Influence of the Brewing Temperature on the Taste of Espresso.

Very hot (>65 degrees C) beverages such as espresso have been evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as probably carcinogenic to humans. For this reason, research into lowering beverage temperature without compromising its quality or taste is important. For espresso, one obvious possibility consists in lowering the brewing temperature. In two sensory trials using the ISO 4120:2004 triangle test methodology, brewing temperatures of 80 degrees C vs. 128 degrees C and 80 degrees C vs. 93 degrees C were compared. Most tasters were unable to distinguish between 80 degrees C and 93 degrees C. The results of these pilot experiments prove the possibility of decreasing the health hazards of very hot beverages by lower brewing temperatures.