Tenuki, have you tried the maifan stones?
I am suggesting this because I dimly understand soft water to be water minus lots of minerals... and assuming that the maifan creates a minerally sweetness.
Bamboo Charcoal is called bamboo charcoal because it is made from bamboo, so I have been told (carbonized bamboo)... not merely describing a shape. From what I read around the web, its benefits are a highly porous structure and high mineral content - so maybe that would help the soft water problem as well.
Dec 9th, '08, 10:06
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Any thoughts on this?
Louseki stone and Binchotan charcoal Water Pitcher
from Design Within Reach
Looks cool, and it might make spectacular water, but only 30oz at a time. But it eliminates the plastic from a brita, and with the addition of the minerals might be quite wonderful.
Louseki stone and Binchotan charcoal Water Pitcher
from Design Within Reach
Looks cool, and it might make spectacular water, but only 30oz at a time. But it eliminates the plastic from a brita, and with the addition of the minerals might be quite wonderful.
Yes, I just put one piece of it in the kettle and pretty much leave it there.
But before I use it the first time, I rinse it very throughly. I have never had any loose bits float off.
For me it tends to soften my hard water, add a sweetness and sort of round it out. Hard to explain. Do your own taste taste and see if you prefer it or not.
But before I use it the first time, I rinse it very throughly. I have never had any loose bits float off.
For me it tends to soften my hard water, add a sweetness and sort of round it out. Hard to explain. Do your own taste taste and see if you prefer it or not.
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Taitea - another alternative is just to let it sit in a container you use for tea water (before boiling). I believe at Red Circle they tend to use it this way - I was told to let the charcoal sit overnight in the water before using, and then just leave it there - for example if you have a gallon jug.
Victoria's idea to rinse first sounds good to me.
Victoria, I'm rethinking my water boiling methods. What kind of kettle do you use? (I suppose I should go to another topic, but while I've got you here...
)
Victoria's idea to rinse first sounds good to me.
Victoria, I'm rethinking my water boiling methods. What kind of kettle do you use? (I suppose I should go to another topic, but while I've got you here...
)I have Adagio's UtiliTEA kettle.
At home I use filtered water from my fridge, at work bottled water.
At home I use filtered water from my fridge, at work bottled water.
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
I will check that out. I love electric kettles but started worrying (perhaps needlessly) about plastics and all that (and I use bottled water)...Victoria wrote:I have Adagio's UtiliTEA kettle.
Today I tried an experiment, boiling the water in a large pyrex measuring cup via microwaves! I also have a Capresso glass electric kettle elsewhere but not that much precious counter top room in a NYC kitchen! My counter space may be more limited than most of you out there could imagine.
Any particular type of filter? (sorry if you have said this already and I have forgotten or missed it...)At home I use filtered water from my fridge, at work bottled water.
When I say filtered water from my fridge, I mean it is the built in refrigerator filter, the water comes out my dispenser. I don't use a Britta or other type filter.
The UtiliTEA is 30oz and the size is: The base is about 5.5" - but the handle projects another 2.5", you would need about 8". Height is about 8.5".
Yes stainless inside and out - but there is a plastic water level vewing window.
The UtiliTEA is 30oz and the size is: The base is about 5.5" - but the handle projects another 2.5", you would need about 8". Height is about 8.5".
Yes stainless inside and out - but there is a plastic water level vewing window.
If you want to learn more about Bamboo Charcoal and its avantages over regular charcoal, have a look at the video from the link Tenuki provided. There is a wealth of info here:ABx wrote:If you're saying that the activated charcoal works better, then that pretty much settles it for me that it's just charcoal adsorbing what charcoal does, and nothing to do with the fact that it's bamboo shaped.
When you reduce stuff to a pure carbon structure then it starts trapping particulates and some chemicals like chlorine. Activated charcoal is where they pressurize it while it's burning, which creates a whole bunch of tiny little bubbles, creating intense amounts of surface area that adsorb even more. When you put it in the kettle then it's going to bounce around from the boiling, cleaning the water as it passes through it.
So why not just get some good grade water filtering carbon? It would be a whole lot cheaper and it would probably adsorb even more. You can get a nylon mesh bag to put it in. You just need to make sure to rinse out the dust before you put it in, and make sure you get the good grade pellet stuff rather than the irregular chips that turn to mush.
I suppose you could also run your water through a Brita twice, but the charcoal itself may be removing more of something that the Brita cartridge isn't getting with it's ratio of charcoal to ion exchange resin.
http://www.blacktonature.com/cctv_tech.shtml
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Dec 9th, '08, 17:02
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Joined: Sep 15th, '08, 21:01
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Do not, I repeat, do not heat water in a microwave.Janine wrote:Today I tried an experiment, boiling the water in a large pyrex measuring cup via microwaves! I also have a Capresso glass electric kettle elsewhere but not that much precious counter top room in a NYC kitchen! My counter space may be more limited than most of you out there could imagine.
The FDA has received reports of serious skin burns or scalding injuries around people's hands and faces as a result of hot water erupting out of a cup after it had been over-heated in a microwave oven.
The water can heat to a higher temperature than boiling since it doesn't create 'bubbles' as the water molecules are heated in a different fashion. When you open the door of the microwave it agitates the water and allows for the introduction of air and has been know to explode, generally in people's faces.
Not a safe practice...I suggest a kettle.
As usual in our modern world the warning is issued and people run in panic instead of figuring out a solution.
The problem is superheating due to the lack of a nucleation site. If you put a rough microwave safe item in the water to form bubbles around (ie provide a nucleation site) it works fine to heat it in the microwave.
The problem is superheating due to the lack of a nucleation site. If you put a rough microwave safe item in the water to form bubbles around (ie provide a nucleation site) it works fine to heat it in the microwave.
Dec 9th, '08, 18:59
Posts: 132
Joined: Sep 15th, '08, 21:01
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