Ideal Coffee Temperature for Brewing and Serving Coffee

Ideal Coffee Temperature Experiment

What is the Ideal Temperature for Coffee?

Measuring the Ideal Temperature for Coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Brewing temperature is important for great-tasting coffee.  Brewing at too high temperature can result in scorched tasting coffee.  Brewing at too low temperature can result in weak flavor.

The serving temperature is also important.  Coffee that sits on a burner that is too hot can make good coffee taste scorched.  Coffee that is too cool does not taste as good.

I think almost everyone would agree that temperature is important for brewing and serving coffee- but what is the ideal temperature?

Measuring the Temperature of Great Coffee

I decided to use my Christmas present to find out exactly the ideal brewing and serving temperature for coffee.  My present is a non-contact infrared thermometer.  It has dual lasers to identify the area of measurement and a nice digital display with the precise temperature measurement.  This is a really nice instrument, and as you can imagine I lots of fun measuring the temperature of all kinds of things around the house.

Measuring Coffee Temperature in the Cup at Serving Temperature
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I used my Melitta thermal coffeemaker as the ideal temperature source.  This coffeemaker makes great coffee, and the reviews emphasize that this coffeemaker is especially good at brewing and serving at the ideal temperature for coffee.




I measured the coffee temperature in the following places:

1. In the coffee cup, just after pouring
2. In the thermal pot, just after brewing
3. In the filter basket, just after brewing
4. On the surface of the burner

Measuring Brewing Temperature of Coffee- Coffee Grounds in the Filter Basket
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Ideal Coffee Temperature

Here are the temperature measurements:
The cup of coffee, ready to serve was at 138 F
The coffee in the thermal pot was at 152 F
The grounds in the filter basket were at 158 F
The burner was at 205 F

Note that these temperatures may not match what is shown in the photographs since I made the measurements in the photos later after the coffee has cooled down a bit.  Also, it was difficult to aim the non-contact thermometer correctly and hold my cell phone to take the picture with my other hand at the same time...

So, the ideal brewing temperature for coffee is 158 F / 70 C

The ideal serving temperature is not so clear.  Some people would think 138 F is not hot enough- some restaurants serve coffee at 200 F.  I would say the ideal serving temperature for coffee is a matter of taste.  At 138 F, the coffee is still hot and I can taste a lot of the subtle flavors in the coffee.  The problem with serving at 138 F is you need to drink it pretty fast because it starts to seem cool when it gets much below 138 F.  I think 200 F is too hot- you can't really taste the coffee.

One discovery from making these temperature measurements was that the burner is at over 200 F / 93.3 C.  So, even in the excellent Melitta thermal coffee maker, you might want to pour the coffee from the thermal carafe fairly soon after brewing to avoid scorching it.


I tried leaving coffee in the pot for a few minutes after brewing was complete and noticed that it heated up to 147 F.  It makes sense that the coffee would heat up since it is sitting on a burner at 200 F.  It seems that you can pretty much choose your coffee temperature by controlling how long you leave it on the burner.  Pour it immediately, and the coffee is at 138 F.  Leave it in the carafe and it will heat up, reaching 205 F after perhaps 15 minutes.

I'm going to pick 158 F as my ideal temperature for serving coffee.  Ideally, you could keep the coffee at the ideal brewing temperature and serve it at that temperature.

Copyright © 2014 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

How to Warm Up Cold Coffee?

Problem: Cold Coffee

Today, I made a great cup of coffee as usual.  I used my coffee grinder to make fresh coffee grounds from whole bean coffee.  I used filtered water, and brewed my coffee in a coffee maker with a cone filter for maximum flavor extraction.  Here are details on how to make a great cup of coffee.

I got distracted in my workshop, and found that I had about 1/4 cup of cold coffee.  I like my coffee hot.  I have tried heating up cold coffee in the microwave, but it tastes terrible.  What can I do to warm up cold coffee without making it taste bad?

