This is the heart of our research. Six water rebuilds for testing that cover the majority of common kitchen uses. There are two general prep waters: blanch & stock/ extraction. Then we have a coffee water for a V60 filter plus three common waters for pasta, pizza and basmati rice. Though the pizza dough leans towards spring it is a reliable everyday water for bread and a good starting point.

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Note: we work out the mineral and element ratios for our waters using AI. To do this we examine hundreds of published scientific papers and science journals to arrive at specific recipes for cooking. As these are recipes they are open to interpretation. We encourage further testing and feedback so we can open up this area of water research to a wider audience. Should you want help with bespoke waters or training please get in touch: contact

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Blanching Water

Use: Green veg blanch; colour without mush.

Tap risk: Unknown alkalinity swings green veg toward mush or drab; chlorine can dull aroma.

This spec: Low alkalinity + modest Ca/Mg firms cell walls without “soapy” bite; clean, neutral aroma.

Operational win: Brighter colour, crisper texture, tighter cook window - batch after batch.​

Ion targets (mg/L, as ions): Ca 20.0 · Mg 8.0 · Na 0.0 · K 0.0 · HCO₃⁻ 20.0 · Cl⁻ 23.8 · SO₄²⁻ 31.6

 

Salts grams for 5L

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃): 0.0820 g

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.405 g

Calcium chloride (CaCl₂):  0.247 g

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Build​

• Chill near-zero-TDS water and one SodaStream bottle (≈820 mL) to ≤10 °C.

• Carbonate the bottle vigorously. While swirling, whisk in 0.0820g CaCO₃ for 60–90 s; let it cloud, give one brief extra plunge if needed, then vent gently until it runs clear(ish). You’ve made a calcium-bicarbonate concentrate.

• Decant this concentrate into the remaining plain water to make 5.00 L total; stir, then de-gas uncovered 12–24 h (or heat once) until still/bright.

• Add the Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O) and Calcium chloride (CaCl₂)

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Hardness (as CaCO₃): ~83 mg/L

Alkalinity (as CaCO₃): ~16.4 mg/L

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V60 Coffee Filter Water 

Use: Hand-brewed filter (e.g., Hario V60): high clarity, steady extraction, sweet finish.

Tap risk: Unknown hardness/alkalinity swings push cups sour/astringent or flat; residual chlorine dulls aromatics. 

This spec: Magnesium-forward hardness to lift extraction; modest calcium for texture; alkalinity near 40 as CaCO₃ preserves acidity; gentle chloride for roundness; sulfate mid-low for structure—all inside SCA’s brew-water window and consistent with cation-binding evidence. 

Operational win: Repeatable EY/TDS in the SCA “Golden Cup” band with cleaner, brighter cups across roast styles. 

Ion targets (mg/L, as ions):

Ca 10.0 · Mg 12.0 · Na 7.8 · K 9.3 · HCO₃⁻ 45.0 · Cl⁻ 12.0 · SO₄²⁻ 47.4

 

Salts — grams for 5.00 L (ZeroWater base):

• Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃, very fine): 0.125 g  → dissolve under CO₂ to form Ca(HCO₃)₂

• Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.606 g

• Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃): 0.119 g

• PDV sodium chloride (NaCl): 0.099 g

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Build

• Chill near-zero-TDS water and one SodaStream bottle (≈820 mL) to ≤10 °C.

• Carbonate the bottle vigorously. While swirling, whisk in 0.125 g CaCO₃ for 60–90 s; let it cloud, give one brief extra plunge if needed, then vent gently until it runs clear(ish). You’ve made a calcium-bicarbonate concentrate.

• Decant this concentrate into the remaining plain water to make 5.00 L total; stir, then de-gas uncovered 12–24 h (or heat once) until still/bright.

• Dissolve 0.606 g MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.119 g KHCO₃, and 0.099 g NaCl; stir to clear

• Brew with flat (de-gassed) water.

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Hardness (as CaCO₃): ~74 mg/L

Alkalinity (as CaCO₃): ~36.9 mg/L

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Stock / Extraction Water

Use: Stocks, broths, infusions, tea; “clean pull” without chalk.

Tap risk: High alkalinity flattens flavour; variable hardness clouds extractions; chlorine shows up in delicate broths/tea.

This spec: Moderate hardness (esp. Mg) for carry and clarity; restrained alkalinity for clean high notes; neutral base.

Operational win: Clearer stocks, cleaner aromatics, more repeatable extractions.

Ion targets (mg/L): Ca 20.0, Mg 10.0, Na 0.0, K 0.0, HCO₃⁻ 40.0, Cl⁻ 12.1, SO₄²⁻ 39.5

 

Salts for 5.00l

 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃): 0.1641 g

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.5055 g

Calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl₂·2H₂O, E509): 0.1255 g

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Hardness: ~91 mg/L

Alkalinity: ~33 mg/L

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The build method is the same as the previous waters.

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Rice Water (Basmati-forward)

Use: Long-grain definition; tight surface, pearly core.

Tap risk: Too soft/variable water gives sticky, clumped grains; residual chlorine muddies perfume.

This spec: Balanced Ca/Mg to firm the surface; moderate sulfate/alkalinity to keep grains long and separate; neutral aroma.

Operational win: Longer, freer grains with consistent timing and fragrance.

Ion targets (mg/L): Ca 25.0, Mg 8.0, Na 0.0, K 0.0, HCO₃⁻ 60.0, Cl⁻ 9.34, SO₄²⁻ 31.6

 

Salts for 5.00l

 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃): 0.246 g

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.407 g

Calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl₂·2H₂O, E509): 0.097 g

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Use the same build as above.

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Hardness: ~95 mg/L

Alkalinity: ~49 mg/L

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Pasta Water 

Use: locks al dente in by giving the pot a stable, mid-hardness, low-alkalinity ionic background—no salt required.

Tap risk: City/season swings make pasta unpredictable—too soft → surface sloughing/stick; too hard/alkaline → chalky bite and a narrow al dente window.

This spec: Sets Ca/Mg to firm the outer gel layer and trims cooking loss; keeps alkalinity moderate so texture is clean, not squeaky.

Ops win: Wider, steadier al dente window; clearer pot liquor; consistent cook times across shifts and sites.

Ion targets (mg/L): Ca 60.0, Mg 15.0, Na 12.2, K 0.0, HCO₃⁻ 60.0, Cl⁻ 90.0, SO₄²⁻ 59.3

 

Salts for 5.00l

 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃): 0.246 g

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.765 g

Calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl₂·2H₂O, E509): 0.739 g

Sodium chloride (NaCl): 0.160 g

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Use the same build as above.

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Hardness (as CaCO₃): ~212 mg/L · 

Alkalinity (as CaCO₃): ~49 mg/L​

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Dough / Pizza Water

Use: Gluten structure with calm fermentation.

Tap risk: Hard/alkaline spikes can choke fermentation and toughen gluten; soft/low-buffer water yields slack, sticky dough.

This spec: Mid-hardness for structure; measured alkalinity for stable pH; chloride/sulfate balance tuned for flavour.

Operational win: Predictable fermentation rate, stronger windowpane, consistent oven spring.

Ion targets (mg/L): Ca 40.0, Mg 10.0, Na 0.0, K 0.0, HCO₃⁻ 100.0, Cl⁻ 12.6, SO₄²⁻ 39.5

 

Salts for 5.00l

 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃): 0.410 g

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄·7H₂O): 0.505 g

Calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl₂·2H₂O, E509): 0.130 g

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Use the same build as above.

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Hardness: ~141 mg/L

Alkalinity: ~82 mg/L