3 Commonly Asked Questions (Answered!)

Whether you’re a home barista dialing in your favorite pour-over or a café owner fine-tuning your espresso, we get a lot of great questions from the community. Here, we’re answering three of the most commonly asked questions we hear about using Third Wave Water.

1. Where Can I Buy Third Wave Water?

Wondering where to buy Third Wave Water? You’ve got options!

You can purchase our products directly through our website, obviously, which offers the full selection of our products, from our mineral profiles to our merch and accessories.

Prefer to shop in person? We’re also available at many specialty coffee shops, and roasters across the U.S. and internationally. We're currently working on setting up a better Store Locator, so send us a message or an email with where you're located and we can do a search for you to find a retailer near you!

You can also find us on Amazon, which is a convenient option if you’re already placing an order or want fast delivery.

If you live internationally, we have some other available options! We are on Amazon in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. We do also ship internationally directly from our website.

2. How Do I Make a 50% Dilution?

If you prefer a diluted concentration of TWW minerals, it can be tricky to achieve. We have a lot of customers that like to customize and experiment with different dilutions. One of the most popular is about a 50% dilution for Espresso Machine Profile, which results in a TDS of ≈75.

There’s a simple insider trick that many don’t know about!

👉 Here’s the hack:

Use one 2-liter stick in 1 gallon of distilled water.

Why does this work? Because 2 liters is almost exactly half of a gallon (1 gallon = 3.78 liters). So using a 2-liter stick in a full gallon of water effectively gives you a 50% dilution, making your water half as concentrated in minerals as the original recipe.

3. Which Brand of Distilled Water Should I Use?

This is another one we hear a lot—and the good news is, you don’t need to overthink it.

As long as the water is "empty" (meaning it has no minerals, chemicals, or organic matter), the brand doesn’t matter. The $1 jug from Walmart will work just as well as the high-end brand at Whole Foods. What matters most is purity, not price.

⚠️ Avoid spring water, filtered water, or anything labeled as “drinking water” unless it’s specifically marked as distilled. Those may contain minerals that can interfere with the intended mineral balance of your Third Wave Water profile and cause limescale to form in your coffee equipment.

Have More Questions?

We’re always happy to help! Feel free to reach out to us with any questions, or explore our FAQs for more tips and tricks.

Thanks for trusting us to be part of your coffee journey. Happy Brewing! ☕️