Commercial Water Purification Solutions for Coffee/Tea Establishments

Coffee shops and milk tea bars consume significant amounts of water for brewing coffee, preparing fruit juices, steeping tea, making ice, and more, while demanding high water quality standards. While most establishments currently install water purifiers, these are often basic single-stage filters placed before water heaters or ice machines. These typically contain only a PP cotton filter cartridge, capable of removing only large particles like sediment and rust. Some use two- or three-stage filters with added activated carbon cartridges to absorb chlorine odors from tap water, offering slightly better performance. However, these still fall far short of the water quality required for coffee brewing. Compounding the issue, high water hardness in certain regions significantly impacts the taste of coffee and beverages. Boilers suffer severe scale buildup, drastically shortening their lifespan.
Water purifiers are among the most essential pieces of equipment for beverage shops like bubble tea and coffee shops. Unlike household purifiers with RO reverse osmosis membranes, commercial water purifiers physically isolate non-dissolved substances.
For many business owners, choosing water for coffee extraction and selecting a water purifier has been a recurring challenge... If you've been grappling with these questions, congratulations! This article will guide you on how to evaluate your current water purifier.

01 Characteristics and Pain Points of Coffee Machine Water Purification
Water constitutes over 95% of a cup of coffee. Water quality directly impacts coffee flavor. TDS levels, hardness, and alkalinity determine extraction efficiency, ultimately affecting taste.
Excess minerals in source water cause scale buildup in coffee machine boilers and pipes, impairing performance, increasing failure rates, and shortening lifespan. Scale deposits also impart unpleasant flavors to heated water.
When pairing coffee machines with water purifiers, opt for reverse osmosis systems that allow adjustable TDS and hardness levels to meet coffee-specific water quality standards. Installing dedicated water softeners upstream addresses scaling and taste issues.
(Coffee/Tea Beverage Configuration: Suitable for sufficient investment budgets, low water consumption, and high water quality/taste requirements)
Coffee shops should select water purifiers capable of removing multiple impurities and harmful substances from water, such as heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, residual chlorine, and off-colors/odors, to ensure water purity and safety. Common filtration technologies include activated carbon filtration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. While reverse osmosis offers superior filtration, it also removes minerals. For coffee preparation, systems that retain some minerals may be preferable, as these minerals influence extraction and flavor.
Some beverage shops have adopted “space-grade technology” for water treatment
1. Enhancing coffee flavor through “water upgrades”
Baristas understand that water hardness and mineral content directly impact extraction efficiency and beverage taste.
According to World Health Organization guidelines, water below 60 ppm is classified as soft water, 60–120 ppm as moderately soft, and above 120 ppm as hard water.
Research by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) indicates water with ppm values between 75–250 is optimal for brewing coffee. Leading coffee brands find that water with ppm values between 75–125 yields the most ideal extraction results. Too low a ppm value can lead to over-extraction, while too high a value can result in under-extraction.

From my understanding, leading brands now specify water quality requirements down to the “TDS value of the output water.”
For instance, a coffee brand with thousands of outlets uses RO series blending machines. This equipment adjusts the output TDS value according to different needs, achieving stable TDS blending at high flow rates to maximize water quality's positive impact on coffee.
The brand's baristas informed me that through systematic purification, the outlet TDS levels across stores in different cities remain within specified ranges, ensuring consistent coffee quality to a significant degree.

Key Considerations for Coffee Shop Water Purifier Selection

01 Filtration Effectiveness
Coffee shops must select water purifiers capable of removing multiple impurities and harmful substances from water, such as heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, residual chlorine, and off-colors/odors, to ensure water purity and safety. Common filtration technologies include activated carbon filtration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. While reverse osmosis provides higher-level filtration, it also removes minerals from the water. For coffee preparation, a water purifier that retains some minerals may be more suitable, as minerals can influence coffee extraction and flavor.

02 Flow Rate
Select a water purifier with an appropriate flow rate based on the coffee shop's customer volume and the number of water-using appliances. An insufficient flow rate may lead to water shortages during peak hours, impacting coffee preparation efficiency. Conversely, an excessively high flow rate can result in resource waste and increased equipment costs.

03 Maintenance Costs
These include filter cartridge replacement costs and equipment maintenance expenses. Maintenance costs vary across different types and brands of water purifiers. Opt for cost-effective products with simple, convenient maintenance. Generally, high-quality filter cartridges, though relatively more expensive, offer longer service life, reducing long-term maintenance costs.

04 Brand After-Sales Service
Selecting a reliable water purifier brand ensures product quality and performance. Simultaneously, robust after-sales service is a crucial consideration, enabling timely resolution of issues during equipment operation and safeguarding the coffee shop's normal operations.

1. Pure Water (RO) Line
Utilizes a 5-stage reverse osmosis (RO) filtration system to remove over 99% of impurities, heavy metals, bacteria, and minerals, stabilizing TDS levels at an extremely low 1-10 ppm. This line primarily connects to equipment with stringent water quality requirements, such as ice makers, steam generators, and direct-drink faucets.

