One of the biggest challenges, and often most overlooked, in brewing great coffee comes from the water we are using. A home brewer using water straight from the tap has very little knowledge about the composition of their water, and most home filtration options don't remove hardness, making their machines clog up with scale, and reduce their effectiveness over time.

A lot of cafes combat this by buying Reverse Osmosis filtration systems - completely purifying the water, and then adding back in a mineral recipe which will enhance the flavour of their coffee. In much the same way that bad water can damage your equipment and lower the quality of your coffee, pure water is also harmful to your espresso machine, and taste-wise will result in a flat tasting cup. Some minerals are required to extract coffee properly, but it is the right mix of these minerals that we are after.

Third wave water is designed to give you the perfect mineral content in your water, in a way which is simple and effective for home users. You simply add one of the sachets to a 4L bottle of distilled water (available from the laundry aisle in most supermarkets), give it a shake, and you're good to go.

The two different recipes are designed with the Specialty Coffee Association of America's guidelines for optimum brewing water in mind. There are separate profiles for both Espresso and Filter (Classic Profile) in mind. Each packet contains 12 sachets - or enough to make 48L of brewing water.

Corner Tamp Mat | Rhinowares

Espresso Machine Backflush Cleaner | 100g

Espresso Machine Descale Cleaner | 100g

Espresso Machine Group Head Brush

Knock Box | Concept Art

Third Wave Water - Coffee Brewing Water Sachets