I've just made the jump from a Gaggia Classic to a Pasquini Livia 90. With the Gaggia I was using Brita filtered water and not stressing over my water specs, but my Gaggia seemed to demand rather frequent descaling.

So for my new machine I dug into all the water threads, read the "insanely long water FAQ," and bought a test kit. Here are my results from the PH/GH drop test kit. As you'll see, they go against what everyone says, which is that a Brita filter won't reduce water hardness:

Tap Water Results
GH = 6 drops, or 107ppm
KH = 4 drops, or 71 ppm

Brita Filter Results
GH = 1 drop, or 18ppm
KH = 1 drop, or 18ppm

Now, I retested multiple times with the same result. I also tested the carbon filter in my refrigerator (a new filter) and, as would usually be expected, it did not change the hardness much at all (GH went from 6 drops to 5 and KH stayed the same).


I have two questions that I was hoping folks might help me with:

1. Dumb question first - What, exactly, does KH measure that's separate from GH? Is it Alkilinity? Is my overall water hardness straight from the tap 107 or 187 (i.e. do I add those numbers together or take the higher number)?

2. What explains the Brita numbers? It's a brand new filter, but I thought this wasn't possible. (On the other hand, I notice that this filter looks just like a Brita: http://www.visionsespresso.com/node/1018)

Thanks for any help. The world of water is CONFUSING!

It apparently can reduce hardness, but is not it's purpose and is not sold as such.

Water Hardness Question

Thanks.

Yes, I had read that Brita filters did sometimes reduce hardness a bit (and that they were to certified as water softeners), but most commenters, along with Dave's massive water FAQ, indicate that a Brita will only make a VERY SMALL reduction in hardness.

My thrice-repeated tests on my home tap water show something different, as the Brita is bring the hardness down quite a bit. This is why I was surprised, and why I wondered if maybe the Brita filter has been changed - especially since the new Mavea filter (a Brita company, as far as I can tell) IS saying in their advertising that they can both "monitor" (really?) and reduce hardness.

I read somewhere that the water softening effects of a Brita only last about 3 weeks and that's why I think they don't advertise it as a water softener.

I used Brita water mixed with RO for years. The Brita filters do remove some of the carbonate hardness and reduce scaling. Depending on the mineral content and makeup of the water fed into the Brita greatly affects its useful life. Your figures seem to indicate that the Britas use a mixed-bed of media for softening. But as mentioned, and can be assumed from the small volume of the filter cartridge, and the fact that they also contain a carbon media for filtering, their useful life is limited. Use your kit to monitor the output and you can get an idea as to how much water it can process for espresso machine use. The used cartridge may still be useful for drinking purposes though...

In my experience, Brita does do a pretty good job of stripping out mineral content.

I have a Brita filter that I use only for coffee brew water. It's not brand new; it's several weeks old, and I filter about 5 cups a day. I do always keep the water level above the bottom of the filter canister, as I've heard that keeping the carbon granules saturated extends their life.

Here were my last test results, using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kits for pH, KH, and GH. I also used a cheap HM Digital TDS meter, measuring the water at 75F temp.

Tap water
Alkalinity > 7.6 PH (alkaline)
71ppm KH, or carbonate hardness, also known as alkalinity (HCO3-)
107ppm GH, or general hardness (Ca++, Mg++)
TDS = 152 ppm as estimated by TDS meter

Tap water through pourover Brita pitcher
Alkalinity < 6.0 PH (acidic)
27ppm KH
71ppm GH
TDS = 121 ppm as estimated by TDS meter.

I was initially concerned about the acidity of the Brita water, as ph neutral water is desirable for coffee brewing. Further reading indicated that the acidity from ion exchange might be temporary (see http://brewery.org/library/FiltBrita0596.html), and sure enough, after boiling and then cooling, the Brita water returns to neutral (7.0) ph, according to the test kit.

So Brita water is my first choice for coffee brewing at the moment. The inline filter built into my fridge doesn't remove much hardness at all.

Subjectively, there is a noticeable taste difference between the fridge-filtered water and Brita water -- the lower mineral content water produces a brighter, cleaner cup when used to make filter coffee (Clever dripper, etc.) I haven't done a comparative tasting with espresso.

I've considered upgrading to an under-sink mounted system (i.e. Everpure) for convenience and longer filter life.

Thanks, portamento. Your results and research makes more sense out of my own.

I have one stupid question to ask about your numbers, and that is, how do you calculate TDS? (I don't think I know what a TDS meter is, and all I have are KH and GH numbers):

Tap water
Alkalinity > 7.6 PH (alkaline)
71ppm KH, or carbonate hardness, also known as alkalinity (HCO3-)
107ppm GH, or general hardness (Ca++, Mg++)
TDS = 152 ppm as estimated by TDS meter

I measure TDS with a cheap electronic meter made by HM Digital.

Here's the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ...002C0A7ZY/

Another way to get one is to buy a ZeroWater filtration pitcher, which currently has a meter bundled in.
http://www.amazon.com/ZeroWater-Filtrat...001CUMLOK/

pH, GH, and KH are more useful numbers than TDS in my opinion, but TDS can be measured without test tubes and drops of solution. Beware that the TDS meter will report different values at different temperatures, so bear that in mind. I always try to measure at room temp. More expensive meters have automatic temperature compensation built-in.

fronesis wrote:I have one stupid question to ask about your numbers, and that is, how do you calculate TDS? (I don't think I know what a TDS meter is, and all I have are KH and GH numbers):

The numbers you have are the ones that are useful (KH,GH). TDS is "Total Dissolved Solids" and this does not differentiate what those are. For example, I installed the CC softener system, and the hardness with the TDS meter is almost exactly the same before and after softening., This is because in the ion exchange, the calcium is replaced with sodium. SO the water has the same "amount" of "solids" in it, but their chemical makeup is quite different.

Thanks for the clarification on TDS - makes sense.

For now I am going to monitor the water as my Brita filter ages, and I may just decide to set aside a Brita - or one of the new Mavea's - jug as my designated filter for the Livia. If this is giving me water that is below 50ppm on both KH and GH, then I'm assuming that's good water for my machine. Right? And, for me, this may just a be a lot easier than either an under sink installation or a contract for water delivery.