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Water filtration is one of the most overlooked parts of owning an espresso machine — and one of the most important. Coffee is around 98% water, so what you brew with directly affects taste. More importantly, untreated hard water leaves scale (limescale) inside your boiler and pipes, which is the single biggest cause of expensive coffee machine repairs. The right water filtration protects your machine and improves the coffee in the cup.
Calcium is a dissolved element which means it cannot be filtered (in the traditional sense) out of water. To remove the calcium, some of the options we have perform an ion exchange where the calcium is replaced with magnesium.
Magnesium in the water going into your coffee machine enhances the extraction as well as the flavour of the coffee. Added to that is that magnesium is a necessary mineral for repair of muscles and energy in your body.
Depending on what water filtration you currently have will influence which of the following options will be most appropriate for your circumstances.
Which solution suits you depends on your water and your machine. Filter jugs and inline filters remove chlorine and sediment; ion-exchange filters and softeners tackle calcium hardness to stop scale; and calcium-reducing pillows sit in the tank of smaller machines. If you are not sure how hard your local water is, ask us — we can point you to the right option, whether you have a plumbed-in machine or fill a tank by hand.
Note: The BWT Filter System User Guide can be found here.
Hard water leaves limescale inside your machine’s boiler, element and pipes, which restricts flow, damages components and eventually causes breakdowns. Filtration removes or converts the minerals that cause scale, so your machine lasts longer and needs less descaling. It also removes chlorine and off-flavours, so the coffee tastes cleaner.
Filtered water with a balanced mineral content — not too hard, and not zero. Some minerals such as magnesium actually help extraction and flavour, so you do not want fully de-ionised or distilled water. An ion-exchange filter that reduces calcium while leaving some beneficial minerals is ideal for most espresso machines.
It depends on the filter type and how hard your water is, but most inline and jug filters need replacing every 2–3 months, or by the litres they are rated for. Plumbed-in cartridge filters are usually rated by volume. If you notice slower flow, more scale, or a change in taste, it is time to change the filter.
If you live in a hard-water area and run a prosumer or plumbed-in machine, a softener or ion-exchange filter is strongly recommended — it is far cheaper than a descale or a boiler repair. For tank machines in softer-water areas, a good filter jug or a calcium-reducing pillow may be enough. Tell us your setup and local water and we will advise.
