Talk Coffee Blog — 2017-10-29

Filtration for espresso machines with stainless steel boilers

When selecting a water filter for your coffee machine, three key areas of filter performance should be taken into consideration: - **Sediment reduction** - removal of algal spores as well as small particles of dirt, sand and rust will protect the flow path of your machine. It will also prevent the boiler from accumulating sediment which can form a "sludge" acting as a catalyst for scale development. - **Chemical reduction** - reduction of chemicals such as chlorine which will negatively affect the taste of espresso - **Total hardness (TH) reduction** - this refers to the presence of Magnesium and Calcium salts in the water. Some of these salts can precipitate to form scale. This scale coats boiler surfaces, elements, valves, solenoids, gicleurs and water flow paths. Scale buildup can adversely affect water temperature, pressure, steam performance, water flow rate and taste. Whilst scale can be removed by chemically descaling the machine, minimising the accumulation of scale with the us