Specifications
Use & compatibility
Limescale is the main enemy of a professional coffee machine in intensive use (bar, hotel, office). In France, average water hardness is 25–30 °f (very hard in Île-de-France, Nord, Alsace and PACA), causing calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to build up gradually in the machine's internal circuits: boiler, brew group, valves and steam wand.
The BRITA Purity C150 Quell ST cartridge acts upstream, treating the water before it enters the machine. Two complementary functions:
- Ion-exchange resin — captures the calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) responsible for hardness, replacing them with sodium (Na⁺) or hydrogen (H⁺) ions depending on the resin type. Result: softened water, with limescale build-up reduced by a factor of 5–10.
- Activated carbon — removes residual chlorine (medicinal taste), volatile organic compounds (chloroforms, THMs), fine particles and unpleasant odours. Result: clean, neutral-tasting water that preserves the coffee's aromas.
Position in the Purity C-series range:
- C25 / C50 — small home/office machines (~500–1 500 L capacity depending on hardness).
- C150 Quell ST (this product) — medium-volume Ho.Re.Ca. machines (~1 500–3 500 L capacity depending on hardness). Ideal for a local café, medium-sized hotel or office with 50–100 people.
- C300 / C500 — high-capacity professional hospitality machines (~4 000–8 000 L). See Purity C500 (#60227).
- C1100 — very large vending machines, institutional catering.
Compatibility: Professional hospitality machines equipped with a BRITA Purity C filtration system — check compatibility with the machine model
Frequently bought together
Frequently asked questions
Which coffee machines is it compatible with?
Professional machines equipped with a BRITA Purity C-Series filtration system:
- Automatic hospitality machines — Jura X-Series, WMF 1500 S+/5000S+, Franke A400/A600, Melitta Cafina, Egro (with Purity C adapter).
- Semi-automatic professional espresso machines — Rancilio Classe 5/7/9, Faema E71/E98, La Marzocco Linea PB, La Cimbali M39/M100 (with BRITA Purity C kit).
- Professional Lavazza Blue LB machines — LB2312, LB2317, LB2500 (with adapter; otherwise use Filtre Aqua Aroma Crema Lavazza (#31878)).
Checking compatibility: consult the machine manual or supplier. The standard BRITA Purity C fitting is a universal threaded connection, but some models require an adapter.
Service life / actual capacity?
Capacity varies depending on local water hardness:
- Very soft water (< 7 °f) — western Alsace, Brittany, Massif Central: ~3 500 L (service life ~12 months with medium-volume bar/hotel use).
- Soft water (7–15 °f) — Loire, south-west France: ~2 500–3 000 L (~9–12 months).
- Hard water (15–25 °f) — Rhône Valley, Provence: ~2 000 L (~8–10 months).
- Very hard water (> 25 °f) — Paris/Île-de-France, Nord, eastern Alsace, Champagne: ~1 500 L (~6–8 months).
Machine monitoring: most Ho.Re.Ca. machines display a cartridge saturation indicator (volume counter or timer). Make sure you replace the cartridge when saturated — beyond this point, the resin releases ions and the carbon loses its effectiveness.
How does it differ from Purity C500 (#60227) and C1100?
BRITA Purity C-series range — increasing sizes for increasing volumes:
- C25 / C50 — low volumes (household, flat coffee machine, meeting room for 10 people) · ~500–1 500 L.
- C150 (this product) — medium volume (local bar, hotel with 20 rooms, office with 50–100 people) · ~1 500–3 500 L.
- C500 (#60227) — high volumes (busy bar, medium-sized hotel rated 4 stars, restaurant, business with 100–300 people) · ~4 000–8 000 L.
- C1100 — very high volumes (vending, institutional catering, canteen, fast-food chain) · ~8 000–15 000 L.
Choosing the right size: 1 cartridge = 1 service life of ~6–12 months. Choose the size according to the machine's monthly water usage. Too small = overly frequent replacement = high unit cost. Too large = the resin takes longer to become saturated, but the water is less freshly filtered in the final months.
An alternative without BRITA — just descaler?
Not recommended for intensive hospitality use:
- No filter + descaler alone — remedial action only. Limescale builds up faster than it is removed by descaling. Machine lifespan reduced by 30–50%. Coffee flavour impaired (chlorine, mineral notes) throughout service.
- With a BRITA filter + descaling — preventive + remedial action. The filter slows limescale build-up by a factor of 5–10, while regular descaling removes residue. Machine lifespan +30–50%. Coffee flavour preserved.
The filter + descaler combination offers the best protection for a professional coffee machine.
Cartridge installation — procedure?
BRITA Purity C-Series standard procedure:
- Turn off the water supply to the machine.
- Remove the old cartridge (turn 1/4 of a turn anticlockwise, depending on the model). Empty any remaining water into a bucket.
- Insert the new cartridge (turn 1/4 of a turn clockwise). Check that the seal is watertight.
- Flush — run ~5 L of water through the filter (discard it) to remove resin fines and carbon.
- Turn the water supply back on. Reset the machine's water volume counter (see manual).
- Note the installation date on the cartridge or in the machine log — useful for planning the next replacement.
If in doubt, contact the technical support team at your machine supplier or an authorised BRITA technician.
BRITA — history and reliability?
BRITA GmbH — founded in 1966 in Wetter (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) by Heinz Hankammer. The brand is named after his eldest daughter. A global benchmark in water filtration for 60 years, with ~40 000 employees and a presence in 60+ countries. Consumer (filter jugs, taps), professional (coffee machines/catering, laboratories, dialysis) and industrial ranges. Proven reliability: the Purity C-Series range has been the de facto global standard for water filtration in Ho.Re.Ca. coffee machines since the decade of 2000.
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