Keeping our brew fresh and hot is a big deal for some of us coffee
drinkers. There is nothing worse than a tepid mouthful of stale coffee.
How you keep your coffee hot depends a little on where you are and what
you're doing. What happens to coffee as we keep it warm? Are there
things I should never do to keep my coffee warm? Knowing a little more
about coffee will help you understand how to keep it hot and tasting
great.
This little set of points should help you out in most situations.
- Use a thermal cup or mug for commuting or to keep it hot for short periods of time
- Glass and stainless steel thermos style bottles barely effect coffee taste at all
- French Press brewers (like Bodum) are not good for keeping coffee
hot. They continue to brew and can produce very bitter coffee
- Try to not use direct heat from an element or hotplate if possible
- A sealed or closed container slows the loss of essential aromas that influence coffee flavour.
- You get the best flavour from coffee that is kept at least 170F.
There are a number of taste related components in a cup of coffee that
change or degrade over time. This means that the taste of a cup of
coffee will continue to change, for the worse most would say, just
because time passes. The best way to manage this problem is to simply
brew smaller amounts of coffee more frequently. As we all know, the
best cup of coffee is a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
So as you get your next pot of coffee ready, think about how you are
going to consume it. If you plan on having it right away, no problem.
But if you are thinking about drinking it over a longer period of time,
keep the points we made above in your mind. Plan out how you will keep
it hot and tasting fresh. Only then start the brew.