Update June 1, 2015:  I tried some further testing of heating up coffee in the microwave- I found that if the coffee is still fresh (less than an hour old) and if you don't microwave it too long that it still tastes OK.  Still, I think adding hot water is the best way to heat up coffee, but briefly microwaving it can work too.

https://twitter.com/Dr_PennyPincher/status/605351211273842689

My coffee got cold- how can I warm it up?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Solution: How to Warm Cold Coffee without Making it Taste Bad

When I end up with cold coffee that I want to warm up, I make a sort of "Cafe Americano".  I heat up a small amount of water to boiling, and add the boiling water to the cold coffee.  This does make the coffee a bit weaker, but the flavor is still good, and the coffee is hot again.

Put a small amount of water in a coffee mug

Heat the water in the microwave

Add the hot water to your cold coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I use an amount of water slightly less than the amount of cold coffee.  For the cold coffee shown in the pictures, I microwaved the water for 1:30 to get it boiling a little, and then poured it into my cold coffee.  It was a little weaker than the original coffee, but still drinkable.  Give this method a try next time you end up with cold coffee that you want to warm up.

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend- A Great Light Roast

Huckleberry Roasters Reivew

A small package arrived at my house a few days before Father's Day.  My wife scooped it up and it disappeared.  I suspected that this could be a Father's Day present, but I couldn't be certain.  The package was the size and shape of a small book, and my wife gets a book once or twice per month.

Huckleberry Roasters
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

It turned out that this package was my Father's Day gift.  I should have guessed it was coffee since this is an obvious gift choice for me.  I usually get 16 oz packages of coffee, and since the box was smaller than this, I just assumed it was something else.

What I got was 10 oz of Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend.  This is a light roast, and I have been drinking mostly medium or dark roast lately.  I peeked at the invoice- the cost was $15 for 10 oz of coffee, which works out to $24 per pound.  So this would be the most expensive coffee I have ever tried.

At $15 for 10oz, Huckleberry Roasters Coffee Costs About $24 Per Pound
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

According to the description of the blend, they change the formula based on a rotating blend of Latin American beans that are available.  This makes sense to me, so they can keep the quality up as different types and qualities of coffee beans are available on the market.  The visible appearance of the beans made it clear that this was a light roast, and they were not oily.  I was ready to give the Blue Orchid Blend a try.

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

This light roast packs a lot of flavor.  Some light roasts have a bit of a sour flavor, and this one has some citrus notes, but overall has a great coffee flavor.  This roast has some complexity, you can tell that it is not a single origin blend.  It has some of the chocolate and nutty flavors of a darker roast.  I would certainly try Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend again, or perhaps a medium or dark roast from Huckleberry Roasters.

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend (Light Roast), with flash
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend (Light Roast), no flash
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

This coffee costs more than twice as much as Starbucks whole beans or other whole bean coffee that you can buy for about $10 to $12 per pound.  Is it twice as good?  I'll leave this as an exercise for the reader...

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Custom Coffee- Blend Your Own Coffee

Make Your Own Custom Coffee Blends

1) Blend Hot Coffee To Make A Custom Coffee Blend

Blend Hot Coffee To Make Your Custom Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The first time I realized that you could blend hot coffee was years ago at a small coffee shop.  I ordered a large coffee, expecting to get a house blend that was a medium roast.

The barista asked if I wanted a light roast or a dark roast- those were the only options.  I didn't pick one of those choices, instead I said I was looking for a medium roast.

The barista said, "no problem, I can make you one."  She proceeded to fill a cup 1/2 full of light roast and then topped it off with dark roast.  I was a little surprised, but gave it a try and it was pretty good.

The coffee was not really a medium roast, since it contained no medium roast coffee.  It was a mixture of the dark, smokey flavor of a dark roast and the lighter, citrus flavor of a light roast.  This was interesting- as simple as it seems, I never thought to mix hot coffee to make my own blend.

A variation of this is Cafe Americano, which is prepared by blending a shot of espresso with hot water to make a cup of coffee.  Sometimes I get a decaf made this way.  It is always fresh and always good.  Also, you don't have to wait for an entire pot to brew.

