Writer Kim Jin-ho's Water and Health Stories (65) Why Coffee Taste Shines Brighter During Cafe Slump

South Korea is filled with people who love coffee, deserving the title of a 'coffee republic.' Every day, we seek out coffee to ease the fatigue of daily life, communicate with others, and indulge in a small luxury for ourselves.

However, in recent years, coffee fruit-producing regions worldwide have been hit hard by global warming and abnormal weather patterns. As a result, green bean production has decreased while prices continue to rise steadily. This directly leads to price increases for the coffee we drink.

The economic situation is also difficult. Political instability, economic recession, and news of low-cost coffee cafes closing have cast a dark shadow over the entire coffee industry.

Yet amid this, there are cafes bustling with customers. They are cafes with excellent coffee taste.

A certain cafe in Seoul is a prime example. To improve coffee taste, it enhanced the quality of water, which comprises 98% of coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) recommends maintaining water alkalinity at 40-70ppm. While searching for a water purification filter that could meet this standard, it introduced the 'Mineral Maker' filter. Through the magnesium alkaline ion water generated by this filter, the cafe provided customers with smooth and clean-tasting coffee.

When I visited this cafe around 4 p.m. recently, I was surprised to find the store packed with customers with no seats available. The reason people seek this place out despite the economic downturn is simple: the coffee tastes good.

At another cafe located in a university district in Seoul, the owner shared their concerns.

"Daily sales were around 500,000 won, but recently dropped to 300,000 won. It seems customers dislike the bitter taste. How can I change this?"

The owner, recognizing that declining coffee taste was reducing visiting customers, was searching for a solution. I recommended the Mineral Maker filter on the spot. I conveyed that the true secret of coffee taste lies not in beans or machines, but in 'water,' and suggested this change.

Looking at the development history of the cafe industry so far, the first generation of cafes was the era of tea house coffee. Tea houses were spaces where people enjoyed coffee and conversation. Subsequently, the second generation of cafes saw the popularization of franchise coffee, which grew on convenience and consistent quality. The third generation of cafes saw specialty coffee become mainstream, seeking differentiation through bean quality and diverse extraction methods. And now we are entering the fourth generation era of mineral coffee.

Now, what determines coffee taste is not simply bean quality, roasting, or extraction technique. Rather, the quality of water—specifically the magnesium mineral content and alkalinity—has become important. The Mineral Maker filter is establishing new standards in coffee taste as a technology ahead of the times.

Coffee taste evaluation is not determined simply by the preference of baristas or cafe owners. It is confirmed by the empty coffee cups left behind by customers who visit the establishment. If the bottom of the returned coffee cup is completely empty, that cafe's coffee taste has already been recognized by customers. And such cafes grow and are loved even during economic downturns.

The worse the economic downturn, the more we must return to basics: 'coffee taste.' A delicious, smooth, and clean cup of coffee captures customers' hearts. And what determines that taste is ultimately 'water.' A cafe that understands this simple truth will continue to grow and receive sustained customer affection.

This is why coffee taste shines brighter during a cafe slump.