The key to great coffee is 4.5 billion years old.
Let's use it to our advantage.
The empirical water Bundle
The empirical water Bundle
295 USD value, limit 1 per customer lifetime.
empirical water is the brew water of choice for numerous World and US Coffee Champions.
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See Our Endorsements
See Our Endorsements
Jibbi Little — 2022 World Aeropress Champion 🥇
"I love the spring water for brewing coffee. It brings out floral and sweet notes, resulting in a clean cup without any bitter or drying aftertaste."
Try Jibbi's preferred mineral profile: spring
Julien Grey Langevin — 2022 US Cup Tasters Champion 🥇
"I’m blown away by the Glacial and Spring profiles," says Julien. "Both profiles increase the clarity of the cup immensely, and the acidity is more effervescent and round. The Glacial profile increases sweetness and more delicately articulates the savoriness. The Spring profile also increases sweetness, but it is more soft and refined. Overall I think Empirical Water really showcases coffees in a very special way." (Photo credit Matthew Temple)
Brian Quan — Coffee Professional
"Oh, this is interesting," says Brian about the glacial profile. "Very defined. This is really sweet. There is a distinctive difference between the two profiles. Out of the box with no adjustments, both of these profiles gave me really good brews." On the spring profile, Brian says, "It's round, it's sweet — it's actually really sweet. This is an incredibly good all-rounder water. I feel like I could brew almost any coffee with this water and it would give me good results across the board, boosting a lot of the enjoyable properties. It's really round and sweet, whereas the glacial profile has more definition. I think both of these profiles are really good, the question is whether you want to go in the direction of definition or sweetness and body. Pretty impressive. I do prefer glacial for the definition."
Try Brian's preferred mineral profile: glacial
Andrew Coe — 2023 World Roasters Championship 🥉, 2023 US Roasters Champion 🥇, Owner of Elevator Coffee
"As a roaster, I'm looking for coffee that has great balance and high sweetness," says Andrew. "Additionally, I'm always thinking about how customers can get great results brewing my coffees at home. I've been evaluating empirical water, and I've really enjoyed their glacial profile, a very easy to use bottled water for coffee. In my testing, it yields nicely balanced cups, yet the flavors are still distinct and clear." (Photo credit Savor Brands)
Try Andrew's preferred mineral profile: glacial
Sompetch "Pack" Katisomsakul — 2024 US National Brewer's Cup 🥉
"I was pleasantly surprised when I first tried empirical water. When I brewed a natural anaerobic coffee with it, the water softened the funky flavors, allowing hidden elements to shine with a clean finish, even as it cooled down. This water is excellent for enhancing the quality of your coffee. I highly recommend using empirical water to bring out the best flavors in coffee, especially in competitions, as I would do for myself."
Try Pack's preferred mineral profile: glacial
Kayla Baird — Cup of Excellence International Juror & London Coffee Masters Finalist
"I have brewed with the glacial profile," says Kayla, "and I was honestly so surprised and impressed at how much of a difference it made in the clarity of the coffee I brewed — a well-rested natural process coffee from Mexico."
Patrick Penny — Lead Product Developer at a major coffee company
"I’ve tested hundreds of water sources, including other ‘water optimizers’, for both personal and professional endeavors with tea and coffee. I can say with confidence that Empirical Water’s Spring and Glacial waters will bring your brews to the next level. I did both sequential and blinded tasting against a few of my favorite other water sources and the difference in sweetness perception, flavor clarity, and degree of extraction was clearly in Empirical Water's favor. I plan to continue using Empirical Water’s products both for fun experiments and everyday brewing!"
Grind That Coffee
"We’ve been brewing, testing, and comparing these profiles for a few weeks now, and we are impressed by the results," say Hanna and Damian from Grind That Coffee. "The brews are noticeably different from other available 'water options.' In terms of profiles, we found that for some coffees, we preferred glacial, while for others, the spring profile stood out—so there’s no clear winner for us yet."
"What they certainly have in common is that they bring sweetness to the forefront, create an incredibly pleasant mouthfeel, and extend the aftertaste. We love how some funky naturals that we previously found hard to drink suddenly became enjoyable, with the 'funkiness' reduced to a minimum. For washed coffees with high acidity, the glacial profile and buffer worked wonders to create a balanced cup! While we continue testing, we’re enjoying the brews these concentrates deliver and having fun experimenting."
Blooming Coffee
"The results we have with this water are simply incredible," say Alberto and Vanessa from Blooming Coffee. "From the first test, we noticed it enhances the essential qualities of each coffee, giving us more complex and balanced results. Depending on the coffee, it can intensify sweetness or balance acidity, creating a harmonious profile that stands out with every sip. What has surprised us the most is how it improves the mouthfeel and extends the aftertaste, making each cup much more enjoyable. Even coffees that were harder to appreciate before have revealed smoother notes and better-defined flavors. We’re still exploring its possibilities, but so far, empirical water has been key in discovering new dimensions in our coffees."