Lately, when I get coffee at the coffee shop at work, I make a blend of 3/4 cup of Seattle's Best Level 3 decaf and 1/4 cup of Level 4 which is a dark roast.  At this coffee shop, you pump your own coffee, so it is easy to try different hot coffee blends.

2) Blend Coffee Beans Or Coffee Grounds To Make Your Own Coffee Flavor

Another way to make your own coffee blend is to mix coffee grounds or coffee beans to get the coffee flavor you want.  My Mom blends Butternut coffee grounds with a couple other brands in a certain proportion.  When she lived out of state for a few years, she could not get Butternut at the local stores, so she would buy large quantities of it when she came back to visit.  This was the only way she could keep her blend the same, just how she likes it.

Blend Light Roast, Medium Roast, and Dark Roast Beans to Make Your Custom Coffee Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Some people like to blend other flavors into their coffee grounds, such as chickory to make New Orleans style coffee.  My sister-in-law likes flavors like hazelnut flavored coffee.  Flavored coffee has flavoring added into the grounds or beans.  To me, flavored coffee tastes like chemicals and is hard to drink at all.  I once gave her a perfectly good bag of expensive coffee grounds because they were butterscotch flavored and I didn't notice this when I bought it.

I blend different coffee beans together sometimes, usually when I only have a few coffee beans left in a bag.  I have made some really good tasting blends.  My favorites are mostly medium roast with some dark roast beans mixed in.

Another popular blend is to mix regular coffee with decaf coffee.  A mix of half regular coffee and half decaf is known as "half caff" coffee.

Blend Coffee Beans or Coffee Grounds to Make a Custom Coffee Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Recommended Reading
Here is my article on coffee terms- learn more about coffee terms such as Cafe Americano.

Learn about coffee alternatives and coffee substitutes that have less caffeine than coffee.  There are many options for low caffeine or caffeine free coffee beyond decaf or half-caff!

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Why Does Decaf Coffee Taste Bad?

Why Does Decaf Coffee Taste Bad?

Decaf Coffee- It Doesn't Taste As Good As Regular Coffee!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I guess saying that decaf coffee tastes bad is a bit of an overstatement.  I would say decaf coffee is drinkable, but it is not as good as regular coffee.

If you believe the decaf coffee advertising material, you would think decaf should taste like regular coffee.  But it doesn't.  The green coffee beans must be processed to remove most of the caffeine.  This is a very invasive process and changes the flavor- and not for the better.

What Does Decaffeinated Coffee Taste Like?

I drink one 16 oz cup of regular coffee brewed from fresh ground coffee beans every morning, and then switch to decaf.  I drink several cups of decaf every day.  Usually a couple of Keurig k-cups of decaf varieties such as Dark Magic, Tully's, Newman's Own or Donut Shop.  It is not fair to compare coffee brewed from fresh ground beans with Keurig coffee- fresh ground beans make better coffee.  It is also not fair to compare regular coffee to decaf coffee- regular coffee tastes better.

Keurig k-cup decaf coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I also buy ground decaf coffee or whole bean decaf coffee to brew at home.  This makes for a fairer comparison between regular and decaf coffee.  Regular coffee tastes better, even comparing similar roasts and coffee preparation methods.  Regular coffee has a richer, fuller flavor.  Decaf has more of a burned flavor and is missing some of the complex flavor of regular coffee.  It's sort of like the difference between listening to music in stereo, and then listening to the same song in mono.  Both sound similar, but the one in stereo is much more satisfying.  Why does regular coffee taste better since you can't taste caffeine?

Why Does Decaf Coffee Have Less Flavor?

