Many coffee makers rely on a water tank, or reservoir to supply the machine during brewing. The water tank solution is convenient, makes it possible to move the equipment, and it doesn’t require an expensive installation.
The water tank is used for drip coffee makers, espresso machines, and single serve coffee makers.
In the coffee industry, the water reservoir is the choice of water supply for home based coffee brewers.
A coffee machine water tank is typically made from plastic or glass. These days, more plastic water tanks would be bisphenol (BPA) free. Some brewers still prefer glass water tanks as there is no danger of any plastic taste in your coffee cup. Glass water tanks are more breakable however.
A water tank is filled from the domestic water supply and typically stores 30 ounces of water or 8 small cups of coffee. This is convenient and means that the user doesn’t have to worry about the water on a coffee to coffee basis.
Water tanks are especially important for domestic espresso machines and filter coffee makers as these machines generally brew in larger quantities.
Some coffee makers that don’t use a water tank would be manual, pour-over coffee makers such as the Chemex or the Hario V60, as well as a Moka pot, which all brew coffee on an individual basis or in smaller quantities.