🌿 Table of Contents
2. The Ideal Water for Brewing
3. Europe’s Favorite Waters — Which Ones Are Tea-Friendly?
4. Simple Tips for a Better Brew
1. Why Water Matters for Tea
I never thought much about the problem of water when I was little. I didn’t really dig deeper into it until I started Drinking tea in different places.
Then I came to France — especially the city where I live now — and I realized how hard the water is, full of minerals and limescale. My teapot quickly developed a thick white layer after boiling water a few times.
Since then, the same tea I used to love has tasted completely different. That’s when I began to really think about water. And it’s true — tea is mostly water, about 98% of it! Water plays a truly important role in how tea tastes.
So, if your tea tastes flat, bitter, or “just weird,” it might not be the tea leaves… it could be the water.
Water isn’t just H₂O — it’s full of little invisible minerals like calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonates.
Those tiny things can completely change how your tea smells and tastes.
• Too many minerals = dull, bitter, heavy tea ☹️
• Too few minerals = thin, lifeless tea 🫢
• Just enough minerals = balanced, fragrant, happy tea 😍
2. The Ideal Water for Brewing
Scientists and tea masters agree: the sweet spot is water that’s soft to medium-soft, with gentle minerals that bring your tea to life.
What to Check Perfect Range Why It Matters
💧 TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) 50–150 mg/L Keeps flavor bright and clean
🧂 Calcium (Ca²⁺) < 30 mg/L Too much = weird surface film
🪄 Magnesium (Mg²⁺) < 10 mg/L Adds depth and aroma
⚖️ pH 6.5–7.5 Neutral or slightly acidic = best flavor
Ideal Water Parameters for Tea Brewing
| Parameter | Ideal Range | Why It Matters | Examples of suitable brands |
| Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | 50–150 mg/L | Balanced minerals keep the tea bright and aromatic. | Volvic (~130), Mont Roucous (~25), Spa Reine (~33) |
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | < 30 mg/L | Too much calcium causes scale and dulls flavor. | Found in soft waters like Mont Roucous |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | < 10 mg/L | Adds depth when moderate; too much brings | Volvic and Spa Reine have gentle Mg levels |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | < 10 mg/L | High sodium can make tea taste flat or salty. | Mont Roucous, Spa Reine are naturally low in sodium |
| pH Level | 6.5–7.5 | Neutral or slightly acidic water extracts tea best. | French spring waters fall within this range |
3. Europe’s Favorite Waters — Which Ones Are Tea-Friendly?
Let’s look at some of the most popular bottled waters you’ll find around Europe and France — and see how they perform in a tea test:
Common European Bottled waters – Tea Suitability Overview
(Data dated on october 2025)
| Brand | Country | TDS (mg/L) | Tea Suitability | Notes |
| Mont Roucous | 🇫🇷 France | ~25 | 🌟 Excellent for delicate teas | Super soft; brings out aroma in green & white tea. |
| Volvic | 🇫🇷 France | ~130 | ✅ Great all-rounder | Balanced minerals, clean taste for most teas. |
| Cristaline | 🇫🇷 France | 80 – 300 (varies by source) | ⚠️ Depends on bottle source | Check the label — some are soft, others too hard. |
| Evian | 🇫🇷 France | ~340 – 357 | 😐 Okay for strong teas only | Too mineral-rich for light teas, good for black tea. |
| Spa Reine | 🇧🇪 Belgium | ~33 | 🌸 Ideal for light teas | Very low minerals, bright and clear flavor. |
| Perrier | 🇫🇷 France | ~480 (carbonated) | 🚫 Not recommended | Sparkling + high minerals = sad tea 😅 (Sparkling teas exist — but only cold, never hot!) |
| Contrex | 🇫🇷 France | ~2078 | ❌ Unsuitable, Extremely hard | overwhelms aroma and leaves residue. |
💡 Best picks for tea:
→ Mont Roucous, Spa Reine, or Volvic.
They’re soft, light, and make your tea taste fresh and fragrant! i use Volvic to brew teat at home usually.
4. Simple Tips for a Better Brew
• 🫧 Check your water’s TDS — little meters cost under €20.
• 💧 Use low-mineral water (look for “faible minéralisation”).
• 🔥 Don’t reboil water — it increases hardness each time.
• 🌡️ Mind the temperature:
• Green tea → 70–80 °C
• Oolong → 85–100°C
• Black tea → 95–100 °C
• 🧃 Taste test idea: brew the same tea with tap water and Volvic. You’ll be amazed at the difference — one will taste clean and flowery, the other flat and bitter.
🌸 Final Sip
So next time your tea tastes off, don’t blame the leaves — blame the H₂O!
A little change in your kettle can completely change your cup. 💖