Nolan Dutton — Head Roaster and Green Coffee Buyer at Corvus Coffee
"We cupped a natural Costa Rica and a washed Kenya with our Denver unfiltered tap water, our own lab water (RO + remineralization), Third Wave Water, and empirical water," says Nolan. "I’d say the empirical water glacial profile was the best for the expression of flavor and vibrancy of the coffees, with Third Wave Water just behind the glacial in those qualities. I was slightly upset at how poorly our RO + remineralization performed."
Try Nolan's preferred mineral profile: glacial
Consistently Incredible Brews
Are you looking for consistently incredible brews from your coffee?
This comprehensive 16-part bundle will end your search — and it all starts with the new water of choice for coffee professionals.
Bundle Items
Physical Products — Concentrates AND ready brew water, along with convenient measuring equipment
- empirical water glacial concentrate set: Brew 80 cups of coffee with an emphasis on clarity and complexity, suitable for coffee, espresso and tea — 40 USD Value
- empirical water spring concentrate set: Brew 40 cups of coffee with an emphasis on body and richness, suitable for coffee and tea — 40 USD Value
- empirical water brew water sample set, includes the default version of each profile: 1 liter glacial, 1 liter spring. Brews 8 cups of coffee. Sample bottles are reusable for mixing brew water from concentrate — 20 USD Value
- 1 vial of extraction booster, for enhanced flavor definition in your coffee — 5 USD Value
- 50 mL measuring cylinder, to conveniently measure glacial hardness concentrate — 5 USD Value
- 100 mL measuring cylinder, to conveniently measure spring hardness concentrate — 5 USD Value
- 10 mL precise measuring syringe, to measure buffer for bulk batches of brew water — 5 USD Value
- BONUS: Double your next subscription order of empirical water concentrate sets using provided password — Up to 175 USD Value
Digital & Service Components
- 12 months 1-on-1 Brew Mentorship
- 30 minutes Live Brew Coaching
- 30 minutes Brew Video Analysis
- Specialty Brew Water Masterclass
- empirical water Cupping Method
- empirical water Pour Over Method
- empirical water Coffee Storage Method
- Access to empirical water Discord
To receive all digital components including password, opt into email during checkout.
Our Signature Mineral Profiles
empirical water glacial — Inspired by natural glacial water, this profile is harmonious and lively, emphasizing clarity and complexity in your coffee, espresso and tea.
empirical water spring — Inspired by natural spring water, this profile is resonant and concentrated, emphasizing body and richness in your coffee and tea.
What Coffee Champions Say
2022 US Cup Tasters Champion, Julien Grey Langevin
"I’m blown away by the glacial and spring profiles," says the 2022 US Cup Tasters Champion. "Both profiles increase the clarity of the cup immensely, and the acidity is more effervescent and round."
2023 US Roasters Champion, Andrew Coe
"I've been evaluating empirical water," says the 2023 US Roasters Champion. "I've really enjoyed their glacial profile, a very easy to use bottled water for coffee. In my testing, it yields nicely balanced cups, yet the flavors are still distinct and clear."
2022 World AeroPress Champion, Jibbi Little
"I love the spring water for brewing coffee," says the 2022 World Aeropress Champion. "It brings out floral and sweet notes, resulting in a clean cup without any bitter or drying aftertaste."
What empirical water is Known For
- Coffee on Easy Mode — Dial into a huge sweet spot, for tasty brews without fail.
- Intense Sweetness — Bring high levels of sweetness out of any coffee.
- Funk Free — Mute funky off-notes and spotlight clean deliciousness.
- Silky Smooth — Luxurious mouthfeel without any drying sensations.
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Adjustable Acidity — With aftertaste optimization available.
How We Make empirical water
In our 7 years of testing, we found that mineral waters from glaciers and springs interact most beautifully with coffee.
To reverse-engineer these natural mineral waters, we painstakingly emulate nature's process for dissolving limestone, i.e. calcium carbonate.
This labor-intensive process produces a paradigm shift in coffee water performance.
The process yields record-low levels of chloride and sulfate impurities in the water, for incredibly forgiving brewing characteristics. Then, we spent several hundred hours fine-tuning these mineral profiles specifically for brewing coffee (& tea).
Digital Items
This Bundle doesn't just contain physical water for coffee — It also includes numerous forms of guidance and information to help you brew the best coffee you've ever tasted.
12 Months 1-on-1 Brew Mentorship — Over direct message with the founder. Speed-run the path to coffee & tea mastery!
30 Minutes Live Brew Coaching — To help you perfect your brews over video call. Guidance is based on the equipment you have available, and your flavor profile goals for the coffee at hand.
30 Minutes Brew Video Analysis — We'll go frame by frame to identify potential areas for improvement in your brew to help you achieve your ideal cup.
Specialty Brew Water Masterclass — In the form of a 60 minute pre-recorded interview and another 15 minutes of easily digestible content in written form to answer all your questions about what goes into great brew water.
empirical water Cupping Method — A foolproof brew method you can use to maximize richness and thickness in coffee, in printable PDF form.
empirical water Pour Over Method — A pour over method that emphasizes sweetness, depth, and flavor separation in coffee, in printable PDF form.
empirical water Storage Method — A comprehensive DIY storage guide you can use to halt staling and aromatic dissipation in your coffee, in printable PDF form.
