Does Drinking Very Hot Coffee Raise Your Risk of Esophageal Cancer — and What Temperature Is Safe?

Drinking coffee or any beverage at temperatures above 65°C (149°F) is classified by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as "probably carcinogenic to humans" — specifically for cancer of the esophagus. A landmark 2026 University of Oxford study of more than 977,000 participants found that people who habitually drink very hot beverages are three times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than those who let their drinks cool first.

The good news: the coffee itself is not the culprit. Temperature is. For most coffee drinkers in North America and Europe, the typical drinking temperature already falls within the safer range — but only if you wait a few minutes before that first sip.

Temperature at a Glance: What the Research Says

The table below consolidates the key temperature thresholds, risk levels, and practical benchmarks from the major studies and institutional guidelines referenced throughout this article.

Temperature	°F	Risk / Classification	Source
Above 65°C	Above 149°F	"Probably carcinogenic to humans" (IARC Group 2A)	IARC Monograph 116
Around 70°C	Around 158°F	Subjectively "too hot" to drink; elevated cancer risk in population studies	Nature / Sprudge
60–65°C (140–149°F)	140–149°F	Transitional zone; approaching but below the IARC threshold	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
49–65°C (120–150°F)	120–150°F	SCA ideal drinking range; flavor and nuance most present; below cancer threshold	Sprudge
~54°C (130°F)	130°F	"Kid's temperature" at Starbucks; well within safe range	Harvard Health
Freshly brewed (205°F water)	Up to 185°F	Too hot to drink safely; needs several minutes to cool	Sprudge

What exactly did the 2026 Oxford study find?

Published in the International Journal of Cancer by researchers from the University of Oxford and reported by the BBC, the 2026 study ranks among the largest epidemiological investigations into beverage temperature and esophageal cancer to date. Drawing on data from over 977,000 middle-aged participants, its sample size is nearly double that of a comparable study published four years earlier.

The researchers defined "very hot" drinks as any beverage consumed at 65°C (149°F) or above. Participants who drank very hot coffee or tea showed roughly three times the esophageal cancer risk compared to those who consumed warm drinks — and the risk climbed further when participants consumed six or more very hot drinks per day.

The study authors noted that while a threefold relative risk increase is not trivial, the absolute risk of esophageal cancer for any individual remains quite low. They explicitly stated that the most impactful steps a person can take are to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption, both of which are far stronger risk factors in high-income countries.

How does this compare to what the WHO said back in 2016?

The 2026 Oxford findings reinforce a landmark 2016 evaluation by the IARC, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization. That assessment, published in The Lancet Oncology and summarized in IARC Monograph Volume 116, was conducted by a working group of 23 scientists from 10 countries who reviewed more than 1,000 studies on over 20 cancer types.

Their conclusion: drinking very hot beverages — any liquid above 65°C (149°F) — is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). This places scalding hot drinks in the same hazard category as DDT, frying food at high temperatures, red meat consumption, and the human papillomavirus, according to USC's Keck School of Medicine, whose researchers participated in the IARC working group.

The 2016 review also reversed a 1991 ruling that had classified coffee itself as "possibly carcinogenic." After examining the expanded body of evidence, the scientists concluded that coffee at safe temperatures carries no conclusive carcinogenic risk — and may even offer protective effects. One cup of coffee per day was associated with a 15% reduction in liver cancer risk, with reduced risks also observed for uterine endometrial cancer.

"These results suggest that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible," said Dr. Christopher Wild, then-director of the IARC, in the agency's press release.

Why does hot liquid cause esophageal cancer?

The biological mechanism is thermal injury to the esophageal lining. When you repeatedly expose the delicate mucous membrane of the esophagus to scalding liquids, you cause micro-damage to the epithelial cells. The body responds with inflammation and accelerated cell turnover — and it is this repeated cycle of injury and repair that creates conditions favorable to cancerous mutations over time.

Research published in PMC (National Institutes of Health) compared the cancer risk from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) — chemical compounds found in coffee, mate, and tea — against the risk from temperature alone, using a methodology called the Margin of Exposure (MOE). The findings were striking. The MOE for PAH compounds in all three beverages exceeded 100,000, a level considered to represent very low risk. The MOE for the temperature effect at very hot drinking temperatures, by contrast, was estimated at less than 1, indicating meaningful cancer risk. In plain terms: the heat is the hazard, not the chemistry of the drink.

This is why the IARC's classification applies to any very hot beverage — including plain hot water — not just coffee or tea. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute notes that the scalding temperatures involved are hotter than the hottest water from a typical kitchen faucet (which tops out around 140°F) and are most commonly encountered in cultures where tea or mate is traditionally drunk at around 70°C, in parts of China, Iran, Turkey, and South America.

Who is most at risk?

The populations with the highest rates of esophageal cancer linked to beverage temperature are concentrated in regions where very hot drinks are a cultural norm. IARC's 2016 press release specifically identified studies from China, Iran, Turkey, and South America, where tea or mate is traditionally consumed at approximately 70°C. Esophageal cancer rates in these regions are substantially higher than in North America or Europe, and the temperature hypothesis helps explain a portion of that disparity.

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide and one of the leading causes of cancer death globally, with approximately 400,000 deaths recorded in 2012 alone — 5% of all cancer deaths, according to the IARC. The proportion attributable specifically to very hot beverage consumption is not precisely quantified, but the association is considered solid enough to warrant a Group 2A classification.

In the United States, the average coffee drinking temperature hovers around 140°F — just below the IARC threshold — though individual temperatures can range from 99°F to 190°F depending on preparation and personal preference, according to USC's Mariana Stern, PhD, who participated in the IARC working group. American coffee drinkers are generally at lower risk from temperature alone, but those who consistently drink their coffee immediately after brewing — when temperatures can reach 185°F — may be exposing themselves unnecessarily.

