How you like your coffee will come down to personal preference. Its temperature during extraction though, is not, and its importance can often be overlooked.
For each different type of coffee, there is a perfect temperature to achieve. Precision is essential in the pursuit of perfection.
Why is coffee temperature important?
Getting the coffee temperature right during extraction is essential. This extraction process – when hot water comes into contact with the beans – is what draws the flavour out of the coffee beans. If you don’t achieve the perfect temperature, you won’t end up with a perfect coffee.
Coffee Brew Temperatures
For every method, there is a specific and optimum coffee temperature range you need to achieve.
Brewing temperatures by coffee type:
- Espresso - 93 degrees Celsius
- Pour Over - 90 degrees Celsius
- French Press/Cafetiere - 93-94 degrees Celsius
- AeroPress - 90-96 degrees Celsius
- Chemex - 92-94 degrees Celsius
Overall, the ideal coffee temperature is around 93 degrees Celsius, and if you follow this rule of thumb, you’ll be on your way to mastering your brewing technique.
What happens if you brew your coffee at the wrong temperature?
Brew your coffee too hot and you could burn it. This will create an acidic taste that is not desirable for most types of coffee. Brew it too cold and you will under extract the coffee which means there are still active elements in the bean preventing a full extraction leading to either sour or watery flavours depending on the type of coffee.
What is the best way to control the temperature of your coffee?
You can see the temperature of your coffee – in Fahrenheit or Celsius – by using a digital thermometer.
How hot should your coffee be when you drink it?
Some people have a tendency to take their first sip when it’s still piping hot. But as you’ll see above, some coffees are brewed at quite high temperatures which can lead to scalding. It also means you won’t taste all the flavour. You can learn more about making coffee in our barista tips.
For more tips and tricks to help you in your pursuit of coffee perfection, click on coffee blog.