The Barista Mug Hack To Keep Coffee Piping Hot

Unless you're regularly chugging down each cup of coffee like you've been challenged to some sort of contest, chances are, you've run into the situation where you go to take a sip and find your beverage has cooled down to a less-than-ideal temperature. Sure, you could toss it in the microwave to warm it up again, but that often wreaks havoc on the taste of your formerly perfect cup of joe.

Luckily, there's a simple, barista-approved solution to keep your coffee hot for a little longer; and it's something you can very easily do at home without any extra equipment needed. It's all about prepping your mug: Before you pour your coffee in, fill your mug with hot water and allow it to sit for about a minute. That's all you have to do. This means that when you pour the coffee in, the chilly ceramic of the mug won't immediately cause your brew to cool down; and, instead, everything will be the same toasty temperature.

As an added bonus — unlike pouring your coffee into a heat-retaining vessel like a thermos, which may not be your preferred way to drink coffee when not on the go — this hack allows you to enjoy your coffee from your mug of choice.

We repeat: Step away from the microwave. While you can keep that trick in your back pocket for desperate times, there are several better tips that help keep your cup of java piping hot for longer, just like the mug-warming hack.

First of all, just like you want to preheat your mug, ideally you'd preheat all the elements that could potentially cool down your piping-hot brew. So, while a splash of creamer may not make much of a difference, if you're adding in a considerable amount of milk, heat it up before pouring it into your coffee so you don't cause the temperature to drop.

A slip-on insulator can also be incredibly useful in keeping your mug toasty warm, the same way you would put a cardboard sleeve on your to-go coffee cup. There are countless options available, from knit and fabric sleeves to neoprene and other materials, so you'll just have to find out which one best fits the mug you tend to reach for most often.

Finally, for a solution that works well, either while enjoying coffee at home or taking it to-go as you dash out the door, you may want to give metal coffee beans (aka Coffee Joulies) a try. These large metal beans can likewise be preheated; and they simply sit in your cup, helping to keep your drink at the ideal temperature for longer.