Most people are aware of the potential dangers of untreated water, and how easily water, the source of all life on the planet, can become contaminated. Many people take extra steps, on top of whatever municipal treatment their water gets before it reaches them, in the form of water softeners, undersink filtration systems, fridge filters, and a wide variety of other modern filtration options. It’s important to think about our water consumption holistically, though, not just what we are drinking.
We bathe and wash in our water, we prepare our food in it, and it forms a basic ingredient of nearly any culinary project, at some level or other. So, is there really a benefit to cooking with filtered water? If I’m cooking the water, doesn’t that take care of any problems? Let’s dive in on how water contaminants work, and what a filtration system can do for your cooking.
Why Should I Cook With Filtered Water?
The simple answer is that cooking with filtered water is healthier, and can help your food to taste better. Water filters offer additional protection against waterborne contaminants, and that means improved drinking, bathing, and cooking. While nearly everyone can benefit from a water filter, not all areas have the same problems in their water. Water takes on trace amounts of nearly everything it touches, so anything under the sun can show up there.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of information available on water quality these days, more than ever before. If you are concerned about what might be in your water, a good place to start is by searching for the most recent federally mandated water quality report for your city or municipality. Figure out what is in your water first–water problems are always particularized to a time and a region, so your most valuable resource is information.
The Benefits of Using Filtered Water in Cooking
It’s tempting to talk about “good” water vs “bad” water, but that sort of oversimplification isn’t helpful. Water can be afflicted with any number of problems, from high sediment content (lots of dissolved earth, clay, sand, and so forth), to high chlorine levels, a disinfectant used in municipal water treatment plants to kill microorganisms. Other possible contaminants include lead and other heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, PFAs, microplastics, and a whole lot more.
For most people on city water in the United States, the majority of these problematic elements have been safely removed, or in the case of chlorine and other disinfectants, are used at a safe level. Many people are not on city water however, and for well-water folks, a filtration system is highly advisable. Even those on city water, however, are not all getting the same quality of water. Some areas simply have natural geographic features, or such high population density, that the water quality is worse than other regions. And as technology proceeds, so does our pollution, which further exacerbates drinking water problems.
The benefits of cooking with water that has been thoroughly cleaned are obvious: putting contaminants–even in trace amounts–into your food and eating them is just as harmful as drinking them.
Can Filtered Water Improve the Taste of Food?
Filtered water will most definitely improve the taste of food, and if you’ve been cooking with bad water for awhile–water high in sulfur, or VOCs, or iron for instance–the difference may astound you. All of the elements that go into a dish have an impact on its final flavor, texture, and general success. Hard water can noticeably change the texture of soups, stews, and sauces, and boiling contaminant-filled water into pasta and produce is simply infusing those pollutants into your meal.
There is a good reason why industrial food manufacturers, bakeries, fine dining establishments, and coffee houses all invest in premium water filtration systems–often large industrial reverse osmosis systems–because water is the lifeblood of the food and beverage industry, and quality water is one of the most important ingredients in a quality final product. This is just as true in your own home as it is anywhere else.
What Type of Water Filter Is Best for Cooking?
The best water filter system is the one that addresses the problems with your water, and that delivers water you love. However, there are some general patterns that hold across the board. If you have problematic water, then a great place to start is with a simple two-stage system beginning with a sediment filter to remove any physical particulates from your water, before routing to an activated carbon filter, which filters out chlorine and other chemical contaminants through a process called adsorption. The activated carbon matrix pulls dissolved contaminants out of solution, and adheres them to itself.
The combination of sediment and carbon filtration makes for a great start, but if you need to step up the power, or get completely clean water, then you might consider adding on a membrane-style filter along with your sediment and carbon. A reverse osmosis water filter system makes pure water right in your own home–most units can be installed under the kitchen sink. Originally designed to remove salt from seawater, RO membranes dramatically reduce all dissolved solids in water. If you are planning to cook with RO water, you may want to consider a remineralizing cartridge after the membrane, to impart healthful minerals like calcium and magnesium back into the water.
How Often Should I Change My Water Filter?
This is a difficult question to answer, because so much depends upon your local water conditions. On average, sediment filters should be changed every six months (though it could be as little as one to two months in some areas with very high sediment content), and carbon filters every six months to a year. RO membranes, if well-maintained, can last up two two years.
Does Filtered Water Affect Cooking Time?
It’s possible that there may some marginal fluctuations in things like cooking time when you switch from tap to filtered water, so keep an eye on dishes and bakes you know well when trying them with filtered water for the first time. The differences should be slight, if noticeable at all.
Is Cooking With Filtered Water More Expensive?
Yes, it is more expensive to cook with filtered water, whether you are buying jugs of filtered water at the store, or investing in a home filtration system to make your own. There are more than the initial costs or purchase and installation to consider as well, because your system will need regular filter changes, and may require professional service or installation from a plumber. Many home systems can be installed by DIY-ers, but it’s not a good risk to take if you have no experience with plumbing or home handwork. Water damage is very expensive to fix.
Will Filtered Water Make My Food Look Different?
You may notice slight aesthetic improvements to some of your dishes when you switch to filtered water, especially if you have been dealing with hard water, or iron-rich water, which can stain sinks and foods a brownish-red.
Can Using Filtered Water Speed up Cooking Processes?
It’s unlikely that switching to filtered water will speed up your favorite meals much, though it might help in small ways, and you can rest assured knowing that it will taste better, and be better for you when it’s done.
Is Filtered Water Necessary for Both Drinking and Cooking?
Water that has been filtered at some level, in some way, is necessary for both drinking and cooking. For many people, this filtration happens at the municipal level, and the tap water in most parts of the United States are generally safe to drink and cook with. But that is only the case because that water has already been filtered in a large treatment plant. Unfiltered, untreated water should always be considered a risk.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not the cost of buying and installing a home filtration system is worth it to you for the benefits to your home, health, cooking, and general lifestyle has everything to do with your local water quality. Nearly everyone could benefit from a home filtration system, but to decide whether or not it’s right for you, find out what’s in your water, and go from there.
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