I stumbled by accident how important it is to remove chlorine from the water before brewing coffee.
Tap water in the public water supply most anywhere in the USA is treated with small amounts of chlorine gas. It dissolves in the water & kills bacteria and micro-organisms. Where I live in Maryland, more chlorine is used in warm weather & less in cold weather. I can easily smell it in the summer.
I learned that chlorine in the water has a negative effect on brewed coffee. It’s hard to describe, but to me it adds a slightly “burned and/or bitter flavor” to coffee. (I used quotes only because that’s how I describe it to myself, but I don’t know if that really means anything to others.)
There are two easy ways to remove chlorine from water. 1) Bring the water to a full boil. 2) Pass the water through a filter that contains activated charcoal, such as a Britta filter. These filters do need to be replaced as they get used. Both methods work.
How did I learn this? I already knew from years in a lab that chlorine, bromine, & iodine gas are easily dissolved in cold water, and that they kill micro-organisms. As the water temperature goes up, those gasses become less & less soluble. Shortly before water boils, those gases come completely out of water. Chlorine gas is colorless, but you can easily see bromine gas (amber) and iodine gas (purple) as they come off the top the water’s surface. I remember camping where there was well water, treated with iodine. In the morning, boiling water for some instant coffee and instant oatmeal, I distinctly remember seeing a very brief gasp of purple vapor coming off the water, shortly before it boiled.
In my early just-married days, I made coffee with a simple Melitta drip pot. They still sell them today. I first boiled water in a kettle, and then poured a little onto the grounds to wet them. A few minutes later, I poured the rest of the water over the grounds. It was simple, and worked great.
As time went by, I eventually got a number of cheap electric drip coffee makers. They were easier to use, but the coffee never seemed to taste as good. Out of nostalgia, one weekend, I got out that old Melitta drip pot & made coffee. Surprisingly, it tasted better. Everything was the same except the drip pot, and that I boiled the water in a kettle. I had already read somewhere how most inexpensive electric drip makers didn’t actually heat water much above roughly 180-185°F. That was said to be due to the cheaper 1,000 Watt heaters in those makers. So, I wondered, if it doesn’t boil the water, it might not drive off the chlorine.
The next day, I tested that idea in the electric drip pot using water from a Britta filter. It tasted no different from coffee made with the Melitta pot! That had to be the answer! Remove the chlorine and no more burned, bitter taste.
I later learned that Technivorm uses more expensive 1,400 Watt heaters in their Moccamasters. They got water hotter. The next time the cheap heating element in my electric drip pot died, I sprung for a Technivorm. That was sometime around 2005 or 2006. I still use it today. And just in case, I also use water filtered through activated charcoal.
I thought readers might enjoy learning about a simple way to improve your daily caffeine hit. I have no idea if this also improves espresso. I don't make it at home.
Tap water in the public water supply most anywhere in the USA is treated with small amounts of chlorine gas. It dissolves in the water & kills bacteria and micro-organisms. Where I live in Maryland, more chlorine is used in warm weather & less in cold weather. I can easily smell it in the summer.
I learned that chlorine in the water has a negative effect on brewed coffee. It’s hard to describe, but to me it adds a slightly “burned and/or bitter flavor” to coffee. (I used quotes only because that’s how I describe it to myself, but I don’t know if that really means anything to others.)
There are two easy ways to remove chlorine from water. 1) Bring the water to a full boil. 2) Pass the water through a filter that contains activated charcoal, such as a Britta filter. These filters do need to be replaced as they get used. Both methods work.
How did I learn this? I already knew from years in a lab that chlorine, bromine, & iodine gas are easily dissolved in cold water, and that they kill micro-organisms. As the water temperature goes up, those gasses become less & less soluble. Shortly before water boils, those gases come completely out of water. Chlorine gas is colorless, but you can easily see bromine gas (amber) and iodine gas (purple) as they come off the top the water’s surface. I remember camping where there was well water, treated with iodine. In the morning, boiling water for some instant coffee and instant oatmeal, I distinctly remember seeing a very brief gasp of purple vapor coming off the water, shortly before it boiled.
In my early just-married days, I made coffee with a simple Melitta drip pot. They still sell them today. I first boiled water in a kettle, and then poured a little onto the grounds to wet them. A few minutes later, I poured the rest of the water over the grounds. It was simple, and worked great.
As time went by, I eventually got a number of cheap electric drip coffee makers. They were easier to use, but the coffee never seemed to taste as good. Out of nostalgia, one weekend, I got out that old Melitta drip pot & made coffee. Surprisingly, it tasted better. Everything was the same except the drip pot, and that I boiled the water in a kettle. I had already read somewhere how most inexpensive electric drip makers didn’t actually heat water much above roughly 180-185°F. That was said to be due to the cheaper 1,000 Watt heaters in those makers. So, I wondered, if it doesn’t boil the water, it might not drive off the chlorine.
The next day, I tested that idea in the electric drip pot using water from a Britta filter. It tasted no different from coffee made with the Melitta pot! That had to be the answer! Remove the chlorine and no more burned, bitter taste.
I later learned that Technivorm uses more expensive 1,400 Watt heaters in their Moccamasters. They got water hotter. The next time the cheap heating element in my electric drip pot died, I sprung for a Technivorm. That was sometime around 2005 or 2006. I still use it today. And just in case, I also use water filtered through activated charcoal.
I thought readers might enjoy learning about a simple way to improve your daily caffeine hit. I have no idea if this also improves espresso. I don't make it at home.
. It's actually quite a bit more complex than anything routinely done in biochemistry or molecular biology labs.
