Have you noticed that your coffee gets cold fast? Here are some reasons why this happens.
1. Coffee is Served Warm
One of the reasons why your coffee gets cold fast is because it’s served mildly warm. When coffee is served very hot, the heat overpowers the coffee’s flavors, thus it becomes difficult to taste the coffee itself. Therefore, baristas prefer to serve their coffee warm so that you can enjoy the coffee flavor more. Coffee notes will shine at a temperature between 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Black Coffee is Darker
Another reason your coffee gets cold fast is its dark color. Your black coffee will emit heat faster compared to your lighter coffee. This is because dark materials absorb and radiate heat faster than light materials. Therefore, if you’re looking to keep your coffee warm for a longer period, you can make it lighter. Additionally, you can add cream to your coffee. Science shows that adding some cream to your coffee will reduce its cooling rate by 20%, unlike leaving it black.
3. Coffee Ambient Temperature
Last but not least, the cooling rate of your coffee depends on its ambient temperature. This means that your coffee will cool faster when very hot than when it’s warm. As the hot coffee begins to approach room temperature, its cooling rate will slow down. For example, let’s assume you have cup A with very hot coffee and cup B with warm coffee. Cup A will lose heat faster such that within 5 minutes both cups are almost at the same temperature but cup B is hotter than A. This is despite cup A being much hotter than B.
How to Keep Your Coffee Hot
1. Use a Scarf or Thick Piece of Fabric
Wrapping your cup of coffee with a scarf or a thick piece of fabric will provide it with more insulation thus preventing heat loss. However, this method doesn’t offer long-lasting heat. It will keep your cup of coffee warm enough at least for one more hour. This is enough time to enjoy your pleasant beverage before you can brew another cup of hot coffee.
2. Use a Cup Holder or Sleeve
Wrapping your cup of coffee with a cup holder or cup sleeve will keep your coffee warmer for a while. The best part of this method is that cup sleeves are inexpensive – you can thrift them or save the ones you get from the coffee shops.
Furthermore, there are different varieties to choose from such as knitted sleeves, neoprene sleeves, and paper sleeves. They’ll act as an insulator so that your coffee stays warm and keeps the heat from reaching your skin. Consider keeping a bunch of cup sleeves in your home, car, and bag and you’ll be good to go.
3. Use a Travel Mug
If you love to travel, consider getting yourself a traveling mug that has good insulation to keep your coffee warm. The best travel mug has a reusable lid that fits perfectly. A well-insulated travel mug will maintain the heat, flavor, and aroma of your cup of coffee.
4. Use a Thermos
Another tip to keeping your coffee warmer for long is investing in a high-quality thermos flask. Putting your coffee into a thermos flask immediately after brewing increases the chances of maintaining your coffee temperature for later consumption.
A thermos flask is designed with some insulating materials like silicone, stainless steel, and plastic that aid in keeping your coffee hot for at least 6 hours. Furthermore, most thermos flasks are easy to carry around and are almost unbreakable.
5. Use Metal Coffee Beans
Metal coffee beans that are also known as coffee Joulies will keep your coffee hot for a longer period. All you have to do is immerse your coffee in these beans and they’ll absorb the heat, bring your coffee to the right temperatures, and maintain this temperature.
If you’re worried about consuming them by accident, don’t be. These metal coffee beans are the same size as soup spoons so no need to worry. To increase the effectiveness of these beans, you can preheat them, a process that ensures your coffee is hot for later consumption.
6. Preheat Your Coffee Cup
Preheating your cup of coffee keeps your coffee hotter for an extended timeframe. To preheat your coffee cup, simply fill it with hot water and allow the water to sit for a minute for the temperature to evenly spread throughout your cup. Once the water starts to cool down, throw it away. The best part of this method is that it keeps your coffee hotter, while not affecting its taste.
7. Use a Cup Warmer
Instead of being stuck in traffic with cold and bitter coffee, get yourself a cup warmer. You can get a car-mounted cup warmer that’ll perfectly fit your travel mug or your takeout cup of coffee.
Also read Why Does Coffee Bubble?
