Welcome to the world of chemistry as it applies to your next cup of coffee. Actually, all food and beverage preparation relies on chemistry to a degree in order to optimize taste and aroma. In the case of coffee, the ideal brewing temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, not boiling temperature of 212 degrees or anything lower than 195 degrees. Why is that temperature range so important? Are you allowed some leeway in your daily coffee making routine?

Water Temperature and the Degree of Extraction When Brewing Coffee

You do not need to heat coffee in order to extract the caffeine and various flavorful antioxidants that it contains. However, if you brew at refrigerator temperature or room temperature you get what they call under-extraction. Your coffee will not have any body and will be sour and weak. This gets better the closer you get to the ideal temperature brewing range.

If you brew in boiling water you get what they call over-extraction. In this case your coffee will be bitter to the point where the bitterness overwhelms the rest of the potentially complex and pleasing taste of your cup of Java.

In this “Goldilocks” scenario the idea temperature range is from 195 degrees to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do You Need to Use a Thermometer to Monitor Your Coffee Brewing Range Temperature?

This is the ideal solution if you want the perfect cup of coffee every single time. However, your automatic coffee maker may have a preprogrammed setting to control temperature. Once you have assured yourself that you are brewing at the right temperature range you can probably rely on the coffee maker to get it right and only recheck if and when you notice a change in the quality of you cup of coffee.

If you boil your coffee you are asking for trouble because you will routinely get harsh, bitter coffee. If you make pour over coffee, let your boiled water sit for a few minutes before pouring over your ground coffee in the cloth bag. The same applies when you use a French press. A pot of boiled water is at 212 degrees Fahrenheit but will cool off at a rate of about a degree and a half per minute. Thus if you wait five minutes before pouring hot water over your ground coffee for pour over coffee or adding to your French press, you will have water at the top of the 195 to 205 degree range and will be brewing at the right temperature without having to use a thermometer every single time.

Ideally we would like to make perfect coffee every single time but life tends to get in the way of excessive attempts at perfection. As a practical matter, follow our advice about coffee brewing temperature and don’t get an ulcer trying to achieve daily coffee brewing perfection! We commonly tout the health benefits of drinking coffee. Making it an anxiety producing experience may be worse than having a less than perfect cup of coffee!