How to Make Water Taste Better

Co-authored by Jeff Siegel and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 References

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We all know we should drink more water, but that can be hard if you don't like the taste. Plain water can seem a little boring! Fortunately, it's really easy to add flavor without adding processed sugar—there are lots of natural ingredients that make water taste better. If you're ready for flavorful refreshment, pour yourself a big glass of water and read on.

Things You Should Know

Infuse your water with fruit, cucumbers, or herbs to make your water taste better. Chill the flavored water for 2 hours before you drink it.
Pour in a splash of fruit juice, tea, or vegetable juice to quickly flavor your water.
Squeeze a little citrus juice into a glass of carbonated water if you're trying to cut back on your soda intake.

1

Citrus

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Toss a slice or wedge of citrus into your water to add a bright tangy taste. While a squeeze of lemon is a classic way to improve the taste of water, limes, oranges, and grapefruit are also tasty! Float the fruit in your water for a subtle taste or squeeze a few wedges of citrus into your glass for a stronger flavor.^{[1]
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- If you float wedges or slices of citrus in a large pitcher of water, take the citrus out after 4 hours—any longer than this and the rinds can make the water taste bitter.

2

Berries

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Add fresh or frozen berries if you want to sweeten your water. Use a small handful of berries for each glass. Try raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries. To help the water infuse with the berries, use the big handle of a spoon to lightly mash them in the bottom of your glass before you add the water.^{[2]
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- Pro tip—if you want to float whole berries in your glass, put them into your cup first. Then, drop in ice cubes and fill the glass with water. The ice stops the berries from floating up and into your mouth when you drink.

3

Exotic fruit or melons

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Slice up fruit like mangos, papayas, and watermelon for a unique sweet taste. Adding exotic fruit to water is a great way to try new fruits and flavors—slice up star fruit, kiwi, or kumquats and add them to a pitcher of water, or reach for juicy melons like honeydew and watermelon. Not only will they add tons of flavor to your water, but they'll look gorgeous too!^{[3]
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- For flavored-water inspiration, walk through the produce section at the grocery store and see what catches your eye. Cherries? Dragon fruit? Pomegranates?

4

Cucumbers

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Create your own spa water with refreshing slices of cucumber. Peel the cucumber if you want a stronger flavor. Then, drop the slices into your water and chill the water in the fridge until it's infused with the cucumber flavor—the longer you chill it, the stronger the taste will be.^{[4]
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- Add a few sprigs of fresh mint or a wedge of lemon to complete this spa-like drink.

5

Fresh herbs

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Muddle mint, basil, or sage in your glass to add an herbal flavor. Put the herbs in the bottom of your glass and smash them gently with the handle of a large wooden spoon. The water quickly picks up the unique taste of the fresh herbs. To make custom-flavored water, pair fresh fruit with fresh herbs and experiment to find your favorite flavor combinations.^{[5]
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- For example, try strawberry-basil water, watermelon-mint water, or lemon-thyme water.
- If you don't want a strong herbal flavor, put the loose herbs into a tea infuser and drop it into the water instead of muddling the herbs first.

6

Juice or tea

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Add a splash of your favorite juice or tea to make a lightly-flavored drink. If you're trying to cut calories and don't want to drink a full glass of juice or soda, add just a little juice or cold tea to a glass of plain or carbonated water. Think of your lightly-fruity drink as a refreshing spritzer!^{[6]
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- Try apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, or fruit cocktail for sweetness, or add green, black, or herbal tea to add a delicate taste to your water.
- Use tomato juice or vegetable juice if you prefer a slightly savory drink. You could even add slices of fresh tomatoes—a great source of lycopene.^{[7]
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7

Fruit and vegetable peels

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Put your kitchen scraps to use if you don't want to use whole produce. Save your fruit and vegetable scraps when you prepare meals and add them to a pitcher of water. For instance, toss cucumber ends and herb stems into a glass of water, or put apple peels, lemon rinds, and strawberry tops into another glass. Let the water chill for 2 hours in the fridge to absorb the flavor.^{[8]
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- Since peels and skins can accumulate pesticides, reach for organic produce to use in your water.
- Store your fruit- or vegetable-infused water for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. You can keep adding water during that time, but discard the produce after 3 days because it will lose its flavor and texture.

8

Seltzer or sparkling water

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Switch to drinking fizzy water if you like the taste of carbonated beverages. Sometimes, just having carbonated water is enough to make it more interesting to drink. It's also easier than ever to find naturally-flavored seltzer water that doesn't contain added sweeteners, so you still get flavor without all the sugar.^{[9]
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- In addition to seltzer water, try mineral water, club soda, or tonic water.

9

Water flavor enhancers

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Dissolve a low-calorie flavor enhancer in water for instant flavor. If you don't have time to cut produce and infuse it in water, you've still got options! Low-calorie water enhancers come in liquid or powder form. You simply mix a few drops or the powder packet into cold water and enjoy.^{[10]
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- Most water flavor enhancers are sweetened with artificial sweeteners like sucralose. If you're trying to avoid artificial sweeteners, look for natural sweeteners like cane sugar or stevia in the ingredients list.

10

Cinnamon

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Add a cinnamon stick for a delicately spiced drink. For mildly-flavored cinnamon water, simply drop a cinnamon stick into your glass and chill the water overnight. If you'd like a spicier taste, add 1 stick of cinnamon per 1 cup (240 ml) of water to a pot on the stove and bring it to a simmer. Then, cool the cinnamon water and serve it over ice.^{[11]
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- Cinnamon contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so you can feel good about adding it to your cup.^{[12]
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11

Juice ice cubes

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Make ice cubes using juice to slowly flavor the water as they melt. Pour fruit juice into an empty ice cube tray and freeze it until it's solid. Then, pop a few juice cubes into your glass and add water. As the juice cubes melt, they'll slowly sweeten your drink.^{[13]
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- If you like the look of berries or fruit floating in your glass of water, fill an ice cube tray with water or juice and add a few fresh berries like blueberries or strawberry slices. Then, stick them in the freezer until you're ready to drink some water.

12

Filtration

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Use a filtration system to filter your tap water for improved taste. If you dislike the taste of the water coming out of your tap, attach a filtration system to the faucet or pour water into a pitcher fitted with a filter. You'll be surprised at how much better your water tastes from doing this simple step!^{[14]
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- If it's unsafe for you to drink your tap water or you don't have a filtration system, fill a pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil for 1 full minute. Then, cool the water before you drink it.^{[15]
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13

Minerals and powdered greens

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Stir in trace mineral drops or powdered greens for added nutrients. If you like the alkaline flavor of tonic water, you might enjoy adding a few drops of trace mineral drops to your drink. If you're trying to include more greens in your diet, drink them! Stir in powdered greens to enjoy another source of vitamins and minerals!^{[16]
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- If you have a hard time getting powdered greens to dissolve in the water, blend it briefly.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What are some tips for drinking water?

Jeff Siegel
Holistic Life Coach
Jeff Siegel is a Holistic Life Coach and the Founder of Jeff Siegel Wellness. With nearly 10 years of experience, he specializes in mind-body medicine, life coaching, health and wellness coaching, mindfulness, corporate training, and transformational public speaking. He received a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Master of Buddhist Studies from The University of Hong Kong, and a BSc in Neuroscience & Biology from Emory University. He’s also a certified personal trainer, a certified Eating Psychology Coach, and a certified Koru Mindfulness Teacher.

Jeff Siegel

Holistic Life Coach

Expert Answer

Be mindful of where you get your water from! In the United States, the majority of our tap water is totally safe to drink from a biological standpoint, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily pure. There are a lot of compounds that end up in our water system that aren't necessarily filtered out, so it's important to pay attention to where your water is coming from and think about the possible chemicals that might be in it.

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Tips

Muddle your ingredients to release more of their flavor into the water.

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Use cold or room temperature filtered water since hot water will ruin the ingredients you're adding.

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