Water for Cooking: What I Filter and Why

Water is the most-used ingredient in my kitchen, and for years it was the one I thought about least. It goes into the beans, the stock, the bread dough, the pickle brine and the morning tea. Then I started filtering it, and I haven’t gone back.

Where water quality matters most

Beans and lentils. Dried beans are mostly water and time. Very hard water, which is high in calcium and magnesium, can keep them from softening, and chlorinated tap water can come through in a simple pot of beans.

Bread and ferments. Chlorine and chloramine are there to kill microbes, and yeast and fermenting bacteria are microbes. Plenty of bakers and fermenters use filtered water for that reason.

Broth, soup and tea. When a dish is mostly water, you taste the water. A clean-tasting base is a better starting point for a delicate broth or a pot of tea.

What I use

I use a Cloud reverse osmosis system at home. The water tastes good to me, and I feel better knowing that a lot of contaminants are filtered out, including microplastics.

Reverse osmosis pushes water through a very fine membrane that blocks most dissolved solids and tiny particles. That is why it is widely used where people want the most thorough filtration, as opposed to a pitcher filter that mainly improves taste.

What the company says, and what is independently certified

It helps to separate the two.

• Cloud’s own claims. Their FAQ says the system removes 99% of toxins in tap water, including PFAS, lead, fluoride and pesticides, and that it removes 100% of microplastics. Those are the company’s statements.
• Independent certification. Cloud’s system holds NSF/ANSI 58 certification, and their NSF page reports a 98% reduction in total dissolved solids. The certification page I read does not mention microplastics, so treat the microplastics figure as the company’s claim rather than part of the certificate.
• Your own water. What a filter needs to do depends on what is in your water. Look up your utility’s annual water quality report, or use Cloud’s tap water quality tool, before deciding.

Things to know before you buy

• It uses water. Cloud says the system sends about one gallon to the drain for each gallon it dispenses. That is common for reverse osmosis, and worth weighing.
• It removes minerals. Reverse osmosis strips minerals along with contaminants. Cloud adds some back in a final stage, according to their FAQ.
• Installation. Cloud says it takes 30 to 60 minutes and offers a video guide.
• You may not need one. If chlorine taste is your only complaint, a carbon filter pitcher or faucet filter is much cheaper.

Why I’m telling you

I use this and I like it, so I’m happy to recommend it. If you buy through my link I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. I only link to things I would tell a friend about. You can read more about how I handle links on the privacy policy page.