If this is something you’ve never really thought of or noticed before, you should, because understanding how the weather affects the brew can help you enjoy it better.
Coffee is more sensitive to the environment than you’d realise.
With Aussie summers, the days are longer, it’s humid in some regions and dry in others, and the heat is severe. It’s unlikely that your cup of joe tastes the same as it did back in spring.
Keep reading to understand how summer changes your coffee and what you can do about it.
Heat Changes How We Taste Coffee
Since heat affects both the coffee and your body, the way you experience coffee goes through a dynamic shift.
Temperature plays a direct role in how we perceive aroma, acidity, and sweetness in coffee.
Some aromatic compounds in coffee are released more quickly in warmer conditions. As a result, you’ll catch notes like light fruit, citrus, and floral more prominently from certain beans.
Heavier roasts and coffees dominated by chocolate or spice notes can begin to feel more intense. This is because bitterness becomes more noticeable, and it’ll feel harsher than usual on your palate.
What’s more is that during the summer, our perception of sweetness can soften slightly. That means you’re more likely to gravitate towards coffees that are naturally sweet and balanced.
This change in how we perceive flavours is also why bright, acidic coffees feel more refreshing in summer.
Your Brew Behaves Differently in Warm Weather
As the temperature climbs, coffee extraction speeds up and contact times can increase, leading to over-extraction if you don’t adjust the grind size and brew time.
Coffee beans also absorb moisture from the air, which can cause inconsistent grinds, affecting the cup profile.
You can imagine how iced coffee drinks would fare in the summer. The ice melts faster, diluting the coffee and leaving you with a diluted brew, not the usual burst of flavour that you’ve come to love.
Storage Matters More Than You Think in Summer
Heat accelerates the loss of freshness in coffee, particularly when combined with humidity.
This is when paying extra attention to your coffee and storing it well becomes paramount, as common storage mistakes can make your coffee grow stale.
You can protect flavour and maximise freshness by storing coffee in airtight containers. Don’t store it near stoves or in clear containers exposed to light and heat.
How We Drink Coffee Changes
From roasts to coffee habits, how we drink coffee changes significantly in summer.
People generally opt for drinking coffee earlier in the day and avoid having heavy coffees during peak heat.
Lighter roasts, cleaner profiles, washed coffees, and fruit-forward origins become instant favourites, offering a more refreshing coffee experience.
Using lighter milk becomes the norm. These changes help keep your appreciation for coffee going.
Summer doesn’t have to mean less coffee. It’s just about adapting your brew to the season and enjoying it differently.