Temperature of my milk coffee

[Shotgun]

hello all
Im pretty happy with my coffee efforts recently and Im enjoying the blend and style of milk coffee Im doing. I guess its more of a flat white than anything and is comprised of half teaspoon sugar, half an inch of near boiling water from the kettle, a double shot (60ml) in 30 secs and stretched milk to top it off.

My problem is that when Im finished, the resulting temperature of the brew isnt quite hot enough for my liking (Its fair to say that most coffee regardless of its source isnt quite hot enough for me).

The water I use in the bottom of the cup is straight from a just boiled jug. The shot is immediately extracted and the milk is stretched until it burns my hand and I cant continue to hold the milk jug. Still the coffee is too cool. Im led to understand that when you cant hold the milk jug any more the milk will be very close to 61C.

So I bung it in the microwave for about 10 secs and give it a bit more heat. I cant tell the difference in taste but is there any evidence that doing this spoils coffee?
Cheers
Tony
PS: I still cant understand why the finished product isnt hot enough after going to all that trouble..

[Thundergod]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Do you start with a warm cup?

[Shotgun]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Yes, I pour boiling water into the cup to heat it before adding sugar and dissolving it with near boiling water.

[blanyon]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Im led to understand that when you cant hold the milk jug any more the milk will be very close to 61C.

Nope depends on your hands, me I can go up to about 65 some people 55 the odd one 45. In general if you work with your hands you can stand a higher temp than those who work in an office for example.

[trentski]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Do you find that coffee you buy in a Cafe is hot enough for you? are these CS recommended cafes? most places tend to scald the milk.

I work with a guy that makes instant coffee with boiling water and then microwaves it for 30 seconds and drinks it walking back to his desk

No way I can drink it that hot.

You could try a milk thermometer, that way you know you are getting i8t as hot as possible without scalding it.

[Shotgun]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

OK thanks.
I accept that my delicate little hands might not be capable of holding 60C+ milk (and of course there are other variables as well) but does anyone have an opinion on what detrimental effect 10 seconds in the microwave might have?
Thanks
T

[Shotgun]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Thanks Trentski
Yes I find that most coffee retailers make coffee too cool for my preference. Even a coffee I had made by a recently voted barista of the year. It was very nice coffee but just not warm enough.

I guess when I drink nice milk coffee I would like it at a temperature that deters me from gulping it down (sounds gross doesnt it?). I like to be able to take my time over a coffee and still have the last sip nice and warm.
Hmmmm!

[TC]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Thanks Trentski
Yes I find that most coffee retailers make coffee too cool for my preference. Even a coffee I had made by a recently voted barista of the year. It was very nice coffee but just not warm enough.

I guess when I drink nice milk coffee I would like it at a temperature that deters me from gulping it down (sounds gross doesnt it?). I like to be able to take my time over a coffee and still have the last sip nice and warm.
Hmmmm!  

For mine, I want my milk to be at its optimum for flavour and sweetness and the sweet spot is circa 65 deg. C. I wouldnt boil milk and drink it and neither would I want that in my morning coffee!

Many aussies come from a long line of tea drinkers who use boiling water. Milk boils at a lower temperature than water and is gross once boiled IMHO...I guess many have nuked their taste buds and temperature receptors too! :

2mcm

[trentski]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

In my humble opinion the only way you will be able to serve a coffee hot enough for you is to have it as a longblack, pour your espresso straight onto freshly boiled water.

Like 2mcm says milk at the temp you want it is well past its peak in terms of flavour. I have had lattes served to me with a skin on top : I didnt drink it.

but then again its your drink and if you like it hot and are happy with the flavour then keep doing it the way you are, maybe even do a taste comparison of a 65 degree drink and a microwaved drink and see which one you prefer. At least that way you know what you are giving up in order to get the extra heat.

[Luke_G]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

does anyone have an opinion on what detrimental effect 10 seconds in the microwave might have?

