Is It Good to Reheat Coffee in the Microwave

Using the microwave for reheating your coffee is the most common method. Simply pour perfectly good left over coffee in a microwave for 30 seconds and stir, especially when you’re too busy to brew another pot in the work or during a hectic morning. But only one sip later, you’ll find that it doesn’t taste the way it should be. Why does microwaved coffee taste so bad? Is it good to reheat coffee in the microwave?

How can microwaving coffee affect health?

Especially from tabloid, it seems that every year there’re some stories alternately stating that coffee helps reduce the risk of cancer then claiming it will actually lead to disease. A similar thing happens in microwaveable technologies. However, scientific research has found that unless you press your eyeballs directly to the door of a microwave when it is on, otherwise there is little chance to affect you. So the answer to the question above is a definite no. Reheating coffee in the microwave will not bring any harmful materials. Microwave is just high frequency radio wave and their effects on food are not carcinogenic. Heating a cup of coffee will make the molecules move faster when heated, but they will not fundamentally change their structure. It’s not a large hadrons collider.

How can microwaving coffee affect the flavor?

Reheating your coffee in the microwave breaks down any of the aromas that are left from when the coffee was first brewed. When we say aroma, we’re not just talking about the taste. Coffee aroma is responsible for everything that gives coffee flavor. This includes the salt, bitter, sweet, and sour tastes in your cup. Breaking down the aromas will kill the flavor and make your coffee taste stale. At that point, you might as well brew another batch or make another Starbucks run.

How can we reheat coffee in a proper way?

The best way to reheat coffee is to heat it on a low-temperature stove. If you are sure to keep it on low temperature, you don’t have to stir it constantly with a spoon. This way, you can enjoy your coffee without literally frying away the entire flavor. But please, be patient! Make sure you keep the temperature on low and don’t rush the process, because the only thing that tastes worse than cold coffee is burnt coffee.

But compared with reheating the leftover coffee, it is better to make some ice cubes with your cooled coffee. Don’t you think it is perfect to have a cup of iced coffee in the hot summer? 

There is more to consider than you have might thought about whether it is good to reheat coffee in the microwave. In my opinion, it’s better to just go ahead and brew a new cup of coffee. With a pour-over system, you only need a little more time to make a cup of fresh coffee.