Why APAX Water Minerals Are Trending So Strongly in Specialty Cafés
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed a shift in how cafés talk about coffee. It’s no longer just about roast profiles, grinder burrs or extraction yields. More and more attention is being paid to water — and one name keeps coming up: APAX LAB.
Across Australia and well beyond, Zest has seen a surge of cafés, competitors and trainers turning to APAX water minerals to bring more consistency, clarity and flavour to their brews. And it’s not theory — we use it ourselves every day at the Zest Coffee Studio in Richmond for our sensory flights. In this post, we’ll look at the prevalance of Apax Lab Minerals in cafes.
Read the APAX in Action feature on Zest Coffee →
THE WATER REVOLUTION
For years, we’ve known that coffee is mostly water. But most of us have treated it as a fixed variable — something that comes out of the tap and can’t be controlled. Our very own Simon Gautherin was the first person to pioneer the concept of using minerals as seasoning for coffee during his 2023 competition.
The truth is, minerals shape flavour as much as roast or grind size. Magnesium and calcium highlight sweetness and texture, while bicarbonates control acidity and balance. Change the water, and the same coffee can taste cleaner, sweeter, or completely flat.
That’s where APAX comes in. Their range of concentrated mineral solutions gives baristas a way to design their water with precision, without the complexity or waste of full reverse-osmosis systems.
WHAT MAKES APAX DIFFERENT
APAX LAB was built for people who wanted to move past “good enough” water. Instead of a single formula, they developed a set of distinct mineral profiles designed to highlight different flavour expressions.
– TONIK brings clarity and brightness
– JAMM adds sweetness and roundness
– LYLAC creates florals and silkiness
Each profile dissolves instantly in distilled or filtered water. Every drop is calibrated to deliver repeatable results — whether you’re running a batch brew bar or dialling in competition espresso.
The difference is immediate. Coffees taste clearer, acidity feels more defined, and sweetness opens up — all without changing the coffee itself.
WHY CAFÉS ARE SWITCHING
1. Consistency across locations
For multi-site operators, water variation is one of the hardest things to control. APAX minerals standardise the base composition, so a flat white in Melbourne can taste the same as one in Copenhagen or Bangkok.
2. Better value from great coffee
When you’re paying premium prices for high-scoring lots, you want every origin to show its character. The right mineral balance helps showcase the full potential of the coffee.
3. Simplicity for staff training
Baristas can now experiment with water recipes in minutes. There’s no need for lab gear or plumbing systems — just add drops to distilled or filtered water and taste the difference.
4. Competition proven
From national AeroPress titles to the World Brewers Cup stage, APAX water has become a quiet constant behind the world’s best cups. Champions use it not for hype, but for control.
All this considered, it’s no wonder we’re starting to see Apax Lab Minerals in cafes more prevalent across Australia.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FLAVOUR
At its core, APAX is about understanding how ions interact with coffee.
– Magnesium boosts acidity and intensity.
– Calcium adds creaminess and body.
– Bicarbonates temper acidity and adds structure.
Adjusting these ratios changes how coffee dissolves, how acids present, and how texture develops. In short: it gives roasters and baristas another dimension of control.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
We see this as part of a broader evolution in specialty coffee — one that values consistency, repeatability and education just as much as innovation. APAX minerals are helping cafés not only brew better coffee, but also teach their teams and customers what better actually means.
At Zest, we’ve integrated APAX into our Richmond training studio for exactly that reason. It lets us demonstrate how water chemistry transforms flavours in real time, giving our team the tools to control the final cup.
Because when you strip everything back — machine, grinder, milk, brew method — what’s left is water. And it turns out that getting that part right might be the most impactful change a café can make. Apax Lab Minerals in cafes is the future.
EXPLORE MORE
Learn more about APAX LAB and their range of water minerals at here or drop by our Zest Coffee Studio in Richmond to taste the difference yourself.