Reference · serving temperature
Coffee serving temperature: how hot to drink it
Coffee is brewed at about 200 °F (93 °C), but the people in drinking-temperature studies chose cups between about 140 and 159 °F (60–71 °C). Here are the brewing, holding and serving numbers next to burn and cancer-agency guidance, and how fast a cup cools.
From kettle to cup: the numbers
| Stage | °F | °C | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewing water where it meets the coffee | 195–205 | 90.6–96.1 | SCA best practices (200 °F ± 5°) |
| Coffee as poured into the cup (typical) | 186–191 | 85.6–88.3 | Abraham & Diller 2019 |
| Heated carafe, first 30 minutes | 176–185 | 80–85 | SCA Standard 310-2021 |
| Hot drinks as often served | 160–185 | 71.1–85 | Brown & Diller 2008 |
| Cupping: first flavor scores | 160 | 71 | SCA cupping protocol |
| Average “too hot” point, pilot study | ≈153 | 67 | Dirler et al. 2018 |
| “Very hot” in the IARC evaluation | above 149 | above 65 | IARC 2016 |
| Suggested service range | 130–160 | 54–71 | Abraham & Diller 2019 |
| Calculated optimum drinking temperature | 136 | 57.8 | Brown & Diller 2008 |
In their 2019 review, John Abraham (University of St. Thomas) and Kenneth Diller (University of Texas at Austin) find preferred drinking temperatures 40 to 50 °F below brewing temperatures and conclude that “an appropriate range for service temperatures is (130 to 160 °F).”
- Brewing water: 195–205 °F (SCA, 200 °F ± 5°).
- Poured into the cup: 186–191 °F, typical (Abraham & Diller).
- Heated carafe: 176–185 °F (80–85 °C) for the first 30 minutes (SCA 310).
- Often served: 160–185 °F (Brown & Diller).
- Suggested service range: 130–160 °F (Abraham & Diller); the diamond is Brown & Diller’s 136 °F optimum.
- Preferred in studies, left to right: Lee & O’Mahony ≈140 °F, Dirler et al. 145 °F, Borchgrevink et al. 155 °F, Stokes et al. 159.4 °F.
- IARC “very hot”: above 65 °C (149 °F).
- Hot-water burn times (UCSF), left to right: 15 s at 133 °F, 5 s at 140 °F, 2 s at 149 °F, about 1 s at 156 °F.
What temperature people like to drink coffee at
| Study | Who and how | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Borchgrevink, Susskind & Tarras 1999 | 250 US participants ranked seven temperatures from 135 to 195 °F (as summarized by Abraham & Diller) | 155 °F (68.3 °C) ranked first, 145 °F (62.8 °C) second; 175 °F (79.4 °C) and above rated at least “somewhat too hot” |
| Lee & O’Mahony 2002 | 300 consumers mixed hot and cooler coffee to their liking; 108 more used black coffee only | Mean about 60 °C (140 °F); 61.5 °C (142.7 °F) for black-coffee drinkers, 59.0 °C (138.2 °F) with creamer or sweetener (review figures) |
| Stokes et al. 2016 | 25 participants, samples from 31 to 76.8 °C (as summarized by Abraham & Diller) | 70.8 °C (159.4 °F) |
| Dirler, Winkler & Lachenmeier 2018 | 87 participants added hot coffee to cooler coffee step by step, sipping each time | Preferred 63 °C (145 °F); “too hot” at 67 °C (about 153 °F) on average |
| Pramudya & Seo 2018 | 79 coffee tasters rated samples at 5, 25 and 65 °C (41, 77 and 149 °F) | Liking 6.0 of 9 at 65 °C, against 4.2 at 25 °C and 4.0 at 5 °C |
Brown and Diller (2008, Burns) weighed a burn-injury model against the published preference of 140 ± 15 °F (60 ± 8.3 °C) for 300 subjects, arrived at an optimum of about 136 °F (57.8 °C), and argued that recommended serving temperatures should come down.
Burn risk: what burn centers and agencies say
- Scalds happen fast. Brown and Diller note that brief exposure at the usual 160–185 °F can cause significant scalds. Abraham and Diller write that spills at 180 °F are “very likely to cause at least middermal burns” and that injury “increases very rapidly with each degree increase.”
- Time to burn. UCSF Health’s Bothin Burn Center gives these times for hot tap water: about 1 second at 156 °F (68.9 °C), 2 seconds at 149 °F (65 °C), 5 seconds at 140 °F (60 °C) for a third-degree burn, and 15 seconds at 133 °F (56.1 °C). It adds that coffee, tea and soup can be hot enough to cause a serious burn.
- Who is most at risk. The American Burn Association lists spilled hot drinks among the causes of scalds, which it calls among the most common burns, “especially in children and older adults.” Abraham and Diller point to thinner skin, slower reactions and smaller body size in those groups.
- Very hot drinks and cancer. In 2016 the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified drinking very hot beverages, meaning above 65 °C (149 °F), as “probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A),” based on limited evidence linking them to cancer of the oesophagus. Coffee itself was rated “not classifiable” (Group 3).
For a scald, the American Burn Association’s scald page advises cooling the burn right away under cool (not cold) running water for 10–20 minutes, without ice, butter or creams, and lists when to seek emergency help. Follow that page and medical advice, not this summary.