2. Adjustable Mineral Water (Blended Water) Line
A blending device mixes purified water with “mineral water” treated via ultrafiltration (UF) or ion exchange at a specific ratio, allowing TDS values to be adjusted within the 10-150ppm range. This line serves as the “golden water” for coffee and tea preparation, connecting to core equipment like coffee machines, water boilers, and tea brewers. The main line adjusts water quality via the blending unit, achieving a final TDS of 60ppm (adjustable). This significantly enhances coffee flavor clarity and cleanliness, balancing extraction quality with equipment protection.

Water Quality Requirements for Equipment
Ice Makers/Steamers/Drinking Faucets: TDS 1-10ppm
Coffee Machines/Tea Brewers/Water Boilers: TDS 10-150ppm

3. Zero Stagnant Water System
To address elevated TDS levels in the first cup of water after prolonged shutdowns of RO reverse osmosis purifiers, implement a “Zero Stagnant Water” solution. This system uses a time relay to automatically circulate purified water and flush the RO membrane after shutdown, ensuring consistent water quality for subsequent use. It is particularly suitable for coffee enthusiasts with high water quality sensitivity.

02 How to Pair Water Purifiers with Water Dispensers and Ice Makers?
I. Why Connect a Water Purifier to an Ice Maker?
1️⃣ Water Quality Upgrade: Filters impurities, residual chlorine, and heavy metals to prevent cloudy or odorous ice cubes;
2️⃣ Reduces Scale: Lowers calcium and magnesium ion content to protect evaporators and pipes, extending machine lifespan;
3️⃣ Food Safety: Prevents bacterial growth, ensuring beverage/food hygiene;
4️⃣ Lower Maintenance Costs: Reduces cleaning frequency, saving on descaling agents and labor expenses.

II. Steps to Connect an Ice Maker to a Water Purifier
📌 Step 1: Select a Compatible Water Purifier Key Matching Points:
✅ Sufficient Water Flow: Purifier output must ≥ ice maker inlet flow rate (refer to ice maker manual);
✅ High Filtration Precision: Select RO reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration purifiers with filtration precision below 0.01 microns;
✅ Flexible Installation: Prioritize under-sink or countertop purifiers for convenient piping connections.

📌 Step 2: Pre-Installation Preparation Confirm connection types: Ice maker inlet typically uses 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch quick-connect fittings; water purifier outlet must match (purchase adapters if incompatible). Tools/materials: Food-grade flexible tubing, pipe wrench, PTFE tape (for sealing).
📌 Step 3: Connection Procedure Shut off water supply: Close the water purifier's inlet valve and drain residual water from pipes. Connect purifier to ice maker: Use food-grade hose to link the purifier's outlet to the ice maker's inlet. Wrap threaded connections with PTFE tape to ensure leak-proof sealing. Secure tubing: Avoid kinks or pressure points; use zip ties for reinforcement.
📌 Step 4: Testing and Inspection
Open the water purifier valve and check for leaks at the connections.
Start the ice maker and observe if water flows smoothly.
After ice production, inspect the ice cubes for transparency and absence of odor to confirm filtration effectiveness.

III. Post-Connection Precautions
⚠️ Regularly maintain the water purifier: Replace the filter cartridge as per instructions (typically every 3-6 months) to prevent secondary contamination. Clean the water storage tank (if applicable) to prevent bacterial growth.
⚠️ Monitor ice maker performance: If ice production slows, check for clogged filters or low water pressure; shut off the connection valve between the purifier and ice maker during extended periods of non-use.

IV. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What if there's no pre-installed water purifier connection? Install a three-way diverter valve or choose an external water purifier (e.g., countertop model).
Q2: Does the water purifier require electricity? RO reverse osmosis purifiers need power; ultrafiltration purifiers do not. Select based on your setup.
Q3: Ice output decreases after connection? This may indicate insufficient water flow from the purifier. Upgrade to a higher-flow model or check for clogged filters.

V. Additional Recommendations
✅ Pair with a water softener: In areas with extremely hard water, softening before filtration provides dual protection.
✅ Install a pre-filter: Intercepts large particles to extend the lifespan of the water purifier's filter cartridges. Connecting a water purifier makes cleaning and maintaining your ice maker twice as effective. The improved ice quality directly enhances the user experience, making it especially suitable for bubble tea shops, cafes, hotels, and similar settings!

In beverage establishments, water purifiers are high-frequency fixtures, essential for equipment like tea extractors, water boilers, ice makers, coffee machines, and sinks.

Water for water boilers and ice makers must not only meet drinking standards but also prevent scale buildup on heating components. When water is heated to 80°C (176°F), calcium and magnesium ions transform into calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate molecules. Hard scale adheres to heating elements and container surfaces, while soft scale remains suspended in the water. Scale formation reduces heating element efficiency and shortens equipment lifespan, while also compromising container hygiene—such as causing bacterial overgrowth in ice cubes from ice makers.

Therefore, when selecting water purifiers for water boilers and ice makers, models with scale-inhibiting capabilities are recommended.