Why can't I make a "hot" cup of coffee?

by Michael Moorman
(Newark, Delaware, USA)

QUESTION:

Whether I go to my local coffee house or restaurant for breakfast, the coffee is always hot and stays hot for quite a while.

At home, I've gone through several fairly pricey coffee makers and inevitably, I can't get the coffee hot enough or it cools off very quickly. To compensate, I usually microwave my cup, but it does cool off within minutes.

Just trying to understand why some coffee bought outside stays hot for much longer.

Thanks

ANSWER:

I'm not sure I can answer your question completely. But I can offer some suggestions.

I'm assuming you are using a drip brewer with a glass carafe.

If this is the case, heat up the carafe before you start brewing. I do this by running hot water from the tap into the carafe, swirling it around, and then pouring the water away. I preheat my coffee mug in the same way.

This is just a simple way to ensure that the coffee retains all its heat and isn't cooled by either the carafe or the mug.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what to suggest. Home brewers, even the cheaper ones, do a pretty good job of heating the water to the correct temperature. So there should be no temperature difference between a mug poured in a coffee shop and a mug poured at home.