The process of removing caffeine also impacts the flavor of coffee.  When coffee is decaffeinated, green coffee beans are processed to extract most of the caffeine.  In the old days, chemical solvents were used.  Some of these solvents were toxic and these are not commonly used anymore.  The two common methods of coffee decaffeination today are:

• Water Extraction: Hot water is used to extract caffeine, but also extracts flavor compounds.  Water containing flavor compounds is used to try to replace the flavor in the "Swiss Water Process".
• Supercritical Fluid CO₂ Extraction: Carbon Dioxide is used at controlled temperature and pressure to penetrate the green coffee beans and dissolve the caffeine so that it can be extracted.

I think the flavor of decaf coffee is negatively impacted by the processing needed to remove most of the caffeine.  There is potential for a variety of coffee trees to be grown that produce decaf coffee beans with no processing required to remove caffeine.  This could be accomplished through finding coffee plants with a natural mutation, or through genetically modified coffee plants that have the chemical pathway to produce caffeine disrupted.

Wouldn't It Be Great If You Could Grow Decaf Coffee?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

How to Get the Best Decaf Coffee Possible

Given the shortcomings of decaf coffee due to the processing required to remove most of the caffeine, what can you do to get the best possible cup of decaf?  Follow the same principles that are used to make a great cup of regular coffee:

• Use fresh decaf coffee beans
• Choose lighter roasts for decaf- these will have a better chance of producing good flavor
• Grind the beans just before brewing
• Use filtered water
• Use a coffee brewer with a cone filter
• Use a coffee brewer with a thermal carafe to avoid adding burned flavor

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

No More Coffee Beans at Walmart!?

No More Coffee Beans at Walmart?

No More Coffee Beans at Walmart?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

My wife buys my coffee beans for me when she buys groceries most of the time.  She know my favorite kinds.  I like dark roast Starbucks from Walmart or City Kid from Target.  I have made coffee from whole beans for over 15 years now, and am on my 3rd coffee grinder.  Grinding fresh coffee beans just before brewing means you'll get a fresh cup of coffee with great coffee flavor.

I came home from work to learn from my wife that Walmart did not have and coffee beans for sale.  They had removed their bulk dispensers and did not have any prepackaged whole beans either.  What's up with that!

Is Keurig Replacing Whole Beans?

Are Keurig k-cups replacing whole coffee beans?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

My first thought is the Keurig k-cups may be replacing whole coffee beans.  There is more profit to be made selling k-cups than selling whole beans.  If you figure out how much ground coffee is in a k-cup and how much it sells for, you'll see the opportunity for profit.  It takes a lot of shelf space to offer lots of different kinds of coffee beans, and the bulk coffee bean dispensers also take a lot of room.  Walmart must have concluded that they could make more money from that shelf space by selling something else.

Do People Have Time for Great Coffee Anymore?

Consumer demand must also be a factor in Walmart's move to stop selling whole coffee beans.  Walmart must not be concerned that people will shop elsewhere to be able to buy whole coffee beans.  This is probably a reasonable conclusion.  The grocery bill is significantly lower at Walmart, so the hassle of picking up coffee beans at another store is not that big of a deal.

Do people have time for great coffee anymore?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Perhaps not that many people grind coffee beans at home these days.  There is a Keurig machine at my office, and it is very convenient.  I would say the coffee quality is good, but not great.  Keurig coffee is a step below what I can make at home from fresh ground beans, or what you can get in a coffee shop.  But convenience is important to most people:

• You can just pop a k-cup in your Keurig and get coffee in about 1 minute
• You can try different roasts and flavors easily
• You never have to see or touch a used coffee filter
• There are no coffee grounds to store, measure, clean-up, etc.

There are certainly advantages to Keurig, but I'm staying with my coffee beans.  Here's how I use whole coffee beans to make great coffee at home every day.

Update:  I checked Walmart today and found that they have a small set of coffee bean dispensers (9 varieties) and a few bags of whole coffee beans available.  So you can find coffee beans at Walmart just not much selection.  Times are changing in the coffee world.  I will shop where I can get whole beans or order online!  It is surprising that whole bean coffee is not popular enough to merit much shelf space.

Walmart has only a few whole bean coffee choices
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal