cross-posted from: https://europe.pub/post/47526
Absolutely not something to be given for granted.
Shoutout to u/UnusualInstance6 on Reddit
this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025
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Germany: Takes third option and buys bottled water. Part of the reason is that carbonated water is really popular, and home carbonators are usually kind of difficult/annoying to clean properly. Also, restaurants often won't serve tap water due to greed.
I'll never understand countries where restaurants don't serve tap water for free... It feels so greedy (as you say) and doesn't make me want to eat there...
It was a big struggle for me in germany. I have a condition that makes swallowing food very difficult and have to essentially "push" food down with a lot of water.
I would easily need to buy 2-3 .75l bottles per meal, so instead I bought 1 bottle and brought a reusable water bottle to every restaurant. No one complained, and I did always buy at least a drink.
But if you just let me have tap water, or even have tap water after purchasing a drink I could have enjoyed a meal without rationing my water.
Most restaurants will serve you tap water if you buy a meal and a drink.
I mean I'll happily pay for tapwater, as long as it is chraper than the cheapest other beverage. Thats because many (good) restaurants (not the tourist traps) mostly make their profit with the drinks and not with the food menues. The margin is just a lot bigger on drinks.
The biggest brand of home carbonators (Soda Stream) is an Israeli brand. Just something to think about.
It's a generational thing, too, though. At my parents' place, they'll look at me like I lost a limb when I drink tap water. Meanwhile, all the homies and homettes drink nothing but tap water.
I drink Sprudelwasser with dinner and the rest of the day it's just tap water. We live in an incredibly hard water area so tap water is basically mineral water.
When you drink hard water, are you getting stoned? 😏
You do have to ve mindful of kidney stones, so in a way, yes.
I never order tap water but I thought, restaurants have to give it for free?
Not in Germany they don't! They can and will refuse to serve it at all. And the cheapest drink on the menu is often sweet soda, instead of something healthy.
I knew a guy back in the days who always ordered "Hahnenwasser" as he called it and it was free. Maybe this changed or it's regional. I know the cheapest drink has to be without alcohol and I'm pretty sure water is never more expensive than soda
Hahnenwasser literally means tap water. The tap is called "Hahn".
I know, it's just that most other people call it Leitungswasser
That's a north/south difference in German. Leitungswasser in the Saupreisn areas, Hahnenwasser in the Bergjuden/Schluchtenscheißer regions.
I've never been to Germany but this has to be affordable there if its affordable anywhere in the world:
Get a clean keg, fill almost all the way with water, put in the fridge and connect to co2 cylinder at 35-50 psi. 35 will take 1-2 days to carbonate and you can turn it down for serving. higher will usually be faster. shaking the water keg with the co2 attached can have it done in a minute or two. basically if you can already dispense a keg you can make infinite carbonated water for pretty much nothing
you can also get bags of mineral amendments from a brewing shop to replicate your favourite brand or spring.
Your fridge fits an entire keg?
one of them is a somewhat normal residential fridge and can fit a 20L on the left side if you take out the drawers and shelves on that side. The other is just a kegerator I got from a small brewery that went out of business and just replaced the lines and the taps.
Your fridge has a "left side" with separate drawers from the right side? That's gigantic.
no the shelves are normal except they are half width and anchor on 3 of 4 corners. the drawers and shelves can be side by side, stacked, or spaced out. one side has all the shelves, the other just barely can't have a shelf above the keg. total width would fit two kegs, maybe with the co2 nested between but it's more convenient to put other stuff in using shelves on half
How wide is your fridge? I have 48cm (on the inside) to work with.