Indy Soft Water Case Study: Indie Coffee Roasters

We can all find a place at Indie Coffee Roasters! Their culture is to be as helpful as possible, and as a result, they’re creating the type of experiences where anyone who walks through the door is going to have a better day. They currently have one location in Downtown Carmel and another in West Lafayette—and two new locations are set to open in Winter of 2023!

The Common Denominator for a Great Cup of Coffee

At Indie Coffee Roasters, they’re all about people. And yes, the coffee that they serve is perfection. But for Diane McAndrews, co-owner of Indie Coffee Roasters, a great cup of coffee without someone sharing it is just a cup. Similarly, bad coffee is not something you really want to share. Good coffee belongs with good people. Each makes the other better.

This perspective is also key for Diane because, as a business owner, she wants to ensure that her younger employees see the importance in giving vs receiving. After all, it’s the team component and service that brings people back again and again. Once you visit them, you’ll definitely see it in action yourself!

Water Quality and the “Technical Side” of Indie Coffee Roasters

While perfecting one thing is hard enough, the team at Indie Coffee Roasters has no shortfall in producing the perfect cup of coffee for each and every order. They called on us to make sure that their water would be just right for their daily precept cup of brew, as well as for protecting their investments, like the espresso machine, down the line.

In Diane’s words, water is “crazy important” for all aspects of coffee. From the integrity of the equipment (mineral build-up is the second cause of equipment issues, right after skipping regular maintenance), to the actual shot of espresso, your water quality plays a huge role in the chemistry of how people brew and enjoy their coffee. Using improperly treated water can have dramatic effects, so it’s important to find a balance.

Similar to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, water for coffee needs to be just right to extract the coffee to its highest taste. As Diane explains, stripping out all of the minerals in pure reverse osmosis (RO) filtration can leave the coffee/espresso tasting a bit flat. Hard water, on the other hand, can cause more of a thick or chalky quality to your beverage. And if the water is too soft, then you might end up with a sour taste. Your water quality makes a big difference for getting a delicious brew every time!

Share the Love—at Your Local Coffee Shop!

Diane is one of the most genuine and interesting people we have met in a long time. And part of what makes her so interesting is the fact that she is interested in others. She made it clear that she would like to see a more collaborative culture in the industry, and she’s certainly doing her part to make that happen!

The coffee industry is only as good as your local coffee shop. That’s why we’re so fortunate to have Indie Coffee Roasters in our community! No one shop can do it without the support of those around them, and for a coffee shop, that starts with the farmer and ends in the cup.

Indie Coffee Roasters is proud to champion the industry values of having ethically-sourced beans, traceability, and living wages for their teams. We highly recommend stopping in at any one of their locations for a great cup of coffee, great atmosphere, and a great cause overall!

Visit Indie Coffee Roasters at 220 E Main Street, Carmel IN 46032, or in their West Lafayette Coffee Shop at 1501 Mitch Daniels Blvd. West Lafayette, IN 47906. (Or make plans to check out their two new locations—one on N End Drive in Carmel, the other off Logan Street in Noblesville—when they open!)