Part 03 · Changing your water
Can I use distilled or RO water in my espresso machine?
Makers disagree. One says its machines are designed for it. Others say never, or only with minerals added back. Here is what each says.
The short answer
It depends on the maker, and they disagree. Decent Espresso says its machines are designed for unremineralized RO or distilled water. Breville, Rocket Espresso and Rancilio advise against it, or allow it only with minerals added back. Some makers say very pure water can stop level sensors from working.
Makers that say yes
Decent Espresso says its machines are designed for very pure water, with nothing added back:
From the maker
Decent EspressoDE1 (all models), Bengle
“The good news: our machines are designed to safely use (unremineralized) reverse osmosis ("RO") or distilled water, which are actually the ideal water choices. With sufficiently soft water (under approximately 30ppm TDS) there is no need to ever descale, since no scale will build up in the machine.”
It treats water from deionizing pitchers the same way, and says a remineralization stage on an RO system isn't needed:
| Maker | The maker's words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Decent EspressoDE1 (all models), Bengle | If using a reverse osmosis system, there is no need to use a remineralization cartridge, and we recommend not using one, or using water drawn from the RO system upstream of the remineralization cartridge if one is installed. | Source for Decent Espresso, DE1 (all models), Bengle (opens in a new tab)Saved October 22, 2026 |
| Decent Espressothe DE1 and Bengle | Deionization media, (such as that in ZeroWater pitchers) produces water that is interchangeable with RO or distilled water for our purposes, since the water is stripped of essentially all dissolved solids. | Source for Decent Espresso, the DE1 and Bengle (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
Makers that say no, or only with minerals added
Many other makers say the opposite. Breville's manuals advise against distilled and demineralized water in model after model. Newer Breville manuals allow RO water if some minerals are added back.
| Maker | The maker's words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brevillethe Bambino BES450 | Do not use any other liquid apart from cold mains/tap water. We do not recommend the use of highly filtered, de-mineralized or distilled water as this may affect the taste of the coffee and how the espresso machine is designed to function. | Source for Breville, the Bambino BES450 (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| Brevillethe Barista Touch Impress BES881 | Avoid using overly filtered water, like RO water unless some mineral content is being added back to the final water. Never use distilled water, or water with no or low mineral content as this will affect the taste of coffee. | Source for Breville, the Barista Touch Impress BES881 (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| LUCCA (Clive Coffee)LUCCA Tempo | Do not use Zero water or reverse osmosis, as the machine will not register that the reservoir has been filled. If you do use reverse osmosis or distilled water, you must remineralize it. | Source for LUCCA (Clive Coffee), LUCCA Tempo (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| RancilioRancilio home espresso machines (US article; names the Silvia Pro X) | Please note that you should never use distilled or reverse osmosis water without some sort of mineral blend-back or a mineral packet! | Source for Rancilio, Rancilio home espresso machines (US article; names the Silvia Pro X) (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| Rocket EspressoRocket Espresso machines (manual) | Use fresh, filtered water to fill the reservoir. Do not use distilled water. | Source for Rocket Espresso, Rocket Espresso machines (manual) (opens in a new tab)Saved October 22, 2026 |
Why very pure water can confuse a machine
Some machines sense the water level electrically, and that needs a little mineral content in the water. Rocket Espresso and Rancilio describe it plainly:
From the maker
Rocket EspressoRocket Espresso machines (manual)
“Conversely very ‘pure’ waters may interfere with the electronic signals read by the machine for both boiler level and water reservoir level indications. Use a filtered water.”
From the maker
RancilioSilvia Pro X
“For instance, the Silvia Pro X has a level probe, and water free of minerals will not allow this sensor to function, causing your boiler to overfill.”
La Marzocco adds that very pure water can be corrosive, and may stop a machine from filling or heating:
From the maker
La MarzoccoLa Marzocco home machines
“Water that is very pure, like distilled or rainwater, has this corrosive effect, and sometimes won’t work with the machine’s sensors, in which case it won’t fill or heat up.”
