The ideal temperature for coffee

You brew a fresh cup of coffee and take a sip right away… too hot. Or you wait a bit and think: now it suddenly tastes much better. The temperature of coffee plays a bigger role than many people think, both for flavour and drinking comfort.

Coffee is brewed hot, but not necessarily drunk hot. There’s a clear difference between brewing and drinking, and that’s often where confusion arises. When is coffee actually at its best, and when is it simply too hot?

Here you’ll read how hot coffee ideally should be to drink, why temperature affects flavour and how you can easily improve your coffee moment.

What is the ideal temperature to drink coffee?

For most people, coffee tastes best at a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. Within this range, you can really enjoy the aromas without the coffee feeling too hot.

If coffee is hotter than this, you often taste less nuance and are more likely to burn your mouth. So let your coffee sit for a moment before drinking, so the flavour comes through better.

The difference between brewing temperature and drinking temperature

Coffee is brewed hot, but not drunk hot. During brewing, a high temperature is needed to extract flavours and aromas well from the coffee. That’s why the brewing temperature is usually around 90 to 96 degrees Celsius.

Once the coffee is in your cup, it cools down. At a lower temperature, flavours come out better and drinking feels more pleasant. That’s why coffee often tastes better after it’s been sitting for a bit.

Why does coffee taste better when it cools down a bit?

When coffee has just been brewed and is still very hot, you mainly taste bitterness and heat. Your taste buds are somewhat overwhelmed, so subtle aromas don’t come through as well.

When coffee cools down a bit, around the ideal drinking temperature, flavours balance better. You’ll taste more nuance, like sweeter and rounder notes, and drinking feels more enjoyable.

When is coffee too hot?

Coffee is too hot when you struggle to take a sip right after pouring or burn your mouth. At that point, the temperature is often above 70 degrees Celsius, which means flavours don’t come through as well.

Too hot coffee not only feels unpleasant, but also masks aromas. Waiting a moment before drinking gives you more flavour enjoyment and a more comfortable coffee moment.

How to drink coffee at the right temperature

If you want to drink your coffee at the moment it tastes best, it helps to not drink it immediately after brewing. Feel free to let your coffee sit for 1 to 2 minutes so the temperature can drop a bit.

The cup also plays a role. A thin cup lets coffee cool faster than a thick mug. If you notice your coffee is often too hot, it helps to be a bit patient or take a small sip instead of drinking it all at once.