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Is the quality of your tap water disrupting your morning java’s flavour? Perhaps you wonder why coffee from a café always tastes better than yours at home. The difference is in the water. Cafes use commercial water filtration systems to create delicious and pure water for brewing. Now, you can do that at home, too. Filtering your tap water makes all the difference in your coffee. Instead of tasting bitter and off-putting, filtered water makes your coffee taste bright. It has a smoother, more cheerful flavour because the water used to brew it is cleaner. The chemicals put in tap water can change the flavour of your coffee or tea, and not for the better. Your daily cup of joe should taste extraordinary. It can, if you use an at-home water filtration system. What’s Wrong with Tap Water? The tap water coming out of your faucet has likely been laced with chemicals. While municipal water is generally safe to drink in many cities, certain chemicals affect the taste of your coffee and tea. One of the most commonly used chemicals by municipalities is chlorine. (Yes, the same stuff that keeps public swimming pools clean.) It’s added to your water source for purification; it kills bacteria and disease-causing pathogens. However, it also carries a distinct taste. Another common chemical found in tap water is fluoride. Fluoride is naturally found in soil, rocks, the sea, and in some foods. It has extensive benefits for teeth, so many governments started including it in water sources. The intent was to prevent tooth decay among citizens, but some people are concerned about potential effects of too much fluoride. Since it can be a endocrine-disruptor, certain doses could possibly cause cancer or developmental disorders. Herbicides and nitrates are sometimes found in tap water. Farms that use herbicides and pesticides can contaminate groundwater with their runoff. These chemicals drain deep into public soil and into our water sources. Lead is also found in tap water from corroded household plumbing. The presence of these and other chemicals in your drinking water are cause for concern. They also affect the taste of what you drink. How Filtered Water Affects the Flavour What constitutes the perfect cup of coffee? For many, it starts with the gorgeous aroma of brewing coffee grounds floating through the air. When the coffee maker beeps, some of us believe our day is about to get a whole lot better. The flavour of each coffee brand is different, but we can all agree that a coffee beverage shouldn’t be acidic or bitter. There are richer and deeper notes in some roasts. Others have cheerful and bright flavours. Many opt for the standard medium roast that provides a reliable and enjoyable pick-me-up. Your best cup of coffee consists of 98 percent water. Without a filtration system, you risk sacrificing flavour. Many of the chemicals in tap water carry their own unique tastes. Unfortunately, they have the power to ruin a gorgeous cup of morning java. You can immediately improve any water-based drink by installing a filtration system. Suddenly, you don’t need to stop at a cafe for coffee because your at-home brew is just as good. How to Get a Water Filtration System at Home Did you know there are water filtration systems designed to improve your coffee and other beverages? The Everpure PBS400 is one of them. In addition to ensuring your water is clean and pure, it removes any odour or taste that alters flavour. Simply install this filtration system under your kitchen sink and connect it to the cold water line. With a peak flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute, your water pressure isn’t affected. One easy installation and your water is good for brewing. Every year or so you have to replace the filter cartridge, but that’s an easy price to pay for delicious beverages. This system and others like it are available to buy online. After shipping speedily to your location, the installation of your system is easier than you might think. With some simple instructions and a quick run through the filter, you’re good to go. Other Tips for Making a Great Cup of Coffee It’s not just water quality that affects your coffee (although that is a huge part). Everything from the water temperature to the type of beans affects the taste. Here are two other ways to improve your morning drink. 1. Use the Right Water Temperature You may think that caring about water temperature is for coffee snobs, but it’s not. There is a significant improvement in flavour when you use the correct temperature for your brew. The key temperature range is 90-96 degrees Celsius. Within this range, the compounds in your coffee grounds most easily dissolve into the water. If the water is hotter, it’ll over-dissolve them. Not hot enough and you won’t dissolve them enough. You can control the water temperature by using a thermometer. Dip it into the slurry, or the surface of your coffee filter where the grinds and water are combining. Ensure it’s within this range. If you care about temperature, which you should, it’s easier to control with a french press. Take the water’s temperature before adding it to the grinds to ensure it’s in the range. 2. Choose Higher Quality Beans You can get high quality beans from most every country and of every origin. Don’t limit yourself to only drinking Columbian or Rwandan brews. That being said, when roasters boast the origins of their beans on the packaging, that’s a good sign. You want to choose beans that come from a roaster who is proud of them. The package should tell you everything you want to know about the beans. Then, look for the “roast by date” on the package to ensure you don’t use stale beans. Opt for Arabica beans over Robusta. Robusta are a type of bean that’s usually cheaper and less flavourful. Arabica beans, while more expensive, offer a better quality of flavour and come in a wider range of scents and varieties. Lastly, ensure the packaging uses a one-way valve. This allows the beans to de-gas without letting oxygen in. Efilters.ca believes that families and businesses deserve to use only the cleanest and purest water. We offer a selection of the highest quality filtration systems to ensure your water needs are met. To inquire about one of our products or to get more information on their use, send us a message or call: 1(866) 283-9919.

