What Is Boiled Coffee Shop Water and Why Sell It?

A coffee shop in Japan sells warm plain water under the name "Artisan White Water," priced at three cups for 500 yen, about 25 yuan. Staff draw groundwater into a ceramic kettle, boil it, let it cool roughly ten minutes to around 85°C, and serve it near 65°C, a temperature meant to warm the body on a cold morning.

Reaction is split. Some customers call it thoughtful and healthful, while others ask why they cannot boil water at home. A convenience store that once offered bottled warm water for a limited run made it a regular product after sales beat expectations three times over, a sign the coffee industry may keep watching this trend.

On a cold winter morning, a glass of water at just the right temperature can quickly warm the body and awaken dormant functions. Now, a coffee shop in Japan has put this everyday drink on its menu, selling it under the name "Ultimate Artisan White Water" — three cups for 500 yen (about 25 yuan). The shop uses a ceramic kettle to hold groundwater, boils it, lets it cool, and serves it to customers at around 65°C. Some find it thoughtful and warming, while others question why they don't just boil water themselves. Meanwhile, bottled warm white water that a Japanese convenience store once offered for a limited time became a regular product after sales exceeded expectations by three times. Whether this warm white water trend will spread through the coffee industry is worth watching.

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Waking up on a winter morning, the body often carries a bit of chill. If you can drink a glass of water at a moderate temperature at this time, the warmth will slowly soak through your whole body. For many people who are used to drinking warm water first thing after getting up, this glass of water is like pressing the computer's power button — a key part of activating the body's state every day.

From a health preservation perspective, plain water is more beneficial to health than ice water or cold water. More and more young people who care about their health are also beginning to try replacing their daily coffee and juice with plain water. However, plain water has temperature requirements: freshly boiled water needs to cool down, while water left too long becomes cold and affects the taste. So a coffee shop in Japan has made plain water at just the right temperature to sell to customers who want it.

According to media reports, this coffee shop's menu says "White Soup, 3 cups for 500 yen" (about 25 yuan). "White Soup" means plain water, but what the shop sells is called "Ultimate Artisan White Water." Staff use a ceramic kettle with good heat retention to draw groundwater, boil it thoroughly, then let it sit for ten minutes so the hot water naturally cools to around 85°C, and what finally reaches the customer is about 65°C.

Customers who have ordered this white water gave good feedback: "On a cold day like today, drinking hot water warms you up and is good for your health." Some netizens also said: "Coffee is too bitter for me; although I like tea too, I'd still rather drink plain water," and "A lot of people around me drink plain water."

However, some netizens were puzzled: "You can obviously drink tap water — I can't believe someone would pay for plain water," and "If I had to spend money, I'd still choose black tea or coffee." In these netizens' view, the coffee shop's plain water is no different from water boiled at home, and making plain water at home is clearly quicker and cheaper.

But in fact, there are quite a few Japanese consumers willing to pay for warm plain water. A local convenience store previously launched bottled warm plain water, originally intending to sell it only for a limited time, but unexpectedly sales after launch reached three times expectations, so the retailer adjusted its plan and turned it into a regular product.

Now bottled plain water can be bought at convenience stores in places like Kabukicho, and it sells well. A student said that many people around him go to convenience stores to buy plain water and then take it to school to drink.

From this perspective, it is not entirely unfeasible for coffee shops to sell plain water at a pleasant temperature. As Japanese consumers' demand for plain water rises, more coffee shops may join the ranks of selling plain water in the future. Chinese netizens speculated: "In a few decades there might be a White Soup Sage, artisan spirit, god of white soup, making white soup for decades with an endless stream of returning customers."

Image source: Internet

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