Worked in multiple Restaurants in 1980's as Manager. We never served coffee at 145 or under. At Burger King we served it at 165, another place worked at it was 157. As Served At 160°F plus the flavor and aftertaste of the coffee can be judged; at 140°F, the cupper can determine acidity and body, and then move on to balance. Anything over 205 degrees will burn the grounds and leave you with a nasty aftertaste. This is the same reason you want to drink your drip brewed coffee as soon as it's finished brewing - leaving it on the heating element for too long can also burn the coffee. For a French press, you want your water to be somewhere around 195 degrees... A hot bath means different things to different people one man’s “toasty” is someone else’s “scalding.” And so it is with coffee some may like it hot, but there is a wide range of preferences on just how hot “hot” is.