Coffee series – Article 6: Water, temperature and time – The unsung heroes of great coffee

Water, temperature and time: The unsung heroes of great coffee

There’s more to a good cup of coffee than just beans and grind. There are quiet contributors that matter more than you think.

If coffee were a band, the beans would be the lead singer – front and centre.

But even the best vocals need a solid rhythm section to hold the song together. That’s where water, temperature, and time come in when making the perfect cup. They’re the quiet performers setting the pace and bringing balance to every brew.

Let’s shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes of great coffee.

Water: The silent ingredient that makes up 98% of your cup

It doesn’t get the spotlight, but water is the real MVP (most valuable player!) of your morning brew. After all, nearly every drop of liquid in your cup is water. Therefore, if it’s off, your coffee will be off too.

Think of water as the conductor of your coffee’s orchestra. It draws flavour from the beans, balances acidity, and carries aroma to your senses.

But not all water plays the same tune:

• Tap water often contains chlorine, fluoride, or minerals that can overwhelm or distort the delicate flavours in your beans.
• Filtered water is your best bet – clean, neutral, and consistent. It lets the coffee speak for itself.
• What about soft and hard water? Both can influence taste. Soft water can make coffee taste flat, hard water might accentuate bitterness. The sweet spot lies somewhere in between, depending on your beans and brew method.

In short, if you’re going to the effort of brewing quality coffee, don’t let poor water create the false note. Great beans deserve great water!

Temperature: The heat that unlocks the magic

Temperature might seem like a background detail, but it’s one of the most powerful tools in brewing. Get it right, and your coffee sings. Get it wrong, and it falls flat.

Hot water extracts the soluble compounds in coffee – the oils, acids, and aromas that make each cup unique. But the exact temperature matters more than you’d think:

• Too hot (above 96°C) and you risk over-extraction, pulling bitter, harsh notes that mask the coffee’s natural character.
• Too cool (below 88°C) and you’ll under-extract, ending up with a weak, sour brew that feels unfinished.
• The sweet spot? Between 90–96°C. That’s the Goldilocks zone where flavour, body, and balance come together.

Whether you’re brewing by hand or using a machine, temperature control is essential. It’s not just about heat, it’s about precision. After all, great coffee isn’t rushed or random, it’s brewed with intention!

Time: The quiet force behind flavour

In coffee brewing, time is more than just ticking seconds – it’s the quiet mystic that shapes how flavour unfolds in your cup.

Brewing is all about contact time – water meeting ground coffee for just long enough to draw out the good stuff, but not so long that bitterness joins the party.

• Too quick, and you’ll under-extract, and the coffee tastes sharp, sour, or thin.
• Too slow, and it becomes bitter, muddy, or overly intense.
• The sweet spot? It depends on your brew method. Here’s a general guide:

Time sets the tempo of your brew. Get it right, and your coffee is balanced, nuanced, and delicious. Too far off-beat, and you’ll unfortunately taste it!

The final note

A great cup of coffee isn’t just brewed, it’s composed and performed during the brewing process. Water, temperature, and time may not demand the spotlight, but they’re the rhythm section that turns a good performance into one that’s unforgettable.

Get the balance right. When they’re in sync, you’re not just making coffee, you’re conducting a symphony. Smooth, rich, and perfectly in tune.

So next time you brew, don’t rush the setlist. Let the rhythm section do their thing. Feel the rhythm, trust the timing, and take a bow – you’ve just brewed yet another encore-worthy headliner!

Bringing it all together at The Daily!

At The Daily Coffee Café, we take care with the details that matter. Our baristas are trained to understand the balance behind a great cup – from the quality of the water to the temperature and timing of each brew.

They are our steady conductors who ensure the rhythm section stays in sync, and that every part plays its role. This refined approach is what helps us serve coffee that’s consistently smooth, flavourful, and easy to enjoy. At The Daily, making good coffee isn’t just about following a routine, it’s about knowing how it all comes together to create something worth savouring.

Next up

In the next article in our “What Makes a Good Cup of Coffee?” series, we’ll delve into how milk and foam create those silky flat whites or delicious cappuccinos. Because in coffee, texture is just as important as taste!