Plumbed in vs water tank

[nihonsteve]

I'm considering a high end espresso machine and would like one with a rotary pump, but many of them do not seem to have a refillable water tank, but instead require direct plumbing. This will be for home use, not commercial, so the amount of espresso/capuccino that I'll make is not extreme. I don't have an existing line for plumbing it in, and have granite countertops, which will require some drilling that I don't want pusue without considerable thought and planning. Was wondering if direct plumbing will have any impact on the amount of scale buildup vs a water tank unit. Advice on the installation of the direct plumb line, given my counter tops is also appreciated, or comments on your on experience in a situation like this is appreciated.

 

[shadow745]

The Izzo Alex Duetto II is one that comes to mind that offers both plumbing options and I seriously doubt you'd find a better home machine.

Scale buildup is a result of hard water and not much else. Many higher end machines come with inline softeners that are either plumbed in or connected to the intake line in tank models to offset unbalanced water.

If descaling had to be done I'm sure a tank model would be much easier to deal with than one that is plumbed in.

If you really want a rotary pump/plumbed in model without countertop modifications you could always feed it with a pump (Shurflo/Flojet) and 5 gallon water bottle setup. Have seen that done many times.

 

[nihonsteve]

I have a reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink. Makes the water taste a lot better. Would that also eliminate the need for a water softener? My parents had a water softener on the drinking water while I was growing up, and the unsoftened water tasted MUCH better.

 

[shadow745]

I'd say it would as reverse osmosis removes everything in water. Some people don't like using r.o. or distilled water for coffee because it can taste flat and is void of any mineral content, which is a bit important for great coffee.

Some people like unsoftened water, really depends on the incoming water. Personally I like to remove any chlorine/off taste (municipality supplied) and have 1-2 grains per gallon of hardness. Best overall for drinking, coffee and no scale buildup based on my experience.