Perhaps, you are among the many who prefer drinking distilled water because of the notion that it lacks all the impurities. Or, because your brewer is just lying on the kitchen counter, you might think of making distilled water with the coffee maker. Don’t try that.

You cannot use a coffee maker to make distilled water because a coffee maker only heats water to a temperature of 205^oF and it doesn’t have the condensation section, needed for the distillation process. But you can distill water by boiling it and collecting the condensed steam thereafter.

What Is Distilled Water?

The steam that undergoes condensation into liquid form is what is commonly referred to as distilled water. The distillation process involves heating water to evaporate. Afterward, you collect the steam on a cold surface to condense it into distilled water.

During the process, impurities and inorganic compounds remain behind, while pure water rises as steam. That’s why individuals regard it as the cleanest drinking water. However, it is flat due to depleted minerals like magnesium, salt, and calcium.

Even so, can you use it to make coffee? I will get to that in a short while. Stay tuned for it. In the meantime, let’s find out if a coffee brewer can make distilled water.

Can You Make Distilled Water With Coffee Maker?

You cannot make distilled water using a coffee maker because of several reasons:

• A coffee maker does not heat water to a boiling point of about 212^oF. Its maximum temperature is 205^oF, insufficient to remove all the inorganic substances and boil pure water.
• It also lacks a cold surface to enable the condensation process. Yet to distill water, you need a condensation section where the steam cools into the distilled water.
• The distilled water can cause damage to the internal parts of your brewer. Its chemical composition can attract metal ions like copper and nickel from your brewer’s inner elements. As a result, the components start to oxidize slowly, hindering proper functioning.
• It will affect your coffee-making process. That’s because many coffee makers don’t work well with distilled water. Some won’t even detect it.

Why Coffee Makers Do Not Heat Water To Boiling Point

The National Coffee Association recommends a temperature of between 195^oF and 205^oF when brewing. That’s because over-heated water tampers with your coffee’s taste and quality. Besides, your coffee will over-extract, thus becoming bitter.

But again, it is vital to note that the water’s boiling point tends to fall at high altitudes. For instance, when it is 5000ft above sea level, the boiling point for water is around 202^oF. That’s 10^oF less than the typical boiling point of 212^oF.

With that, it is easier to over-boil your water, thus making unpleasant coffee. Luckily, most brewers like Keurigs have temperature settings. Therefore, if you live in higher altitude areas, you can adjust the temperatures during your coffee-making process.

Even so, you need to ensure that your water hits the required temperature. Colder water leads to coffee that is flat and under-extracted. But if it is a cold brew, you do not need heat.

The Best Way To Make Distilled Water At Home

There are so many countertop water distillers in the market; if you can access one, perfect. But if not, no need to worry. I have an option for you. And you don’t even need any fancy equipment. The kitchen utensils you have at home can do the job perfectly fine.

Here are eight simple steps you need to follow:

1. Pour tap water into a large pot almost halfway.
2. Take a smaller pot or glass bowl and place it inside the large pot with water. Ensure that the bowl floats on the water and doesn’t touch the pot’s bottom. Also, ensure that there is adequate airflow around and on top of the smaller bowl.
3. Switch on the stove to enable the water to boil. Give it some time before getting to the next stage. The purpose is to allow all the chemicals like ethanol and methanol to boil off.
4. Cover your large pot with a lid placed upside down. Pour ice cubes on the top side of the cover to create a condensation effect. When the steam rises, it will hit the cold surface you make with the lid and ice cubes. Therefore, it will cool and drip back to the smaller bowl inside the larger pot.
5. Sit back and watch as the water in the large pot continues to boil. Be keen on the water in the small bowl. It should be hot but not boiling. If you notice that the bowl water is boiling, reduce the stove heat to enable only the pot water to bubble.
6. Get the pot from heat and uncover the lid.
7. Take out the bowl with distilled water from the large pot.
8. Allow it to cool and store your distilled water.

Can You Make Coffee With Distilled Water?

Distilled water is not ideal for brewing coffee. That’s because it lacks minerals that help boost coffee flavor. Therefore, if you decide to use it, your coffee will turn out bland. And that might not suit you well if you love a rich, tasty cup of coffee.

Furthermore, using distilled water to brew can damage your coffee maker. That’s especially with the modern single-serve brewers like the Keurig. It causes the internal parts to undergo corrosion at a fast rate.

Additionally, some coffee machines do not detect distilled water. They have small electrical charges that tell if there is water in the reservoir. That’s through sensing mineral count. And since distilled water lacks minerals, it cannot work in coffee makers like these.

To get the best cup of regular or garlic coffee, the water you are using needs to have mineral content between 150 and 200 parts per million. Nothing more or less than that will work well. With that, I recommend you use filtered water when brewing your coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Thoughts

If you were planning to make distilled water with a coffee maker, it’s clear it won’t do the magic. You might have to think of a better and safe plan to make your distilled water at home. I have given some steps above to help you with that. You can try making your distilled water following them, and let me know how it goes.