If you are considering acquiring a MAVEA filter system or if you are already a MAVEA user and you have a question, why not first browse through the Frequently Asked Questions pages – we may have anticipated your questions and the answer is there.
Heavy metals can appear in drinking water mainly caused by the water line installation material and can be unhealthy if they are highly concentrated. A reduction of lead and copper by professional water processing is therefore recommended.
Professional water filter-systems remove unwanted properties (e.g. chlorine) and eliminate – if necessary – unpleasant odor and taste in drinking water. Especially important is the significant reduction of water hardness. Thus scale deposits in coffee machines will be avoided.
The ion exchange resin binds certain calcium and magnesium ions and exchanges them with hydrogen ions, thus reducing the temporary hardness of the water. The exhausted filters are exclusively regenerated in a modern plant, which means guaranteed filter capacities and performance.
Water filters which are especially designed for optimizing water for all coffee applications use a so-called ion exchanger (resin) which eliminate only certain ingredients (e.g. carbonate hardness, heavy metals) and capture them off the water. Thus the chemical composition of water is changed in a way that no scale deposits can occur. Added activated carbon removes Chlorine, off taste and odor in the product water.
Every professional water filter for coffee machines should only be operated with cold water of potable water quality. The installation of the filter should be as close as possible to the coffee machine. The water intake to the filter passes a special designed filter head (MAVEA Water Filter System). There are fixed connections for inlet and product water which allow easy connection for flexible hoses of appropriate size. The filter heads provide an adjustable bypass and hence are suitable for coffee and espresso machines as well as for all other drink dispensers. These device is flexible and can be adjusted for individual local demands. For various applications it is possible to operate with zero bypass setting. The bypass setting enables easy adjustment of the coffee water quality in accordance with individual requirements. Different technologies of coffee machines and a huge variety of coffee can be considered. MAVEA will provide you with further recommendations.
The capacity of a water filter depends primarily on the quantity of carbonate hardness which needs to be neutralized. Lower contents of carbonate hardness in water and a small requirement for a daily quantity of filtered water, reduces the need of a filter with very high ion exchange capacity. If a large quantity of water together with a high carbonate hardness is prevalent a filter with a big capacity should be chosen. Before every installation the carbonate hardness has to be obtained using a test kit. Hardness based capacity tables for the water filters are linked to volume. A water meter will indicate the total consumption of water at any time.
In general only water filters which are produced according to food grade quality should be installed together with professional coffee machines. The quality of the filter should be checked and certified regularly by independent research institutions. The regeneration of the filters should be exclusively done by the manufacturer. Only in this case the full reliability and functionality of the filter is guaranteed and a constant high quality of coffee water is assured.
When choosing and setting up a water filter the required mixture of coffee beans and the type of coffee machine should be taken into consideration. Arabica mixtures e.g. need other water attributes than those mixtures with a high portion of Robusta beans. Coffee machines with integrated boiler have different demands than those with a continuous-flow water heater. Table-top machines without direct water connection require special water filters. Producers of water filters can give advice how to optimize coffee water. Coffee water should always be “freshly filtered” just prior of use. Water that has been in the feed line, the tap or in the filter for some time – (so-called stagnation water), e.g. after week-ends should be flushed out. It is important to choose the right coffee machine, taking into account the current needs. It is important that installations are maintained regularly and that all tubing's are getting replaced after every 5 years at least. It is advisable to look at the different producers of machines and water filter manufactures already at the first time considering an installation of a new professional coffee machine.
The pH level in water may range between 0 and 14, indicating the level of acidic or alkaline contends in the water. A neutral pH value would be set at 7, values below are considered to be acidic, higher values are alkaline. Drinks like Cola and lemon juice range at a pH value of about 2,3 or 2,5 respectively. Potable water has a pH value between pH 6,5 and pH 8,5 depending on the region and the type of water. This is controlled and maintained by the water supply company.
Carbonate hardness is the quantity of dissolved calcium and manganese ions tied to hydrogen carbonate. When water is being heated up these salts develop scale deposits.
Especially in industrialized countries drinking water serves high quality expectations. Nevertheless certain water qualities are essential for different applications - thus also ingredient water for coffee. As a matter of fact for the preparation of hot drinks, the quality of water is of great importance. The feed water quality needs to be improved depending on the chemical analysis of water contents. Through eliminating unwanted ingredients like e.g. carbonate hardness, taste and odor of water (e.g. chlorine) as well as heavy metals (like lead and copper) the highest water quality of hot drinks will be maintained. On top, important minerals will remain for a good coffee aroma and flavor. On the other hand a high portion of carbonate hardness in water can lead to an unattractive surface film on tea drinks. Scale deposits can occur in professional coffee machines. This can lead to down-time of machines following high costs of labor and service and of cause a smaller turnover. Professional water treatment protects effectively from scale deposits and hence proves best coffee quality.
Professional water filters reduce the carbonate hardness from coffee water without removing it completely. Note: Carbonate hardness should remain at approx. 3-4 °dKH at all times. Also the proportion of the total hardness of water should be kept – since it is important for the coffee aroma and flavor. In addition the pH-value shall not be reduced significantly – which makes up for a better taste. All these attributes must be guaranteed while filtering the water. Only specially designed water filters are used today to bring coffee water to a required high standard.
Only cold, potable water may be used with the MAVEA water filter system. Microbiological polluted water or water of unknown microbiological quality cannot be used without appropriate sterilization. Central water softeners may influence the composition of water immensely which makes it necessary to contact MAVEA.
Minerals like sodium, potassium and calcium are essential for a superior aroma. For water processing it is important to secure the necessary contents of minerals in coffee water for a optimal aroma and flavor.
