How Long Can Brewed Coffee Sit Out? Can You Drink Day Old Coffee?

Last updated on January 29th, 2024 at 12:36

Eww stinky rotten day old coffee – can you really drink day old coffee?, How long can brewed coffee sit out? Are common questions for coffee lovers.

Rather than drag this on I’ll tell it as it is right now – yes you can drink day old coffee and freshly brewed coffee can, on average stay fresh for approximately 30 minutes before you start to lose the fresh coffee flavors and begins degrading.

In this article we will discuss many aspects of leftover coffee, what you can do with it, if you need to keep it in the refrigerator and, interestingly, how to make old coffee taste good.

Pull up a chair and grab a fresh cup of coffee and keep reading!

How Long Is Brewed Coffee Good For At Room Temperature?

Let’s start this question at the very beginning and address freshly roasted coffee beans. Fresh coffee beans start to go off two weeks after roasting. Peak freshness for roasted coffee is 48 to 72 hours after roasting and for about 7 to 10 days after. I usually only keep my beans for 10 days after roasting. That is the benefit of getting in on the home roasting revolution, I roast my own beans once a week and enjoy maximum freshness.

Your freshly brewed cup of coffee will start to lose its freshness after about half an hour as the flavor compounds start to degrade. It will take about 4 hours for coffee oils to start to go off at this point you have lost that nice coffee flavor that you enjoyed hours ago.

If you want your coffee fresh, drink it in the first 30 minutes and don’t let your coffee spoil!

Read: How long is coffee good in the fridge?

Does Brewed Coffee Need To Be Refrigerated?

If you keep your brewed cup of coffee refrigerated, you will be able to maintain the taste of your coffee and the aromas better. You must store it well in a storage container with a lid. An airtight container with a lid is much better as coffee is great at absorbing flavors and aromas. If you leave it in an open mug, it will absorb the scents and flavors from the surrounding foods.

When you re-heat your cup of coffee, it will not be as good as or as fresh as it was when you freshly brewed it.

While it is not an absolute must that you refrigerate your brewed pot of coffee, if you do, you will have a better chance at maintaining flavor and aromas for longer.

How Long Is Brewed Coffee Good For In The Fridge?

Unfortunately, there are very few scientific studies to demonstrate the shelf life of a freshly brewed Cuppa Joe. What is contained here is based on my own experience and a few tests that I have run myself to find out.

Keeping your coffee in an airtight container in your fridge can help to keep a degree of its taste for around 2 days. It will have lost most of its freshness, but it will still taste good to okay.

Coffee with milk or dairy milk alternatives will reduce its storage time in your fridge to 2 days at most. This is the same for cow’s milk or almond milk coffee or coffee creamer. Adding milk reduces  the time in which you can enjoy it fresh at an ambient room temperature from 4 hours to 2 hours.

If you are adding any kind of milk to your coffee and storing it for a couple of hours or a couple of days, give it a sniff test and short taste test and check for signs of mold before you take any large gulps.

In fact, do that even for black coffee. You are better safe than sorry.

Why Does Your Coffee Taste Stale After It Has Been Sitting Out For A While?

Your coffee starts to taste stale after it is sitting out for a while is because the oxidization process does not stop once you have brewed your coffee. The reaction between the hydrogen and the oxygen increases the pH level of your coffee, which in turn makes it taste a little state or bitter.

This is why you should drink your coffee within 30 mins of it being brewed.

Other reasons for your coffee tasting off too quickly is due to over extraction, which can be caused by using the wrong grind size or too long a brew time.

This is exactly why you should never store your coffee in your French press and always decant when you’re using this brewing technique because your grounds will continue to extract while they are sitting in your French press.

How To Make Day Old Coffee Taste Good

By far the best way of making your day-old coffee tasting good is to put it in a pot and reheat it slowly and on a low heat. Heating too quickly or in the microwave does not work as well and destroys any aromatic compounds that may still be in your brew.

Slowly and patiently is the key here and don’t try or even think of accelerating the process.

What To Do With Day-Old Coffee

This is more for those of you who have made a pot of coffee and, like myself, really don’t like the idea of throwing it out. Waste not, want not.

One of the great thing about day old coffee is you can upcycle it – just as long as it is not stale coffee.

What You Can Do With Your Day Old Coffee

• 1. Jazz up the flavor by adding chocolate and making a mocha.
• 2. Freeze your day-old coffee and make coffee ice cubes.
• 3. Use it to make Tiramisu.
• 4. Frappé it up and make a frappé with it.
• 5. You can add your coffee to baked goods and spark up the flavor.
• 6. Make coffee-flavored ice cream!
• 7. Marinade your meat and have a great coffee steak or burger.
• 8. Boost up your morning coffee by giving it some competition and add it to your oatmeal for a very nice taste.
• 9. Water your household plants with it – seriously the acidity is great for some plants and coffee has nutrients and can act as an insecticide too.
• 10. Whip it up and make a Moccachino.
• 11. Turn it into a smoothie. Add in your favorite protein powder or blend a fruit and add your coffee. This is very Vietnamese! Seriously, but they use fresh coffee. Amazing!
• 12. Use it as wood stain and stain wooden furniture with it.

Can You Get Sick From Drinking Old Coffee?

It is safe to drink expired coffee as coffee doesn’t god at all that day. If you leave it long enough both out in the open on your counter top or in the fridge, it can start to go off and grow mold and taste very off which has the potential of making you sick with an upset stomach.

In most cases, that is all you will experience, but things can get serious due to the mold and how bad it can get.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Can Brewed Coffee Sit Out

How Long Does Brewed Coffee Last Unrefrigerated?

Brewed coffee stays well for half an hour at regular room temperature without any notable loss of flavor. After a few hours later it will have lost its aromatic compounds and start to develop unpleasant bitter tastes.

How Long Can You Drink Coffee After It’s Brewed?

Brewed coffee, like a pot of black coffee is okay for up to 4 hours after brewing. Coffee with milk or cream should be enjoyed within an hour or two.

Is It OK To Drink Day-Old Brewed Coffee?

I don’t recommend or suggest that you consume day-old coffee, be it a black coffee or one with milk. Brewed coffee accumulates molds quickly, especially at room temperature. It is likely that your day-old coffee will have developed an unpleasant smell.

Is it OK To Drink Coffee That Sat Out Overnight?

A fresh pot of coffee can start to taste stale after only half an hour. Black coffee, keeps well for a little longer and should be fine overnight. Cold coffee like a cold brew concentrate stay fresh longer and is usually okay for 12 hours – as long as no milk or cream is added.

Can You Drink 2 Hour Old Coffee?

Brewed coffee, starts to go off after half an hour. After 4 hours the coffee oils start to go off. 2 hours is within that 4 hour time frame and should be fine, particularly if it is a cold brew coffee or a concentrate.

How Long Is Coffee Good For At Room Temperature?

At room temperature, coffee is good for a maximum of 30 minutes. After this “peak drinking window” the flavor starts to degrade and develop a degree of bitterness which is unpleasant.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – How Long Can Brewed Coffee Sit Out?

Your brewed coffee can sit out for about 30 mins before you have lost a good portion of the freshness, taste and aromas. You can leave black coffee at an ambient room temperature for about 4 hours before it becomes completely stale. Add milk, and you can half the time.

The same formula applies if you are storing your coffee in the refrigerator – it will stay well for about 3 days as a black coffee and no more than 2 days if it is a coffee with milk.

Now you know how long can brewed coffee sit out without tasing awful, if you leave it sitting out for too long!

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location