From the perfect chilled beer to a steaming bowl of soup – the boffin-approved advice on how to prepare food
WARM beer or tepid tea is enough to get anyone hot under the collar — but many food and drinks have an ideal serving temperature, experts say.
It comes after they revealed this week that the perfect pint should be 5C.
Sarah Arnold looks at the science-backed temperatures for everything from champion cheese on toast to a Bank Holiday G&T . .
CHOCOLATE: Don’t put it in the fridge, it is best stored at 18C, says food scientist Natalie Alibrandi.
So keep it in a cool, dry place to prevent oxidation, sugar bloom and odour absorption, which all affect its texture and flavour.
CHEESE ON TOAST: The Royal Society of Chemistry and the British Cheese Board say the perfect portion requires 50g of hard, sliced cheese on a 1cm-thick slice of bread, which should be grilled at 115C for four minutes.
GRAVY: This roast-dinner staple should be 69C, says University College London’s Professor Mark Miodownik.
It should also be stirred for precisely two and a half minutes over a high heat.
CUP OF TEA: Northumbria University eggheads found the optimal drinking temperature – 60C – is achieved six minutes after brewing begins.
But after 17 minutes and 30 seconds at room temperature the cuppa will be past its best as it falls below 45C.
SOUP: The Journal of Food Science says this should be served between 57C and 72C – up to five minutes over a high heat.
That is enough for warming comfort but avoids a painful tongue.
ICE CREAM: Must be served at -10 to -12C for best taste and optimal “scoopability”, according to experts.
With the average freezer at -16 to -24, it needs three or four minutes at room temp- erature to warm before serving.
MARTINI: The Diageo Bar Academy says -4C is perfect.
Shake the measures of gin and vermouth over ice for 15 seconds to achieve this.
COFFEE: Most experts say flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos should be in the cup at between 60C and 70C.
So boil the water and milk, then leave to stand for five minutes before serving.
GLASS OF WATER: To best be absorbed by the body, serve at 10C to 22C, according to water filter experts Brita.
So cool it for 20 minutes in the fridge before that first glug.
CHIPS: Hit perfection by cooking twice in rapeseed oil – first at 160C until lightly coloured, then, after being allowed to cool, at 180C, according to scientists at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
RED WINE: Marcel Orford-Williams, of The Wine Society, recommends not serving full-bodied reds above 18C.
As the average central-heated home is 21C, place it in a wine cooler for ten minutes before drinking.
BAKED BEANS: Heinz revealed beans should be heated to 64C for the ideal serving.
This takes four minutes on a high heat.