Water filter

[armormaniac]

So I read a blog post somewhere about a tea house having really good tea becaus they used an expensive Japanese ceramic filter.

The quality of the water pretty much makes or breaks your cup of tea so what do you guys use to filter your tea water?

The stuff I use is soft water from an Epsom salt machine we have in the house. But I imagine actual filters would work out a lot better.

[theredbaron]

So I read a blog post somewhere about a tea house having really good tea becaus they used an expensive Japanese ceramic filter.

The quality of the water pretty much makes or breaks your cup of tea so what do you guys use to filter your tea water?

The stuff I use is soft water from an Epsom salt machine we have in the house. But I imagine actual filters would work out a lot better.

The best water i get. Here in Bangkok it is Iceland Spring i can get at a department store a bit further away, or Volvic at a store close by when i am lazy.

[.m.]

So I read a blog post somewhere about a tea house having really good tea becaus they used an expensive Japanese ceramic filter.

The quality of the water pretty much makes or breaks your cup of tea so what do you guys use to filter your tea water?

The stuff I use is soft water from an Epsom salt machine we have in the house. But I imagine actual filters would work out a lot better.

I use a Doulton gravity ceramic filter - good for removing chlorine and impurities (and bacterias). Obviously, the quality of the filtered water depends on the quality of your tap water. I'd avoid softened water, it tends to taste thin and a bit salty. If your water is too hard, you can mix it with a low tds bottled water. Most definitely, try to compare different teas brewed with your water vs the same teas brewed with a good quality bottled water (Fiji, Volvic, Iceland spring.... there has been several discussions of waters on Teachat).

[stevorama]

At my office (US municipal water) I have an undersink carbon block filter (inexpensive from Home Depot) to remove chlorination by-products. The water has high TDS so I often mix it with RO water for brewing tea.

No filter at home because my water is clean and not chlorinated or high in TDS.

As mentioned softened water might not be the best for brewing tea.

There was a recent water discussion in the Pu Erh category and more previous discussions.

[Tead Off]

The best water i get. Here in Bangkok it is Iceland Spring i can get at a department store a bit further away, or Volvic at a store close by when i am lazy.

Have you tried Wildalp? It is Austrian spring water. I saw it on sale at Villa and picked up a bottle. There is a particular sencha I have been drinking for weeks with Volvic as it is an upgrade over the filtered tap, particularly with Japanese teas. With Wildalp, the moment I started to pour the brewed tea from my teapot, the aroma alone was magnified more than I've ever experienced. The taste was also magnified to a point I've never experienced with this tea and the mouthfeel and huigan were something special, too.

I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Since I use bottled waters for mostly Japanese teas, they make a huge difference, I'd like to see what you think when using this water with Wuyi teas. I will also try, perhaps later today.

[ahasja]

I use a on table filter from Carbonit called Sanuno and fixed to it I have a ion exchange filter from the same company. So far the best that I could find and I like that they don't use nanosilver.

[theredbaron]

The best water i get. Here in Bangkok it is Iceland Spring i can get at a department store a bit further away, or Volvic at a store close by when i am lazy.

Have you tried Wildalp? It is Austrian spring water. I saw it on sale at Villa and picked up a bottle. There is a particular sencha I have been drinking for weeks with Volvic as it is an upgrade over the filtered tap, particularly with Japanese teas. With Wildalp, the moment I started to pour the brewed tea from my teapot, the aroma alone was magnified more than I've ever experienced. The taste was also magnified to a point I've never experienced with this tea and the mouthfeel and huigan were something special, too.

I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Since I use bottled waters for mostly Japanese teas, they make a huge difference, I'd like to see what you think when using this water with Wuyi teas. I will also try, perhaps later today.

Thanks a lot - i will keep that in mind. The other day my wife bought me a bottle of "highland spring" as the Iceland water was out of stock. Did't try it yet as any good tea would be completely wasted right now on my massive cold/flu

[Tead Off]

The best water i get. Here in Bangkok it is Iceland Spring i can get at a department store a bit further away, or Volvic at a store close by when i am lazy.

Have you tried Wildalp? It is Austrian spring water. I saw it on sale at Villa and picked up a bottle. There is a particular sencha I have been drinking for weeks with Volvic as it is an upgrade over the filtered tap, particularly with Japanese teas. With Wildalp, the moment I started to pour the brewed tea from my teapot, the aroma alone was magnified more than I've ever experienced. The taste was also magnified to a point I've never experienced with this tea and the mouthfeel and huigan were something special, too.

I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Since I use bottled waters for mostly Japanese teas, they make a huge difference, I'd like to see what you think when using this water with Wuyi teas. I will also try, perhaps later today.

Thanks a lot - i will keep that in mind. The other day my wife bought me a bottle of "highland spring" as the Iceland water was out of stock. Did't try it yet as any good tea would be completely wasted right now on my massive cold/flu

I was able to brew Wuyi and Dong Ding with this water. The aromas and flavors are somehow magnified by this water. Mouthfeel and finish are amongst the best. If the quality of the tea is not good, it will show the tea for what it is. There is no hiding from this water.

[mrchrisjr]

I use a Doulton gravity ceramic filter to remove chlorine and pollutants from my water (and bacterias). Obviously, the filtered water's quality is determined on the quality of your tap water. I'd stay away from softened water because it has a thin, salty flavour. If your water is excessively hard, you can dilute it with bottled water with a low tds. Try comparing different teas made with your water to the same teas brewed with excellent quality bottled water (Fiji, Volvic, Iceland spring.... there has been several discussions of waters on Teachat).