Adding minerals back
Makers that allow RO or distilled water with minerals added don't all agree on how. Decent Espresso warns against chloride-based minerals. Meticulous prefers magnesium. Slayer gives a TDS target for the finished water.
| Maker | The maker's words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BrevilleBreville espresso machines (US support article; no models named) | Avoid using RO water if the filtration process removes nearly all of its mineral content. For applicable models, RO water may be suitable if some mineral content has been added back to the finished water. | Source for Breville, Breville espresso machines (US support article; no models named) (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| Decent EspressoDE1 (all models), Bengle | If you choose to remineralize water going into the machine, please do not use chlorides (such as calcium or magnesium chloride) to do so, as the chloride ions greatly increase the corrosion risk. | Source for Decent Espresso, DE1 (all models), Bengle (opens in a new tab)Saved October 22, 2026 |
| MeticulousMeticulous Espresso | Magnesium is your friend. It contributes to extraction like calcium but is far less prone to forming scale. Mineral recipes and remineralization products that favor magnesium over calcium are ideal for espresso machines. | Source for Meticulous, Meticulous Espresso (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
| Slayer EspressoSLAYER espresso machines (support article; names no model; says 'All SLAYER Espresso Machines') | When blending minerals with the filtered water, target a TDS (total dissolved solids) value of of 75-125 ppm. Experiment with various TDS levels to determine what produces your preferred taste. | Source for Slayer Espresso, SLAYER espresso machines (support article; names no model; says 'All SLAYER Espresso Machines') (opens in a new tab)Saved October 28, 2026 |
We don't publish mineral recipes of our own. If your maker gives targets, use those, then test the finished water.
What this means for your machine
Read what your own machine's maker says, not a general rule. Each machine's page quotes its maker's water guidance in full, and the water check compares a water's measurements with the maker's limits.
Sources
Every quote above is the maker's own wording, saved with its link and date. We link only to the makers' own manuals and pages.
- Decent Espresso, Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20). decentespresso.com (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.
- Breville, the Bambino Instruction Book - BES450 (US, file BES450_USCM_IB_M26_LR.pdf, PDF dated Mar 2026). maker manual (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- Breville, the Barista Touch Impress Instruction Book - BES881 (US, file BES881_USCM_IB_J26_LR.pdf, PDF dated Mar 2026). maker manual (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- LUCCA (Clive Coffee), LUCCA Tempo user manual (file LUCCA_TempoManual_Updated07.09.25_forPrint; PDF created 2025-07-09; Clive Coffee document on imagerelay). brand owner document (Clive Coffee, also the retailer) (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- Rancilio, Rancilio Group North America, "Home Espresso Water Options" (web article, ranciliogroupna.com). maker US subsidiary site (Rancilio Group North America) (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- Rocket Espresso, Rocket Espresso user manual (Rocket PDF hosted by Seattle Coffee Gear; created 2026-02-23). maker document on retailer site (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.
- La Marzocco, La Marzocco Water Specifications (web page, La Marzocco Ireland/UK site; no US version found). lamarzocco.com (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.
- Breville, Breville US Support article ka0QU000002VvldYAC (water for espresso machines), page text. breville.com (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- Meticulous, Water for Your Meticulous: Preventing Scale and Getting the Best Taste (Meticulous Home, Inc. Help Center; written by Roy Raanani, July 29, 2026). maker help center (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
- Slayer Espresso, SLAYER Water Treatment Requirements (Slayer support knowledge base article; created 2017-09-20, modified 2025-07-10). maker support site (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.
Questions
Is distilled water bad for espresso machines?
Several makers say not to use it in their machines, including Breville and Rocket Espresso. Decent Espresso says its machines are designed for it. Check what your own maker says.
Can I use a ZeroWater or other deionizing pitcher?
Decent Espresso says deionized water is interchangeable with RO or distilled water for its machines. LUCCA says not to use Zero water in the Tempo. The answer depends on the machine.
Do you publish a mineral recipe?
No. Where a maker gives targets for remineralized water, we quote them. Test the finished water against your maker's limits.
Mineral & Steam does not certify water as safe, guarantee protection from scale, corrosion or equipment damage, or recommend a machine as an overall purchase. It compares the water information you provide with documented manufacturer water requirements and shows the basis and limits of that comparison.