Espresso is served at around 65 to 70 °C in the cup, which is cooler than tea and cooler than most people expect. If yours is genuinely lukewarm, work through these.
The cup
The biggest single factor. A cold ceramic cup takes ten degrees or more out of a 36 g espresso within seconds, because there is far more cup than there is coffee.
Fill it with hot water while you prepare and tip it out. Ten seconds, and it changes the drink more than anything else on this list.
The machine was not warm
The ready light reports the boiler, not the group head — and the group is a substantial lump of brass that takes considerably longer. Pull a blank shot through the empty portafilter first, or leave the portafilter locked in while the machine heats.
Allow fifteen minutes on a single boiler, twenty to thirty on a dual boiler.
Scale
On hard water, deposits insulate the heating element. This shows up gradually alongside slower heat-up and weaker steam. Descale.
Bean-to-cup specifics
Many automatics dispense into a cold cup through a cold spout at a preset temperature that is often adjustable. Check the settings — most have a temperature option nobody ever finds.
Milk drinks
If the milk is right at 60 to 65 °C, the drink will be around 60. That is correct, not cold. Warm the cup rather than overheating the milk.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026