I would imagine that the microwave is heating either the very middle of the beverage or the outer part and not the whole thing so stir it again after putting it through the tucker f^c*a
If you cant taste the difference then roll with it..its your drink after all

As for not being able to get it hot enough?...cant help ya m8. Your just one of the few that can never get it hot enough.

I made a long black for a gentleman on Monday who complained it was too cold. Thats one complaint you never expect to hear in regards to a LB. So i preheated the cup twice, steamed the water in the cup which boiled instantly and then pulled the double shot into it as quickly as possible. He was only just happy with it and said he could have handled it hotter!!!!

I proceeded to tell him that there is no possible way of getting it any hotter than that....EVER! lol .... he agreed and thanked me for my efforts

1 in 10,000 i would say?

[Shotgun]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Hi 2mcm
Thanks, yes I drink tea too and I like it quite hot. The temperature I like my coffee may... may, have something to do with that. I understand about boiled milk because I agree its ghastly but I never boil the milk. Immediately after I make my coffee I give it 10 seconds at Full power on our microwave ant the resultant temperature is (to me) more acceptable.

I know that many would say "if you like it like that, and cant taste the difference, just do it" but still my question is "will microwaving the finished coffee degrade it in any way?"

Cheers
T :-/

[Luke_G]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

I dont think 10 seconds wouldnt hurt it ShotGun.

As long as it doesnt boil in the microwave it shouldnt make a big enough difference to the taste.

[kooky]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

hi all well firstly OMG I find it remarkable that people nuke there coffee
it dead before it even gets to your lips .. it may be hot but Id say it taste pretty bad.
But that said if thats how you like it who am I to tell you differently.
I have a gentleman who comes to me for his flat white and demands that it be piping hot.
how do I do this and still retain the flavour of a good bean.
HOT CUP, if you have a good ceramic cafe quality cup you should find this a lot easier to achieve.
firstly( fill ) the cup with hot water at least 75 deg and let it sit for a minute so the cup becomes to hot to hold but the handle will be fine.
then heat your milk and keep it rolling in your jug.
now tip the water out of the cup pour your shot and add milk
if you stop your milk temp at just over 60 deg it will continue to climb onto the 70 deg stage as its rolling.
add this to your cup and you will have a very nice flavoured hot drink.
also to help ..use a thermometer a lot people think they can judge temp with there hands , but after some time of doing this they are way off the mark.
one of the main reasons a lot of cafes serve cool coffee is because barista are cool themselves to use thermometers. or simple find it a hassle.... and we suffer...
and yeah I know I have a tendency to ramble on lol.

[Shotgun]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

Hi incasa,
Not a moment of ramble from my end... all very constructive stuff. Thanks.
I do heat the cup as you suggest and I do dissolve the half teaspoon of raw sugar from a freshly boiled jug. Everything should be right there.
I guess my problem is in the heating of the milk. Maybe I should use a thermometer as you say but I suspect that isnt the only problem here somehow.

Like Luke G I tend to think a mild nuking in the microwave, as long as it doesnt near boiling point, shouldnt be a problem but guess what???
There I am back to my original question. Maybe there isnt an answer and maybe it really doesnt matter.
Thanks

[Dimal]

Re: Temperature of my milk coffee

hi all well firstly OMG I find it remarkable that people nuke there coffee
it dead before it even gets to your lips .. it may be hot but Id say it taste pretty bad.

No way "incasa"....

We carried out a few experiments a while back using a single blind test with people who knew what a good Latte should taste like. In a nutshell, none of the participants could reliably differentiate a flavour difference of a Latte made with milk that had been textured in the normal way, and milk that had been heated to the correct temperature in the microwave. In order to prevent texture being a give-away, the textured milk wasnt allowed to generate much, if any, microfoam. Temperatures were all constant though....

Even tried mixing and matching completed Lattes too, i.e. Lattes heated in the microwave and Lattes prepared in the normal way. Once again, no one was able to reliably detect a difference in flavour. Just goes to show.... :

Mal.