Water Temperature: Why Does it Matter so Much When Brewing Coffee?

You’ve probably noticed in all of our brew guides and recipes that we specify the temperature of water. Why is that? Hot water is hot water right? Not in the world of specialty coffee, it isn’t.

The temperature of water actually directly correlates to the rate of extraction. Extraction is all of the flavors and substances that are pulled out of coffee grounds by the water during the brewing process. So, no, specialty coffee nerds aren’t obsessing over water temperature for nothing. It’s actually quite important to the taste!

You may be accustomed to hearing about extraction in relation to espresso, but it’s relevant to drip coffee and slow bar brew methods as well. The perfectly extracted cup of coffee is balanced and sweet with lots of tasting notes, not bitter or sour or bland or watery. Extraction is crucial to getting a great tasting cup of coffee and making the most of those specialty coffee beans you treated yourself to.

So what are the right water temps for brewing coffee? The National Coffee Association says that the ideal water temperature for extraction is between 195°F and 205°F, which is just below the boiling point of water, 212°F. You’ll notice that’s a ten degree range; this is why we usually say “right below boiling” in our brew method guides to refer to water temp.

What happens exactly when you use the wrong water temperature? Well if your water is too hot— think boiling, it will extract too quickly and probably over extract. This will lead to less flavor, and the coffee might taste bitter. If your water is too cool— not close enough to boiling, it won’t extract quickly enough for your brew method, and the coffee will be under-extracted. It will taste sour and flat. (Obviously the exception to this rule is cold brew, but that’s a whole different story and a twelve to twenty-four hour brew time.)

Like with most things specialty coffee, you can dive really far down this rabbit hole. If you want to experiment with your brew methods and find the exact degree of water temperature that tastes the best to you, you can! Electric kettles that hold temp make it really easy to do this these days! Maybe your pour over tastes amazing brewed with 197 degree water. Or maybe you find that changing the water temp depending on the coffee you’re brewing really kicks the taste up a notch. Go for it!

Now that you know why water temperature matters so much in brewing specialty coffee, you have the ability to harness this power in your at-home coffee brewing!