LOTUS WATER Complete Set

So far I’ve been having better luck with this mix than TWW packets!

Decided to wait a while before writing a review so I can provide an experience based review.

consistency and customizability is really the key win here.

I am brewing mainly natural process light roasts via aeropress and I always looking to optimize my setup to retain the complexities of natural roasts, especially those with funky fermented flavours, etc so variable control has become a big thing, whether it be the grind, the water temp, the seep times, and of course the water.

I picked up the set with the 450ml bottle but in hind sight, the bottle may not be necessary as long as you have something to measure with but the Lotus recipe website provides dedicated drop based recipes for 450ml volumes (plus others) but it is convenient.

https://lotuscoffeeproducts.com/pages/product-instructions?srsltid=AfmBOooyPZoLR1Z2oAXYS9uMnLlrJg5bq7LC64bBvgZ6_JXL0otp1iay

I have focused on lotus water's "simple and sweet" and "bright and juicy" recipes, with Bright and Juicy being my favourite so far.

the real interesting thing I've discovered so far is not just flavour that the recipes can highlight but even more so the texture and "mouth feel". The bright and juicy, for example, provides a noticeable (to me ) change to how the coffee rolls across the tongue, really changing how my taste buds interact with the coffee in a really pleasant way, almost extending the time I savour each sip. Hard to explain...

anyway. so far I am purchasing large 4L bottles of distilled water at Canadian Tire (cheap and plentiful and provides a clean baseline) and with the lotus drops is forming an excellent addition to setup focused on chasing the ever elusive perfect cup of coffee.

Get this water. Makes life so much easier and coffee so much tastier if we don't ever just brew 1 coffee bean in a single way. The ability to change water to suit bean and method of brewing is amazing. Staff at 8 ounce is awsome in answering my silly questions.

This kit is a great way to learn how changing your water chemistry will change your coffee brews. Having the ability to fine-tune your water for a particular bean, or your particular preferences is quite powerful, and can be an advantage over filters that can't be so easily tailored.

It has seriously elevated my coffee game by multiple folds. The difference in taste and quality is noticeable, and my brews are so much cleaner and more nuanced.

I used Third Wave Water sachets, mixing it into a gallon and save the water for later. This simplifies the process so much! I can finally tailor the water to each brew - sweet and simple profile or bright and juicy. Honestly, I wish I had bought it sooner.

Wanted to match my home water with my local roaster and this set has been excellent. Also appreciate it coming with mixing bottle.

Our family used to share the water from sachets and mixing with a gallon. This is well and good but the wife and I prefer vastly different roast levels. With the Lotus set, I can simply mix in her simple and sweet recipe preference to my bright and juicy profile when I’m doing pour overs.

Très bon produit pour ceux qui veulent essayer plusieurs recettes d'eau pour leur café.

Just a few cups in and it's pretty interesting and cool how the different recipes affect your final cup. I've been using ttw light and classic profiles for the last 6 months and it's been great, but I'm definitely enjoying dialing in water recipes to specific beans. Definitely reccomend to those looking to take their coffee game to the next level.

Lotus water is fun to use. Gives me a whole world of combinations. Highly recommend!

If you are someone or know someone who is really into coffee, this is perfect. Allowing for the ability to play around with different water chemistry is a lot of fun. Especially when paired with a cupping kit.

If you already are purchasing good beans, and have a decent grinder, this is definitely the next step. Water chemistry has a lot of impact on the cup and this the most accessible way to do it.

Lotus water makes it so easy

My only complaint is that the lid for the glass water bottle is rather cheap feeling. I am worried the metal and plastic will separate over time, as they seem glued together with a prominent seam. However, the main attraction is the concentrate used to make water. It works as advertised, and I am very satisfied with the taste of the water it can produce. The concentrate bottles feel nice and seem durable. I was planning to buy this, and I prefer to buy through Eight Ounce for easier Canadian shipping.

Coffee is 98% water, yet is a variable that tends to be overlooked in the brewing process, compared to equipment (e.g., grinders, burrs, flat vs. conical drippers, etc.). This kit is a fun and accessible way for people to start playing around with water chemistry without buying minerals in bulk and weighing things out to the milligram. The online recipes are straightforward to follow and easy to scale depending on the volume of water you want (0.45 L, 1 L, or 1 gallon) so you can experiment to your heart's content. Scott Rao even shared how adding minerals *after* brewing can affect taste. Distilled, RO, or ZeroWater would all work fine, as long as you start with 0 TDS.

As for the quality of the materials, the kit is really nice and would make a great gift. The dropper bottles and mixing bottle are both made of out glass that feels sturdy and thick. My only complaint is that the mixing bottle doesn't have a fill line, so you'll still have to measure out 450 mL of water.

The kit isn't cheap, but you're paying for the convenience of having premade concentrates in a compact form, as opposed to having your coffee counter looking even more like a chemistry lab. Although you can buy individual bottles of solution, I wish Lotus sold "refill packs" of solution so you're not accumulating a bunch of dropper bottles.