Do I have to bother with using filtered water in a standard coffee maker?!
Answers: Since the water is boiled into steam which collects at the top and then goes through the coffee & filter, isn't only distilled water going through at that point?
You only really have to use filtered water if you have very hard tap water with a lot of minerals in it. The minerals can collect in the coffee maker, making it take a VERY long time to brew. It's not exactly distilled water going thru your coffee maker, because not every mineral is dissolved into the steam.
I think the largest reason is that the water quality could affect the taste of the coffee and/or lime can eventually clog it up.
I haven't ever used filtered water and haven't ever had an issue.
You don't have to use filtered water. But distilled and filtered are 2 different things.
Any heavy metals in your tap water could be trapped in your coffee maker. But I wouldn't worry about it; the coffee maker will probably crap out before the deposits clog the plumbing.
Depends on your tap water. coffee is 99% water so the better tasting the water the better the coffee will taste.