Bottled Water or Tap Water

mommyhood

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:09 am

Bottled water from the water cooler in a glass pitcher for the seudah. Small plastic water bottles is they want in their room.

↑ shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:10 am

Molly Weasley wrote:

I understand you trying to be frugal, but you're overstating the cost.

I don't drink anywhere near a gallon over shabbos.

A couple of cups night/day sudah, coffee in the morning and for S/S

That's it.

A gallon is 16 cups. Depending on family size and how much people drink a gallon of water for shabbat, 3 meals etc is not a lot at all.

amother

Broom

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:18 am

Molly Weasley wrote:

lol I think you just don’t drink a lot of water.
We use a Brita pitcher during the week that’s muktzah so on shabbos we use big gallons. When we don’t have guests, we use two gallons minimum, and that’s just me, my husband, and a toddler…

↑ keym

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:19 am

Btw, I'm not saying I wouldn't buy or serve bottled.
Im saying that a person who insists on only bottled vs filtered tap would be in my mind like a guest who insists on only cutlets vs chicken legs, or meat instead of cutlets or davka salmon.
Meaning I would accommodate, but yeah, I would consider the person high maintenance.

↑ Molly Weasley

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:19 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

A gallon is 16 cups. Depending on family size and how much people drink a gallon of water for shabbat, 3 meals etc is not a lot at all.

Right. So the cost for a large family of guests is about $3.

If the guest is more comfortable with bottled water, it seems like a small amount of money for a very large benefit.

amother

Brickred

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 6:29 am

amother Glitter wrote:

The filter takes out the minerals from the "hard water"?
I haven't been to Israel in a while but seems like this is a hot topic.
Also, at least personally, any water that is cold always tastes better that room temp or warm.

We have a filter on the pipe into the apt to remove the minerals and make the water less hard. It doesn’t help much for the taste so we have a water filter water bar which tastes great. I often leave a water bottle or two in the guest room with a mess free snack anyways. I do think if someone is very specific about anything it is worth their while to bring it along with them. (Same goes for the ppl I hosted in N. America who needed wash cloths for each member of their family multiplied by 2-3 for each shower they would take!)

amother

↑ Eggshell

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 8:43 am

amother Glitter wrote:

I don't know if I would feel so comfortable telling a host I only drink bottled water. It's not the same as saying I'm allergic to this.... or I can't have spicy foods.
If someone posted that here they'll be labeled "high maintenance "
Am I wrong?

Maybe some would, but I wouldn't.

If I am asking you about food preferences, I genuinely want to know them. I guess to address all possibilities, you can say that you only drink bottled water but are glad to bring your own (I'd tell you not to bother, I'll get you bottled water). That way nobody can feel that you're imposing your champagne tastes on them.

amother

Cyclamen

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 8:48 am

I use filtered.
My DH grew up in Toronto and is horrified by plastic bottles on a shabbos table
So I serve in a glass pitcher

Because I know people are particular we put small bottles in the room as well as more in our fridge for them to take.

amother

Honeydew

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 9:33 am

I only use a water bar but I don't expect hosts to have bottled water so I always bring a water bottle with me in case they have tap water.

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 9:43 am

amother Glitter wrote:

Yes
It's high maintenance IMHO. In my house you'll get filtered water (Brita) or you will have to bring your own.

amother

Waterlily

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 9:51 am

When I lived in a place where most locals drink tap water, it wouldn't occur to me to have bottled for anyone local. For people coming from a distant place, I might ask them. Because the difference in taste in water can be significant, but using bottled water doesn't necessarily help.

However, I know live in a place where most locals don't drink tap water without a special filter for taste. Since we drink the water without such a filter, I serve bottled water when there are guests.

amother

Fuchsia

Mon, Jan 06 2025, 5:33 pm

I fill up 3 pitchers before Shabbos. Once they're used up, we either refill or use bottled water. (Refilling means it's not refrigerated. I don't care but dh does.) We also have SodaStream. MIL only drinks bottled water. She also only drinks from a new bottle. If she had part of a water bottle and put the rest in the fridge, she won't use the same water bottle and will insist on opening a new one. (She's paranoid about bacteria in general and gave me a whole lecture when she found out that I reheat food and freeze chicken.)