons “spring” water

Bottled at the base of the Campsie fells, despite it's modest label and budget aspirations it's good stuff


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 8:58 am
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It’s the taste of caravan sadness coming out.

It's the sense of freedom you don't get with other holidays.


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 4:09 pm
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It is the only element in nature that we use every day that can cross three different physical states: liquid, solid and gaseous.

Dear god, where to start!!


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 4:27 pm
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It's not an element for a start.


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 5:08 pm
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TINAS, I'm surprised that you choose to brew with soft water - Burton is a centre for brewing because of its sulphate rich haard water.

But for coffee I dunno. THe more expensive Nescafe Azera with grounds is as good as real, in my opinion.


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 5:55 pm
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TINAS, I’m surprised that you choose to brew with soft water – Burton is a centre for brewing because of its sulphate rich haard water.

Yup, great for Burton Ales.

Pilsner on the other hand comes from Pilsen which has soft water.

As a rule of thumb the harder (more bicarbonate) the water the darker the beer you want to brew as darker malts tend to be more acidic.


 
Posted : 26/01/2020 6:32 pm

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