do you filter your water ?

[britt]

Due to heavy chlorination and fluoridation of my tap water, I use bottled spring water. Several times after heating tap water for non-tea use I forgot and made tea with it. The difference was very noticeable. I can see how someone could mistakenly give a poor rating to a superior tea because of inferior water.

[betta]

All of water filters give different results depend on their effectivity and also the source of the water.
The maximum degree of filtering can be achieved if you use multiple filter (activated carbon, charcoal), plus those ion exchanger resins. Basically almost all filtration system should have these components but at a different proportion, like those of Brita cartridge. The aim is only to remove excess unwanted materials from the tap water. The maximum filtered pure water (unionized bi-distillied water) tastes awful, sligtly basic (bitter, if you tounge sensitive enough). It won't leave a scale on your kettle if you boil it.
The chinese people are wise enough that they use again charcoal or a stone, called mai fan stone, to add again the mineral into soft water so that it taste somehow good after couple of hours exposure.
So, re-tuning might be needed if you filter your water like I do.

[brandon]

We have a office style water cooler with 5 gallon bottles that we refill ourselves at the grocery store (mega cheap that way). Not only does this keep our icky tap water away from my teaware (We are not as blessed as some with municipal water supplies), but having really cold water on demand compels us to drink more fluids.

I have the same. I still get a slow scale build up in my kettle, but I only clean it every few weeks. Never noticed any scale in my teaware since I drain it upside down in the dish rack to dry. Between the chlorine and my 1940s pipes, the tap water is not a tasty beverage. I wouldn't dream of souring tea with it.

Yes Mary, the bottles get returned and reused, of course

[wyardley]

I use spring water (with not too much mineral content), and sometimes I'll use a little Pur 3 stage filtered water. I don't like that that still doesn't take out the flouride, though.

I use charcoal in my kettle sometimes, and also have some maifan stones, but I find that they add too rocky a taste to the water usually.

[augie]

i've been filtering using brita pitchers but apparently they aren't that good
http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/W ... Matrix.cfm

I have the Culligan R.O. system, about 3 years old, from Culligan. The Culligan systems you get at the hardware store are different, cartridges are not the same. Also wired into our ice maker. Well worth the investment for us with 5 dirnkers, fish and a dog. We have to change the filter cartridges every 1-2 years (thre are 2 different, one lasts 5 years).

I did use Britta several years ago when we had Mississippi river/municipal water that had a little "fishy" background flavor. For a storebought pitcher system (I found for $3 with new refill cartridge at a garage sale) it was OK. Once we got hooked on filtered water, I had to get on the bottle and delivery system b/c the britta couldnt keep up! As Carnelian mentions, once I got the RO system, we all started drinking more water.

[Smells_Familiar]

I was using only R/O water for years for the saftey and purity, but then I tested it to see what the hardness, buffering capacity, and PH was. I found the R/O water was extreemly soft (lack of dissolved solids). I have since gotten into the habit of using 50% R/O water and 50% spring water for tea and coffee. I can say the taste of my coffee and tea is totally superior (to me) than it was using 100% reverse osmosis water.

[chrl42]

It's like everyone knows a spring bottled water is better than filtered tap water. But in China there's bottled water cheapter than buying a filter so there is

[joelbct]

I use filtered tap water, does the trick as long as one changes the filter regularly.

i've been filtering using brita pitchers but apparently they aren't that good
http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/W ... Matrix.cfm

""Studies show we take in as much or more chemicals from showering
as we do from drinking water."(Rutgers Univ.) "

lol oh no! now i need a shower filter

[chamekke]

Some brands of bottled water are simply tap water (e.g. Aquafina).

The water in my town has a nice taste. It's not overchlorinated, and is naturally soft (i.e. it has a relatively low mineral content, therefore I never have to descale the kettle).

So I'm among the few who actually use tap water (is that "faucet water" to the Americans?). On the very rare occasion that I can detect any chlorine taste, I boil it a little longer than usual. And while I have used a Brita tap filter in the past, the truth is that I never noticed any real difference, so I stopped using it.

[hop_goblin]

Some brands of bottled water are simply tap water (e.g. Aquafina).

The water in my town has a nice taste. It's not overchlorinated, and is naturally soft (i.e. it has a relatively low mineral content, therefore I never have to descale the kettle).

So I'm among the few who actually use tap water (is that "faucet water" to the Americans?). On the very rare occasion that I can detect any chlorine taste, I boil it a little longer than usual. And while I have used a Brita tap filter in the past, the truth is that I never noticed any real difference, so I stopped using it.

The area in MN that I currently reside in also has great tasting water. However, I just can't make myself use it. It would save me atleast $20 USD a month!

[orguz]

I have been going back and forth reading different topics. This is an interesting one. Are there any noticeable differences between spring or filtered water and regular tap water. Personally i use distilled water with bamboo charcoal (suggested by you know who) in my kettle.

[Mary R]

Personally i use distilled water with bamboo charcoal (suggested by you know who) in my kettle.

That Lord Voldemort sure does have a wide range of interests. World domination, eugenics, tea...he's quite the renaissance man.

[chamekke]

Personally i use distilled water with bamboo charcoal (suggested by you know who) in my kettle.

That Lord Voldemort sure does have a wide range of interests. World domination, eugenics, tea...he's quite the renaissance man.

Yup, little-known fact about the Dark Lord. He's a closet tea geek.

[Buzz Fledderjohn]

Personally i use distilled water with bamboo charcoal (suggested by you know who) in my kettle.

I've looked for bamboo charcoal in the past but couldn't find it. Does anybody have a good source?

[Mary R]

Best photoshop ever, Chamekke. You've earned yourself a golf clap with that one.