Access to the empirical water Discord — Draw from the collective experience of the entire community.
Customers outside of USA & Canada: Please note that you are responsible for duty fees (normally ~$10), and that your water will be shipped in PET bottles for durability reasons.
Mineral Profiles
Mineral Profiles
glacial v1.5 (Default)
Harmonious and lively, with an emphasis on clarity and complexity. Suitable for coffee, espresso and tea. Default TDS: 70 mg/L
spring v1.1 (Default)
Resonant and concentrated, with an emphasis on body and richness. Suitable for coffee and tea. Default TDS: 157 mg/L
Ingredients
Ingredients
All ingredients are found in naturally occurring glacial and spring water.
Deionized water, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium bicarbonate.
Customer Reviews
The review title could just as easily read best water PERIOD.
If you still have doubts they will vanish once you try Empirical Water.
Simply taste the water before brewing it and see the difference for yourself.
Shipping is always fast and the care taken in packaging is outstanding.
You’ve tried the rest, Now treat yourself to the Best.
Before Empirical water, I used cheap bottled water and holy moly, Empirical Water makes my coffee go from a 5 to a 10. It’s a night and day difference. I will definitely be subscribing and getting shipments weekly.
I used the Spring in my Aiden and my cup was immediately brighter which on first taste wasn’t great, but after a few sips really brought out the flavor notes of my already favorite coffee and made it so much better.
The Glacial was incredible though. I made an espresso with my normal water, emptied my reservoir and changed it to the Glacial and literally everything else was the same parameters (dose, WDT, water temp, yield) and the cup was so much better it was like a smack in the face. Went from great tasting espresso that I already had, to great tasting but also that thick syrupy texture that I’ve only had from cafes on my trip to Italy a few years ago. 100% recommend and will order again in the future!
I was shocked when I tried Empirical Water. I used to only use RO water with little thought to mineral content. Empirical Water changed the whole palette of the coffee, resulting in a sweeter, more rounded brew. Water makes up the vast majority of your coffee, makes sense that you'd want to control it as a variable!
Also, I'm not sure if this is all in my head, but I swear the water extracted more caffeine too. I was buzzing off my normal amount of coffee. Caffeine is very soluble in water so it's probably all in my head but I'd be interested if anyone else has experienced this.
What's nice about Empirical is that it's solid without tweaks. If you know the importance of water in coffee, this is a must try. Arby is right about widening your extraction sweet spot with this water - it's truly forgiving.
I’m a coffee noob and am still trying to develop my palette. My current water jug ran out so I grabbed the empirical water to try it today. It instantly made a fruitier cup where I could taste more of the notes on the box than anything I’ve done before! I am actually really impressed and will continue to purchase.
I use Spring for brewing coffee and loose leaf teas. I prefer this water over Glacial for Spring’s bombastic extraction power and thick, flavorful brews with a minimum of harshness. Glacial tastes good but Spring expresses more flavor, color and texture in the final cup.
Pour over dark roast coffee: very forgiving yet rich brews. The cup is always full of roasty dark flavors without being oppressive. I think this is the best water for coffee (though it’s not for espresso).
Loose leaf Chinese black tea in a gaiwan: comes out velvety and chocolatey, deliciously sweet and cocoa-y. The brew is noticeably syrupy and has a deep, dark red hue.
Loose leaf Chinese Green tea in a gaiwan: fresh, sweet, nutty, and intense umami flavors are elevated, while bitterness is pretty much a non-issue. The tea presents as soup-like and enriching.
Sencha in a kyusu: warm, comforting savory notes are emphasized, yielding a fragrant, brothy result and brilliant yellow-green hues.
note: I use Spring concentrate, which I mix with DI water to use as my brew water. I always mix it with the buffer amount intended for tea, as denoted in the Empirical Water User Guide. Despite my initial misgivings about high mineral content water, it seems Spring is the best water for tea that I have tried.
This week I tried Spring for my tea. Everything tastes better with this water. Glacial is still my go to for coffee but Spring elevates green tea especially. Very excited.
My use case has been ultra light to light roast espresso shots 1:2.5 ratio at 93C on high extraction burrs. I really like how it has given a smooth finish bright acidity and I have had less astringency when I push extractions. I like the creative profiles I can get with lotus but right now I really like empirical water and plan to stick with it for a while.
Glacial 1.5 yields an impressively balanced presentation across a wide spectrum of coffees and teas; ultralights, comfort roasts, shaded greens, yancha, puer, and more.
If you've dabbled in making your own brewing water, you'll notice a level of liveliness, clarity, and flavor separation that you might not have expected was possible at this level of texture, sweetness, and depth.
Extra silica is a nice add-on but not strictly necessary imo. It adds a fullish and slippery texture, with an almost-undetectable increase in sweetness.
Most coffees can be pushed a bit harder without becoming muddy or harsh, though careful dialing-in is still necessary for best results.