Archive for October 20th, 2009
Hard Water Makes for Bad Coffee
Early one morning last month, I woke up begrudgingly and trudged to the kitchen with my eyelids still fluttering closed. As was my custom just before work, I planned to enjoy an invigorating espresso shot or two. Without my morning coffee, I’m basically a zombie; I can hardly function, and my work definitely suffers. Unfortunately, I took one sip of my freshly pulled espresso and spit it right into the sink.
It turned out that my home’s hard water problem had extended beyond just creating a frustrating shower experience. Calcium deposits had built up in the boiler of my espresso machine, affecting the taste and obstructing the brewing process. The machine was in perfect working order; it just needed to be decalcified. I found an appropriate descaler, and ever since I’ve been cleaning the machine on a monthly basis.