What temperature is actually safe for drinking coffee?

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) puts the ideal coffee drinking temperature between 120°F and 150°F (approximately 49°C to 65°C). This range is considered optimal not just for safety but for flavor: the aromatic compounds and detailed taste characteristics of a well-brewed cup are most perceptible in this window. Drinking coffee too hot doesn't just carry health risks — it also masks the qualities that make specialty coffee worth drinking.

Here's how that plays out in practice, per Sprudge:

Coffee brewed with 205°F water can be as hot as 185°F immediately after brewing.
Left to cool at room temperature for a few minutes, it will drop into the SCA's recommended range.
Blowing on the surface, stirring with a spoon, or pouring into a pre-warmed but room-temperature mug can accelerate cooling.

Harvard Health offers a practical benchmark for those ordering at coffee chains: Starbucks serves its drinks at 175°F or higher by default — above the IARC threshold. Requesting the "kid's temperature" (approximately 130°F, the temperature at which hot chocolate is served) brings the drink well within the safe range.

A separate study cited by the BBC and referenced in Sprudge's reporting found that temperatures of 70°C (158°F) were subjectively rated as "too hot" by participants — meaning the body's own discomfort signals are a reasonable, if imperfect, guide. If a sip causes you to wince or pull back, the drink is almost certainly above the safe threshold.

Does the type of drink matter — coffee vs. tea vs. mate?

The short answer is no. What matters is temperature. The IARC's Group 2A classification applies to any very hot beverage, not to coffee or tea specifically.

Coffee itself, when consumed at safe temperatures, was reclassified from "possibly carcinogenic" (its 1991 designation) to essentially benign — and protective for certain cancers. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute explains that there is no conclusive evidence that coffee or mate have cancer-causing effects when served at cool or warm temperatures.

Mate (yerba mate) has a longer and more complicated research history. Early studies from South America linked mate consumption to esophageal cancer, but those studies were conducted in regions where mate is traditionally drunk at around 70°C. Later research disentangled the temperature effect from any chemical properties of the drink itself. NCBI Bookshelf's summary of IARC Monograph 116 notes that cold mate showed no carcinogenic effects in either animal experiments or epidemiological studies and was classified as Group 3 — not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity. The risk was in the heat.

The PAH comparison study published in PMC found that mate does contain higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons than coffee or tea, but even at those levels, the chemical risk was orders of magnitude lower than the temperature risk. The temperature effect dominated all other variables across all three beverages.

What about other esophageal cancer risk factors?

Both the 2026 Oxford study and the IARC's 2016 monograph emphasize that smoking and alcohol consumption are the dominant risk factors for esophageal cancer, particularly in high-income countries. The IARC press release states this explicitly: "Smoking and alcohol drinking are major causes of oesophageal cancer, particularly in many high-income countries."

The temperature risk is most clinically significant in populations where smoking and alcohol rates are lower but very hot beverage consumption is culturally entrenched — parts of East Africa, Central Asia, and South America. For a non-smoking, moderate-drinking coffee drinker in North America who simply lets their cup cool for three minutes before drinking, the esophageal cancer risk from beverage temperature is genuinely small.

"Small" is not "zero," though, and the 977,000-person Oxford study provides a strong enough signal that the habit of drinking scalding coffee deserves reconsideration — particularly for those who consume six or more hot drinks per day.

Practical takeaways for coffee drinkers

Understanding the temperature threshold is the first step; building a habit around it is the second. A few evidence-based adjustments can bring your daily coffee ritual comfortably within the safe zone without sacrificing enjoyment.

Wait before you sip. Freshly brewed coffee at 185°F will drop below 150°F within approximately 5–10 minutes at room temperature, depending on your mug's insulation and the ambient temperature. The wait is short; the benefit is real.

Use an open mug rather than a sealed travel cup. Insulated travel mugs are designed to keep coffee hot for hours — which means they can keep your coffee above the IARC threshold for hours. If you use one, brew at a lower temperature or let the coffee cool before sealing the lid.

Order at a lower temperature. At most coffee chains, you can request a lower serving temperature. Harvard Health specifically notes the Starbucks "kid's temperature" of 130°F as a practical, safe benchmark.

Pay attention to your body's signals. A separate study referenced by the BBC found that 70°C (158°F) was rated as too hot by participants. If a sip feels uncomfortably hot, it almost certainly is above the safe threshold — discomfort is a useful, if rough, guide.

Enjoy iced coffee without concern. Cold brew, iced lattes, and other chilled preparations carry none of the temperature-related risk. If you enjoy both hot and cold coffee, alternating based on season or mood is a perfectly sensible strategy. For those interested in exploring caffeine-free hot beverages, our guides to herbal teas for digestion and herbal teas for sore throat cover options that are typically served at gentler temperatures.

The bottom line

The science on this question is unusually consistent across decades and institutions. Drinking very hot beverages — anything above 65°C (149°F) — is probably carcinogenic to humans, specifically for esophageal cancer. The 2026 Oxford study, drawing on nearly a million participants, puts the relative risk increase at approximately threefold for habitual very hot drinkers. The mechanism is thermal injury to the esophageal lining, not any chemical property of coffee, tea, or mate.

The safe drinking temperature, as defined by both the IARC threshold and the Specialty Coffee Association's flavor-based recommendation, is 120°F to 150°F (49°C to 65°C). Most coffee drinkers can reach this range simply by waiting a few minutes after brewing — and the coffee will taste better for it.