Ensuring the safety of our drinking water should be a top priority for everyone, but when it comes to cooking the benefits of filtered water may not be immediately clear. What you may not realize is that many of the samthe best water filter for coffee whe benefits you get from filtering your drinking water also carry over into your cooking. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top benefits that come with using filtered water for your cooking!
If you’re wondering, “should i use filtered water for cooking?”, the answer is yes! The key reason you should consider filtering the water you cook with is to reduce your exposure to any harmful contaminants that your water supply might contain. While tap water in the United States is generally considered safe because of treatment protocols, the water flowing from your tap may still contain contaminants that can cause concern .
How common is waterborne disease in the United States? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 7.2 million people in the United States contract a disease from their water. Diseases can be contracted through our water systems not only by drinking contaminated unfiltered tap water, but also simply by breathing it in. Additionally, relying on treatment methods isn’t enough, as many of the most serious waterborne illnesses result from biofilms growing inside aging water delivery systems.
Water purification before cooking is the best way to protect yourself and your family against any unexpected contaminants that your water may contain. A kitchen water filtration system can allow you to cook exclusively with filtered water. These point-of-use systems are small enough to be installed under your sink, yet powerful enough to be used for drinking water for your entire family, cooking water, and even as an ice machine water filter.
Common contaminants found in tap water may be affecting your baking more than you realize. As any baker knows, baking is both an art and a science. Achieving consistently great results with your baking requires high-quality ingredients and precise measurements. Water is necessary for gluten to form, for dispersing salt, sugar, and yeast throughout your dough, for yeast fermentation and for the consistency of your dough.
The key culprits in unfiltered water that will impact your baking are dissolved hard minerals and disinfectants like chlorine. Water is considered hard if it contains certain hard minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, though heavy metals like lead and aluminum can also contribute to water hardness.
While some amount of hard minerals in water is fine for baking bread, excessively hard water will reduce the rate of fermentation and tighten the gluten in your dough, altering the texture. Additionally, the presence of chlorine will reduce fermentation rates and alter the taste of your final product.
Cooking with soft water or using it in your baking is a great way to improve your consistency with your favorite dishes and recipes. Look into water softeners here.
Have you ever made the same dish on multiple occasions and gotten a slightly different flavor profile? Or tried the same dish at a friend’s house and noticed a flavor you can’t quite place? The cause may be the water. The flavors in the water you cook with often carry over into the final dishes you create. Though the changes may be subtle depending on the dish, they can be quite noticeable.
Chemical disinfectants, such as chlorine and chloramine, are often very noticeable in the water flowing from your tap. That’s because water suppliers need to ensure your tap water is treated all the way to your home, which means using long-lasting disinfectants that provide protection against microbes throughout the journey through your water system.
Unless you leave your water sitting out for a long period of time to allow disinfectants like chlorine to evaporate, those flavors will enter the food you eat. Other common contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can also alter the flavor of your tap water, and consequently the flavor of the foods you prepare with that water.
Cooking with filtered water can eliminate the disinfectants, chemicals, and other contaminants that alter the flavor of your meals, resulting in more accuracy in your favorite recipes. Those contaminants won’t just affect your food, but also your favorite beverages. That’s why serious coffee drinkers ensure they use the best water filter for coffee when preparing their morning cup of coffee.
Though discussions surrounding the benefits of water filtration tend to focus on drinking water systems, many people don’t realize that the contaminants contained in unfiltered water also end up in our food. Cooking with filtered water will reduce your exposure to contaminants, improve your baked goods, and result in more consistent flavors for your favorite dishes.
Using filtered water for your cooking doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Point-of-use filtration systems can be installed in small spaces, such as under your sink, and use filtration methods such as reverse osmosis and activated carbon filtration to remove a wide-range of contaminants. Though small, these systems are more than capable of providing enough filtered water for drinking, cooking, and all of your favorite beverages.
Have questions? Our team at Rayne Water are here to help! With decades of experience helping households and businesses install affordable water filtration systems, we’d love to help you find a solution that fits your needs. To learn more, contact us today!
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