Water quality is the foundation of every great espresso. With this BWT (Best Water Technology) set, you can quickly measure the hardness and carbon hardness of your water. So before you say "espresso," make sure your water is ready for the perfect cup—both at home and at the café!
To determine the hardness of your water, simply count the drops of solution you add to the sample. The number of drops needed to change the color of the water (to red) will tell you exactly how hard your water is. Each drop corresponds to 1 °TH (degree of hardness). For example, if you need 5 drops, your water is soft, which corresponds to a value of 4–7 °TH. Table for reference:
- Very hard:>21 °TH
- Hard: 14–21 °TH
- Medium hard: 7–14 °TH
- Soft: 4–7 °TH
- Very soft:
In the case of calcium carbonate, the procedure is the same, except that one drop corresponds to 17.9 ppm. The SCA has set the acceptable alkalinity at 40–75 ppm. Therefore, if three drops were needed to change the color (3 * 17.9 = 53.7 ppm), the carbon hardness is fine.