Nothing beats a warm cup of coffee to jumpstart the morning, but coffee that’s too hot can scald the tongue and spoil the experience. If this is a recurring dilemma for you, undoubtedly, you want to find ways to cool down your hot beverage quickly.
Experts say you can place hot brewed coffee in the refrigerator, and you can leave it there for up to a week. While you can reheat it, it won’t taste as nice as a freshly brewed cup. Before putting any hot beverage into the fridge, there are some considerations; safety should always be your top priority.
You must also consider the type of container in which you want to keep your coffee. You may also wish to consider faster alternative methods of cooling down your drink.
What Happens When You Put Hot Coffee In The Fridge?
You can certainly refrigerate a cup of hot coffee in the fridge, and it will cool down. Refrigeration removes unwanted heat from your coffee and transports it elsewhere.
To accomplish this, your fridges’ refrigerant pumps through a shut refrigeration system. When the refrigerant is in a vapor state, it increases its temperature and moves the heat to the coils outside the fridge.
The hot gas around the coils will cool to the kitchens‘ air temperature. The refrigerant moves into the fridge and freezers’ coils; as it moves around, it expands and pulls heat from the fridges’ interior.
When the refrigerant increases, it absorbs heat from inside the fridge and cools down the air. The refrigerant moves the heat from your coffee to the outside of your fridge.
With the brief scientific explanation out of the way, your fridge will undoubtedly cool down your coffee; it would be wise to check the temperature after a couple of minutes to ensure it’s at a desirable heat.
What Is The Ideal Coffee Temperature?
Most of us instinctively know the temperature we enjoy our coffee. While we may not consider the number, we know how unpleasant too hot or too cold coffee tastes.
The National Coffee Association (USA) stipulates that coffee should be served at about 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other coffee enthusiasts say that the temperature is too hot, preferring the temperature range between 155 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lower temperatures are best for higher-quality coffee beans. Temperature can either enhance or mask the coffee’s flavors, and it needs careful consideration.
Can You Refrigerate Hot Coffee To Create Iced Coffee?
If you have time constraints, you can certainly put hot coffee in the fridge rather than cold brewing to make iced coffee. Make a pot or cup of hot coffee.
Go with your preferred brewing method, then place it in the fridge until it’s cold. Decant the cold coffee into a glass with ice cubes and enjoy!
How Long Does It Take For Hot Coffee To Get Cold In The Fridge?
How long it takes for a scalding cup of coffee to cool down in the fridge depends on numerous factors. A ballpark range is usually anywhere between five minutes to thirty minutes.
We will explore the different factors, but firstly, it’s worth noting that the optimum way to find an answer is to try it out for yourself.
You may have a different coffee temperature preference from someone else, so try putting a hot cup of coffee in a suitable place and observe the time.
After a couple of minutes, have a taste of your coffee. If it’s still too warm, put it back in the fridge and routinely check it until it’s at the right temperature. How quickly your coffee cools down depends on the following factors:
* The cups’ size and its’ thickness
* The cup rims’ width
* The cups’ material – ceramic, plastic, glass
* The initial temperature of the coffee
* Your rooms’ temperature
* Where you place the cup
* Does it have a lid or not?
* Did you stir your coffee?
Can You Put Iced Coffee In The Fridge Overnight?
You can pour iced coffee into a pitcher and put it in the fridge to chill overnight; it will taste just as nice the following day.
If you have ever tried to add a few ice cubes to your hot coffee and try to drink it, it’s not pleasant, as the ice cubes only water down your hot brew.
Some individuals freeze coffee in ice trays and then add the cubes in their cup to intensify the coffees’ flavor and strength.
How To Cool Down Coffee Fast?
Whether you want to slightly cool down your coffee or have chilled coffee on a hot summers’ day, there are a few hacks you can try to chill your hot caffeinated beverage quickly:
1. Transfer your hot drink into a metal cup. Metal is better at conducting heat than glass or ceramic. If you frost your metal cup beforehand, it will be a total gamechanger. Expect faster results and delicious iced coffee each time.
2. Put the entire metal cup in an ice bath. You can even add salt to the ice to lower the temperature – creating an effect called freezing-point depression.
3. Plunge a metal spoon in and out of the cup, which works better than stirring. This is perhaps the most effective method of cooling coffee down quickly.
4. Put your brew into a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake it all up. This method will chill it to its core.
5. To quickly cool down a pot of coffee, decant it into a large, wide container. A rectangular baking tray can offer better results than a bowl, as the bowls’ round bottom limits heat dissipation.
Immersing metal silverware in the tray before pouring coffee into it helps transfer heat into the air, as long as the silverware is in contact with the air.
Can You Refrigerate Coffee Beans?
There are better ways to achieve the Starbucks refrigerated coffee experience than refrigerating coffee beans. The fridge isn’t ideal for storing whole bean or ground coffee, even if they are in an airtight container.
The coffee will absorb all the odors in your fridge, negatively impacting the final taste of your caffeinated beverage.
To keep your beans at their peak:
* Store them in a dark, airtight container
* Avoid heat and sunlight
* Avoid steam. Keep your beans away from stoves, brewers, or any unit that emits heat
* Avoid moisture
* Use coffee beans within 72 hours of being roasted as they reach their maximum freshness peak at that time
* Store your beans in the freezer if you can’t brew them within the optimum time
Easy Iced Coffee Recipes
Making iced coffee at home couldn’t be more straightforward than the following two recipes. The first recipe is MAPLE ICED COFFEE. Preparation time takes 5 mins; you need to allow your coffee to go cold, however long it takes.
1. Maple Iced Coffee
INGREDIENTS
* 6.7 Fluid oz of strong black coffee
* 1.7 Fluid oz milk
* Maple syrup
* Ice
STEP 1
Make 6.7 fluid oz of strong black coffee and let it go completely cold. Decant the coffee into a blender with the milk and add about three handfuls of ice.
Pour as much of the syrup into the drink as you wish, then blend the mixture until it’s foamy.
STEP 2
Decant the mixture into a chilled glass and serve.
The second recipe: PERFECT VANILLA ICED COFFEE, is budget-friendly, easy, and fast. You will find it tastes as delicious as the gourmet cafes, perhaps even better.
2. Perfect Vanilla Iced Coffee
INGREDIENTS
* 1 Cup of cooled coffee
* 2 tbsps. half and half
FOR THE VANILLA SYRUP
* 1/2 cup of sugar
* 1 cup of water
* 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
STEP 1
To make the vanilla syrup, combine the sugar and one cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mix to cool and stir in the vanilla extract; set the syrup aside in the fridge until it’s ready to serve.
STEP 2
Pour coffee over the ice with the syrup and half and half. Add one teaspoon at a time according to your taste.
Final Thoughts
It’s helpful to know that you can safely put hot coffee in the fridge safely, reheat it, or make chilled/iced coffee with the cold mixture.
It helps to know how to cool down your hot beverage fast, as we have all had bad experiences with coffee that’s too hot.
Burning your tongue on scalding hot java is no way to start your day; coffee is all about savoring the flavors and aromas.
As the weather gets increasingly warmer this summer and hot coffee won’t suffice, you can always enjoy chilled coffee with a few drops of different flavor extracts like almond, butterscotch, coconut, or vanilla. A healthy way to enhance the flavor of your coffee without sugar is to add cinnamon.
It’s beneficial to explore different ways to enjoy your morning brew, and there are techniques to try for both hot and cold coffee if you have just a few minutes to spare. The essential element is to use good quality beans.
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