Why Your Tea and Coffee Taste Better with Filtered Water This Winter

November is the month the kettle never really cools down. Morning coffee, an afternoon tea, a cosy latte after dinner: hot drinks carry us through the shorter, colder days.

We spend time choosing the right beans, the right tea leaves and the right milk. But the ingredient that makes up most of every cup is the one we rarely think about: water. A cup of tea or black coffee is around 98% water, so if your water tastes off, your drink will too.

In this guide, we look at how tap water changes the taste of your tea and coffee, why filtered water for tea makes such a noticeable difference, and four winter drinks to try once your water is right.

What tap water does to your tea and coffee

Tap water is safe to drink in most of Europe, but safe and tasty are not the same thing. A few common things in tap water have a big effect on hot drinks.

Chlorine. Water suppliers add chlorine to keep water safe as it travels through pipes. In a hot drink, it can leave a faint swimming-pool note and mute the delicate flavours of green tea, white tea and light-roast coffee.

Hard water minerals. In hard-water areas, calcium and magnesium can react with compounds in tea. The result is the cloudy film or "scum" you sometimes see on top of a cup of black tea, and a duller, flatter taste.

Limescale. The same minerals build up in your kettle and coffee machine as white scale. Flakes end up in your cup, and heavy scale can make machines work harder and wear out faster.

Old pipes and taste. Depending on your building, water can pick up a metallic or earthy taste on the way to your tap. Hot drinks tend to bring that taste forward.

The good news: when you remove these, the flavour of your tea, coffee and spices comes through clearly. Many people are surprised by how much brighter the same tea tastes with filtered water.

Better water, better milk: The Watery and Milky Plant Plus

The Watery is Milky Plant's countertop reverse osmosis water purifier. It filters your tap water right on your kitchen counter, with no installation under the sink. Reverse osmosis removes far more than a standard jug filter, including chlorine and the hardness minerals that cause film and scale. That gives you clean, neutral-tasting water that lets the real flavour of your tea or coffee come through.

For winter drinks, that means:

• Clearer, brighter tea with no film on top
• Coffee that tastes like the beans, not the tap
• Less limescale in your kettle and coffee machine
• No more carrying heavy bottled water home in the cold

Milky Plant Plus completes the cup. It makes fresh plant milk at home in minutes from oats, almonds, hazelnuts, seeds and more. Start with filtered water from The Watery, and your plant milk is as clean as your coffee. Fresh plant milk has no gums or added oils, so you control exactly what goes into your latte.

Four winter drinks to try with filtered water

1. Hazelnut milk flat white. Brew a double espresso with filtered water. Make fresh hazelnut milk in Milky Plant Plus, warm it and pour over the coffee. The nutty sweetness pairs naturally with a medium roast.

2. London Fog with oat milk. Steep an Earl Grey tea bag in 150 ml of filtered water just off the boil for 4 minutes. Add a splash of vanilla and a spoon of honey or maple syrup, then top with warm fresh oat milk. Filtered water keeps the bergamot bright and the cup clear.

3. Chai latte with almond milk. Simmer black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and black pepper in filtered water for 5 minutes. Strain, sweeten to taste and add hot fresh almond milk. With no chlorine in the water, the spices taste warmer and fuller.

4. Matcha latte with cashew milk. Whisk 1 teaspoon of matcha with 60 ml of filtered water at about 80°C until frothy. Add warm, creamy cashew milk. Matcha is very sensitive to water quality, so this is where filtered water makes the biggest difference.

Brewing tips for a better winter cup

Good water is the start. Getting the temperature right is the next step.

• Use fresh water every time. Water that has been boiled again and again loses oxygen and tastes flat.
• Let it rest for green tea. Wait a minute or two after boiling so you don't scorch the leaves.
• Warm your cup. A splash of hot water in the mug first keeps your drink hot for longer.
• Heat plant milk gently. Warm it slowly and don't let it boil, so it stays smooth and creamy.
• Descale less often. With filtered water, scale builds up much more slowly in your kettle and machine.

Frequently asked questions

Is filtered water better for tea? Yes, for most people. Filtering removes chlorine and reduces hardness minerals, so tea tastes clearer and you avoid the film that can form on top of the cup.

Why does my tea have a film on top? The film usually comes from hard water. Calcium and minerals react with natural compounds in the tea and form a thin layer. Using softer, filtered water stops it from forming.

What is the best water for coffee? Clean, fresh water with no chlorine taste. Filtered water lets you taste the coffee itself and helps protect your machine from limescale.

Can I make plant milk with tap water? You can, but any taste in your tap water will end up in your milk. Using filtered water gives fresh plant milk a cleaner, more neutral flavour.

Make this winter's cup your best yet

You already pick your tea, coffee and milk with care. Giving the same attention to your water is the easiest upgrade you can make this winter, and you will taste it from the very first cup.

With The Watery for clean, fresh water and Milky Plant Plus for homemade plant milk, every latte, chai and matcha starts with ingredients you can trust.

Discover The Watery and make fresh plant milk with Milky Plant Plus to bring café-quality drinks home this season.