How fast coffee cools: carafes, cups and lids
| Situation | Temperature change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Large insulated carafe | A drop of about 3 °C (5 °F) | Abraham & Diller |
| Small uninsulated glass carafe | A drop of up to 20 °F | Abraham & Diller |
| Heated carafe on a certified brewer | Held at 80–85 °C for the first 30 minutes, never pushed above 85 °C by the element | SCA 310-2021 |
| Pouring into a cup | A drop of 2–5 °C (4–9 °F) | Abraham & Diller |
| Open cup in a room | Typically 10–15 °C (20–25 °F) in 5 minutes | Abraham & Diller |
| Cup with a cap or lid | About twice the cooling time | Abraham & Diller |
By the review’s estimate, coffee brewed at recommended temperatures reaches preferred levels after about 5 minutes of cooling.
From brewer to cup, step by step
- Brew at the brewing target. Brewing heat is about extraction; see water temperature.
- Expect the cup to start hot. At 186–191 °F as poured, it is above every preference above.
- Give an open cup about 5 minutes. With a lid, expect roughly twice as long.
- Or add something cooler, such as milk: the review’s mixing route.
- Measure if you want a number: compare a thermometer reading with 130–160 °F and the 149 °F IARC line.
- Take extra care around children and older adults, the groups both burn sources single out.
How flavor changes as the cup cools
The SCA cupping protocol scores flavor and aftertaste at 160 °F (71 °C), about 8–10 minutes after the water goes on; acidity, body and balance as the cup falls from 160 to 140 °F; sweetness, uniformity and clean cup as it approaches room temperature (below 100 °F); and stops at 70 °F (21 °C). The home version is on the coffee cupping page.
Steen and colleagues served one coffee at six temperatures from 31 to 62 °C (88–144 °F). Aroma release rose notably above 40 °C (104 °F); cups at 31–44 °C read mainly sour, tobacco and sweet, cups at 50–62 °C more intense, roasted and bitter. A cup that is sour from the first sip is a brewing question for the taste troubleshooting chart.
Where the sources disagree
- How hot is preferred. Averages run from about 140 °F (Lee & O’Mahony) to 159.4 °F (Stokes et al.), and Borchgrevink’s top rank was 155 °F. Brown and Diller’s 136 °F sits below all of them because it also weighs burn risk.
- Preference against the IARC line. In the Dirler pilot, the average “too hot” point sat just above 65 °C, but 22% of participants preferred coffee above 65 °C (149 °F), a group the authors say could face higher risk.
Limits: the preference studies are small; the Dirler pilot used one instant coffee and a university sample. Some figures come from the Abraham & Diller review rather than the original papers.
Sources
- Abraham J., Diller K. (2019) A Review of Hot Beverage Temperatures: Satisfying Consumer Preference and Safety. Journal of Food Science 84(8) (copy hosted by Oregon State University Food Science; typical temperatures, preference studies, cooling, 130–160 °F service range)
- Brown F., Diller K.R. (2008) Calculating the optimum temperature for serving hot beverages. Burns 34(5), 648–654 (PubMed abstract: served at 160–185 °F, optimum about 136 °F)
- Lee H.S., O’Mahony M. (2002) At what temperatures do consumers like to drink coffee? Mixing methods. Journal of Food Science 67(7), 2774–2777 (Ewha Womans University record; 300 + 108 consumers, mean about 60 °C)
- Borchgrevink C.P., Susskind A.M., Tarras J.M. (1999) Consumer preferred hot beverage temperatures. Food Quality and Preference 10(2), 117–121 (Cornell eCommons record)
- Dirler J., Winkler G., Lachenmeier D.W. (2018) What Temperature of Coffee Exceeds the Pain Threshold? Pilot Study of a Sensory Analysis Method as Basis for Cancer Risk Assessment. Foods 7(6), 83 (DOAJ record; 87 participants, pain threshold 67 °C, preferred 63 °C)
- Dirler J., Winkler G., Lachenmeier D.W. (2018) preprint of the Foods paper (method, share of participants above 65 °C)
- Pramudya R.C., Seo H.-S. (2018) Influences of Product Temperature on Emotional Responses to, and Sensory Attributes of, Coffee and Green Tea Beverages. Frontiers in Psychology 8, 2264 (liking at 5, 25 and 65 °C)
- Steen I., Waehrens S.S., Petersen M.A., Münchow M., Bredie W.L.P. (2017) Influence of serving temperature on flavour perception and release of Bourbon Caturra coffee. Food Chemistry 219, 61–68 (PubMed abstract; 31–62 °C)
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) — Press release N° 244, 15 June 2016: IARC Monographs evaluate drinking coffee, maté, and very hot beverages
- American Burn Association — Scald Burns (causes, who is at risk, first aid)
- UCSF Health, Bothin Burn Center — Burn Safety Facts (hot water: 1 s at 156 °F to 15 s at 133 °F)
- Specialty Coffee Association — Protocols & Best Practices (brewing 200 °F ± 5°; cupping evaluation temperatures 160 °F to 70 °F)
- SCA Standard 310-2021, Home Coffee Brewers: Specifications and Test Methods (slurry 90–96 °C; heated holding 80–85 °C for the first 30 minutes)