Hedonic R-index measurement of temperature preferences for drinking black coffee

Abstract

R-index measures were obtained from judges who ranked black coffees for preferred drinking temperature. Preferred temperatures were above thermal pain and thermal damage thresholds. The least preferred temperature was below the oral thermal pain threshold. Similar results were obtained with a ranking for temperatures that judges felt were most likely to be served in a coffee shop. Observations of customers in coffee shops indicated that they began sipping coffee at similar high temperatures.