Is Your Operation’s Water Quality What It Should Be? Foodservice operations that compete successfully in today’s constantly changing marketplace know what their customers want and implement a plan of quality products and services to achieve it.  Consumer demand for safe, quality drinking water, both at home and when dining out, has risen dramatically in the last few years.  So have levels of water-borne contaminants in our nation’s water supply, yet a great many foodservice operations are still taking water quality for granted. Making Water Quality a Priority Big-ticket items such as convection ovens, reach-in refrigerators and ranges are usually top of mind when foodservice operators review budgets and make long-term planning decisions.  Although considerably less expensive than other essential equipment, selecting high-performance water filtration equipment and supplies is often an afterthought. The fact that properly filtered water has been proven to extend equipment life and significantly reduce maintenance calls doesn’t always convince an operator to buy the best system and filters available.  Eliminating the possibility of serving contaminated water and food to your customers should be an operator’s Number One priority – the lost sales and negative public relations resulting from water – or food – borne parasite outbreak could put you out of business. USA Today featured a Special Report on national water quality, which took an in-depth look at factors affecting water quality (new strains of microorganisms, frequent flooding, agricultural pesticides, industrial waste) and the problems and cost associated with replacing aging treatment facilities and residential water lines.  A close examination of federal & state records revealed that a number of municipalities are not adequately regulated, with infrequent enforcement of violations. Later that month, an NBC-TV movie, “Thirst,” focused on a life and death race against time to control a deadly parasite that contaminated a southern California community’s municipal water supply.  In this case, art imitated life.  Milwaukee’s Crypto outbreak in April 1993 remains the worst in modern U.S. history, killing 111 people and leaving 403,000 other residents with life-threatening stomach distress, diarrhea and dehydration. Promote Water & Food Safety Now that consumers are convinced of the importance of safe drinking water and are purchasing point-of -use filtration systems for their homes, foodservice operators who want to build consumer loyalty and repeat business have no choice but to maintain the highest water quality standards. For the past five years, Marriott Corp. has exclusively used Everpure water filtration systems and filters.  “We insist on doing a job correctly the first time, using products that are built well and guaranteed to perform,” says Don Grim, Executive Vice President, Corporate Quality Assurance.  “The water filtration products we select must have NSF International certification for cyst removal.  Not only do our guests avoid exposure to contaminants, our maintenance engineers know that using the best filter and system means they’ll have fewer equipment breakdowns and easier cleanup.” NSF certification for contaminant removal reduction is an independent standard of excellence that can be achieved by any water filtration system manufacturer.  However, a number of companies are currently manufacturing water filters to fit heads produced by competitors, which automatically voids NSF certification. Not only do you lose the quality of water that you have come to depend on, you also lose the manufacturer’s warranty and you are putting your customers at risk. Try explaining to your customers that they were served contaminated beverages and food because of an internal decision to put profit over safety! People whose immune systems have been weakened by AIDS/HIV, the elderly and small children may be a small portion of your customer base right now, but all of your customers, especially those who are vulnerable to certain microorganisms, are depending upon your operation’s equipment and sanitation practices to protect them from unsafe food & water. Although some Crypto and E coli outbreaks can be traced directly to employee hygiene and food preparation/sanitation procedures, being vigilant in enforcing these regulations is only half of the safe water/food equation. Water is Food Coffee and tea are close to 100 percent water, Ice is 100 percent water.  Soups, sauces and most liquids have water as its main ingredient.  Ice is used in beverages and to cool foods.  Make no mistake, water is food. Any water – ice, steam, coffee, post-mix – or food that customers come in contact with should be filtered by a process that has achieved NSF certification for removal of cysts (Standard 53).

You can take steps to make your water cleaner for your household, office, or business. Install one of our Quantum 4000 water filter as part of a filtration system to remove toxins and germs and make your water safer to drink.

Quantum 1000 water filter works to remove contaminants as small as .5 microns in size (or larger, like lead dust), most bacteria, and parasitic cysts. Its quick change cartridge allows you to replace it without making contact with the filter media so it remains clean.

Bacteria are the most numerous organisms on the planet.  There are literally millions of different types of bacteria.  They are one-celled organisms and are present in everything from water to food, and on objects we touch every day.  

The presence of lead in drinking water is more prevalent and serious than many people realize.  Despite common perceptions, lead is not restricted to inner-city communities, but rather is a problem that affects many water systems across the country.  

Off-tastes and odours are common water quality problems across the country.  They are caused by a variety of factors, the most common of which is chlorine.  

Scale is solid material that builds up on the surfaces of water-using kitchen equipment such as coffee makers, ice makers, dishwashers and instant hot taps. 

Cryptosporidium (pronounced krip-toe-spo-rid-ee-um) is a parasite that can live in the intestines of humans, farm animals, wild animals, and household pets.