Water Filtration + RO Systems
Water Filtration + RO Systems
Your water, your machine, your coffee.
Two key factors make filtering tap water necessary: flavor and scale buildup. Bad water means bad coffee and tea. Scale, the calcium crust that builds up inside your machine, is the silent killer of espresso equipment. It chokes off heating, narrows water passages, and if left too long, breaks off into mini asteroids that wreck your $1,000+ investment.
We carry two main types of filters: inline (plumbed into your water line, before it reaches the machine) and in-tank (sits in the reservoir of your machine).
What's actually in your water
- Chlorine — same chemical used in pools, added to kill bacteria. Wrecks coffee flavor.
- Heavy metals — copper, lead, zinc leached from pipes. Adds metallic taste.
- Dirt, dust, sediment — no one wants gritty water.
- Scale-causing minerals — calcium hardness is the biggest culprit, but pH, alkalinity, and total dissolved solids all contribute (Langelier Saturation Index).
A warning about distilled and RO water
Don't use straight distilled or reverse osmosis water in your espresso machine. Your water needs mineral content to carry flavor, and some machines require minerals to detect water in the reservoir at all. Worse, mineral-deficient water leaches metal from your boiler and plumbing, corroding the machine from the inside. Mineral-free water will also over-extract your coffee no matter how you brew.
Our recommended inline filter: BWT Bestmax Premium
Five-layer filtration that removes contaminants AND exchanges calcium for magnesium via an ion exchanger. Great-tasting water, rebalanced minerals, scale protection.
- Particle pre-filter — separates coarse particles like sand and rust
- Activated carbon pre-filter — eliminates oxidants, protects the ion exchanger
- Ion exchanger — removes hardening substances, replaces calcium with magnesium
- Activated carbon nonwoven — removes chlorine, organics, foreign odor and taste
- Particle fine filter — separates fine particles and suspended matter
We've put together filter kit packages in a range of capacities. Need something custom? Call (866) 711-3456 or email info@absoluteespresso.com and one of our water specialists will help you find the right system.
