I think we’ve all burned our tongues trying to sip coffee, tea or hot chocolate when it’s too hot. On the one hand, you need to boil water in order to activate these drinks but once it’s made, waiting to take that first sip can seem like forever! Here are some traditional suggestions and different ways to quickly cool down hot drinks:
- Pour the drink into a cold mug or cup
- Add a few ice cubes or some cold water
- Add some cold milk or creamer
- Pour the drink over sugar, as it dissolves the drink will cool.
- Once poured, put the drink into a fridge or freezer for a little while
- Use a wide mug or cup, more surface area will cool the drink faster
These are all very traditional, well tested and proven ways to cool hot drinks but they each have a dissadvantage… Ice cubes and cold water will dilute the flavor of your drink. Wider cups are harder to drink from and continue cooling the drink long after it has reached the optimal temperature. Melting sugar doesn’t help cool drinks that much and some people don’t want any sugar in their drinks. Along the same lines, some people don’t want milk in their drinks and even if you do, it needs to be cold first which means you need a fridge nearby and that means more energy and time.
What if you’re on the run and don’t have ice cubes, milk or a fridge nearby? There is one other way to cool down coffee, tea or hot chocolate and it’s called the Coffee Joulie. These metallic orbs can be placed into the bottom of any cup and when you pour a hot beverage over them they absorb excess heat bringing the drink down to a more enjoyable level. Unlike ice however, Coffee Joulies are designed to stop cooling at the optimal drinking temperature and then begin releasing the stored heat energy back into the drink. So you end up being able to drink within a minute of pouring and then keep drinking twice as long. Pretty neat.
UPDATE! Coffee Joulies are now on Kickstarter at a reduced price, help them take off and get yourself a discounted set. Spread the word and enjoy your hot drinks now :)