Can you reheat coffee? - The best way

Iced coffees are delicious and hot coffees are a staple of life we know, but a hot coffee that goes cold is not right.

Can coffee be reheated without spoiling it? If you are a very critical coffee connoisseur with a very finely tuned palate, maybe not. But for the rest of us, the best way to reheat coffee is over low, steady heat in a pot on the stove.

It is not disputed that the best is fresh, but sometimes what you want is fast and easy.

In this article, we’ll talk about several effective ways to reheat coffee, taking into account the different types of preparation and, of course, your busy lifestyle.

The best way to reheat coffee

Before you reheat your coffee, there are a few things you should know about the special bean that gives you caffeine. The flavor of each coffee bean is largely determined by how it is roasted, because the chemicals within it react to heat.

Although most of the flavor is fixed when you brew your personal coffee, reheating it will reset the reaction and lead to a flavor change. For some, it’s barely noticeable. For others, it is no longer worth drinking. You will have to make that decision for yourself.

You will also notice that the heavenly aroma of the coffee almost disappears after its initial preparation.  You may not realize it, but what we taste is highly influenced by what we smell. The loss of aroma will also influence the taste and appeal of your coffee the second time around.

One last thing to keep in mind is your health and safety.  If your morning cup has just gone cold, you can reheat it without worrying too much about safety, but bacteria love coffee, so if your pot has been sitting all night, it’s best to pour it out and start over.

Ideal coffee temperature

The temperature at which you drink your coffee also affects flavor, as it dictates how slowly or quickly the flavors are extracted from the beans.

Coffee that is too hot can turn bitter , while coffee that has been too cold or made with water that is not hot enough will taste flat and less bodied.

Most coffee shops serve their coffee at a temperature of between 180 and 185 degrees, although the average coffee consumer expects it to cool down to a temperature of 150 degrees.

If you make your coffee at home or make it with milk, it is best to boil the water and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before using it to make the coffee . A coffee maker must be set to heat water properly in the first place.

Before we get to the heating process, there’s an extra tip we wanted to offer you, should you want to try it out for yourself.

There is some disagreement on this, so we put it down to personal choice : before heating, add a pinch of salt to your cup. The theory is that the salt will help reinvigorate the caffeine compounds, enhance flavor, and tone down bitterness.

If your coffee tasted great but went cold before you could finish it, let’s discuss some ways to get things done without ruining your morning cup in the process.

Reheat coffee on the stove

If you’re going to reheat your cup of coffee, the best way to do it for maximum flavor protection is to heat it on your stovetop, where you can better control the temperature.

By heating it slowly, the chemical reactions that keep changing the flavor are less intense, and you’ll also be less likely to end up with burnt coffee.

Pour the cold coffee into a small pot and heat over low to medium heat until steaming but not boiling.  Pour it back into your cup and enjoy.

Reheat coffee in the microwave

If you’re really craving caffeine, chances are you don’t want to wait for it to slowly reheat on the stove. The next best solution is your trusty friend, the microwave. 

If you know how to adjust the heat setting on your microwave, you should ideally heat your coffee on medium heat for 1 minute or less. This will vary based on how cold your coffee is and how hot you like to drink it.

If you’re not sure about the temperature, start with 20 seconds and check. Add another 20 seconds if necessary and continue until your coffee is perfect again.

Before you hit the start button, remember to pour the brew into a microwave-safe mug, if it’s not already in one.

Can coffee be reheated in a convection oven?

Countertop convection ovens have replaced microwaves in many homes in recent years, but can you heat your coffee in one? Yes, you can, but it’s not convenient.

A convection oven is, after all, an oven.  If you put your coffee cup in, when you go to take it out again, the cup will be boiling.

The solution would be to heat the coffee slowly, as we have already said, and then, with the protection of your hands, remove the cup and pour the coffee into a new cup that is safe to handle.

Otherwise, by the time the cup is cool enough to handle, the coffee will be cold again.

Is it okay to reheat coffee in a coffee pot?

No, reheating coffee in the coffee maker is not ideal.  Many coffee makers are designed to keep the coffee hot, which is perfect, but if you put the coffee back in the pot and turn on the hot plate, it will likely burn the bottom of the coffee, possibly ruining your coffee maker and definitely the taste of your coffee. your coffee.

The hot plate is designed to hold heat, not create it. It doesn’t get hot enough for the heat to be transferred to the entire pot, but it will heat the bottom layer of the liquid enough to damage it.

Reheat coffee with milk, cream, sugar and other additives

If you have added cream and sugar or other flavorings to the coffee, you will need to be very careful when reheating it.

Dairy products scald very easily, especially when sugar is also present, and run the same risk of curdling. Heating it up too quickly is a recipe for disaster, so be sure to pay attention to the low to medium heat rule.

You should also make sure that the coffee hasn’t been left out for too long, as dairy products are more likely to spoil more quickly than black coffee.

Can cold brewed coffee be heated?

If possible. Cold brewed coffee is different from iced coffee, so it’s important to distinguish between the two.

Iced coffee is simply any type of traditionally brewed coffee that is poured over ice to make it cold.

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in room temperature water for long periods of time, up to 12 hours in most cases.  The result is a highly concentrated coffee drink.

There are two common and delicious ways to heat cold brew coffee:

1. Heat a cup by pouring a small amount of boiling water into it, swirling it, and discarding it. Fill your cup halfway with the cold brew, then fill it with boiling water that has been steeping for 5 minutes.
2. Preheat your mug as above, fill it halfway with cold beer, and steam it with milk. The coffee won’t be as hot and won’t stay hot for as long as using boiling water, so drink it immediately for maximum enjoyment.

Can bulletproof coffee be reheated?

Yes, you can reheat bulletproof coffee, and I happen to have written a whole article about it! You can read it here.

The stovetop method is ideal here, as butter and MCT oil can make your coffee a mess in the microwave from splattering oils.  Get out a small pot and a whisk and heat your bulletproof coffee over medium heat, stirring constantly to reintegrate the oil with the water.

Heat up Starbucks coffee

Starbucks coffee cups expressly tell you not to reheat your cup . This is for two main reasons:

1. They cannot guarantee the quality of the reheated coffee, and for this reason they advise against it.
2. Your mugs have a very thin inner lining that is not suitable for the microwave

If you need to reheat your Starbucks coffee, you must first transfer it to a microwave-safe mug, then reheat it using one of the methods listed above. Certainly Starbucks would rather you just buy a new cup.

Alternative solution to reheating coffee

Drink it cold, but very cold. Add some ice to your cup and pour the room temperature infusion over the ice.

Related questions

Is it bad to reheat coffee?

Whether or not it’s bad to reheat coffee really depends on your personal definition of “bad” and how picky your coffee palate is.

Reheating coffee can burn it if you’re not careful, but as long as it’s not older than 12 hours, it’s safe to drink, unless you’re sensitive to caffeine, of course.

However, almost all regular coffee drinkers can notice a difference in flavor once their cup of java is reheated.  Whether that’s “bad” enough to discourage you from reheating your own mug is a matter of personal taste.

Does reheating coffee destroy the caffeine?

There are many conflicting opinions on this subject. As a general rule, heat damages nutrition, so it stands to reason that reheating your coffee or making it very hot at first affects caffeine levels.

In our research, most experts agree that reheating coffee won’t affect your caffeine fix , though many self-proclaimed coffee aficionados disagree.

Do coffee mug warmers work?

Coffee cup warmers work much like the burner on a coffee pot. They conduct heat to whatever container is sitting on it.

They won’t necessarily reheat cold coffee, but they will keep your cup and the coffee inside it hotter for longer if you’re a slow drinker.