Question: I understand that the advertised brew temperature for the Keurig and the Breville single cup coffee makers is 192 degrees.  Once the coffee hits the cup, what is an acceptable temperature level for a hot cup of coffee?  I tested my Cusinart coffee maker and after brewing 12 cups  having it sit for 5 minutes and then pouring it into my unheated coffee cup, the temperature after pouring is 183 degrees. I purchased a Keurig 60 from the Home Shopping Channel and found that after priming the machine with a water cup only then making 4 successive cups of coffee  ..one after the other ..the temperature as the liquid hit the cup ranged from 170 degrees for the first cup and progessed to 178 for the 4th cup and did not go beyond that.  I spoke to someone at Keurig who told me that 170 was an acceptable level for coffee.  Is this the case OR did I just have a malfunctioning Keurig?  I did return the maker because I like HOT coffee.  Do any of the single cup coffee makers make a hotter cup of coffee than what I experienced?  Am I also right in saying that properly heated coffee is part of the secret to the flavor being released from the coffee?

Answer: You are correct that properly heated coffee is one of THE secrets to getting as much flavor as possible in your mug. The ideal brewing temperature is 200 degrees F and not all home brewers brew that hot. The difference between your analysis and this guideline is that you are measuring the temperature of coffee in the mug after it has been brewed. There is the drop in temperature brought about by the brewing process and what time the coffee has sat in your mug, but the recommended 200 degrees F is the temperature the water should be at when it is making contact with the ground coffee. You obviously cannot measure this water temperature during the brewing process and we are forced to rely on the coffee maker manufacturer’s technical data specifying how hot the water is heated during brewing. If the rep from Keurig is telling you that 170 degrees is acceptable for the temperature of coffee you drink, that’s not wrong…the coffee temperature should be whatever you like. If the rep means 170 degrees is an acceptable water heating temperature during brewing, they are WAY OFF…in fact off by 30 degrees. Again, 200 degrees is how hot the water should be heated during brewing.