# Honey in coffee - hot, or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [September 24, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708 "2012-09-24T20:51:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/1 "2012-09-24T20:51:58Z")
Possibly a scientific question rather than artistic, but surprisingly I can’t find anything useful about it on the internet - so let’s ask the men and women of The Straight Dope, who are unusual because they _aren’t_ the internet, they’re _real people_. Spirits in the material world. Born into the material world; worn out in the material world. You know, when I was a kid I assumed that Madonna was singing about actual _material_, e.g. clothing fabric. 'cause in the video she wears clothes. And she was a fashionable woman. I’ll stop waffling in a bit; I’m nervous. Try to get it together. I’m going to put some honey into my coffee. Is it best to let the coffee cool a bit first? My worry is that if I put honey into really hot fresh coffee, the honey will just dissolve and go fizz and I’ll end up with a scum of honey on the top. I don’t drink enough coffee to do proper tests. But I figure that _you_ probably drink a load of coffee, because you’re American. Americans love to drink, and they love to drink coffee. They’re big, boisterous people. But do they have honey in their coffee? I imagine Americans having hot, black, harsh coffee, because their society is the opposite of sweet. Like in _The Iceman Cometh_. Or _Death of a Salesman_. The only thing Americans put in their coffee is the tears of a woman who was attractive once, twenty years ago… she married the man of her dreams, but her dreams were wrong. I’ve always assumed that alcohol is tough enough to withstand hot coffee, but honey is different. It’s made from bees, who are only strong on the offensive. Apart from their stinger they’re quite soft, cuddly almost. No, there’s no almost about it. Bees are cuddly. Imaging putting a bee into coffee! It’d get waterlogged and drown. You’d feel guilty and try to hook it out. Give it mouth to mouth. Perform CPR, or that electric shock thing - but you’d have to use a tiny watch battery. Do bees have hearts? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/2 "2012-09-24T20:58:53Z")
I \*was \* going to come in here and say that you should NEVER put honey in coffee! What’s wrong with you, you have to be weird and not use sugar like everyone else in the world? But then I paused, and considered the plight of a bee in coffee, and how horrible that would be, and that made me think of how horrible buckwheat honey is, and then my brain said “Yes, but buckwheat honey might actually be good in coffee”. So, my advice is to try adding buckwheat honey. And I’d add it hot so that it dissolves easier. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/3 "2012-09-24T21:00:08Z")
I’ve used honey in coffee - it’s good. Hot, hot, hot, and stir it well. Better than that. Keep going. Maybe now. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/4 "2012-09-24T21:10:39Z")
I have never seen anyone put honey in coffee nor do I believe I have ever heard it mentioned. Fear not. Some Americans and many British people drink hot tea with honey and it seems to work just fine. I don’t know how good or bad honey sweetened coffee will taste but it will dissolve correctly when the coffee is hot. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/5 "2012-09-24T21:14:38Z")
Honey in coffee would be as odd as…well…the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/6 "2012-09-24T21:48:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Honey in coffee would be as odd as…well…the OP. Would it be as awesome as the OP, though? That’s the question. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/7 "2012-09-24T23:01:24Z")
Mr. Athena has not only put honey in coffee, but he’s also experimented with maple syrup. His conclusion: you have to add an awful lot of any kind of sweetener to notice the subtleties of their taste over the strong taste of coffee, so he just went back to plain ol’ sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/8 "2012-09-24T23:49:52Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > But I figure that _you_ probably drink a load of coffee, because you’re American. Americans love to drink, and they love to drink coffee. They’re big, boisterous people. But do they have honey in their coffee? I imagine Americans having hot, black, harsh coffee, because their society is the opposite of sweet. Like in _The Iceman Cometh_. Or _Death of a Salesman_. The only thing Americans put in their coffee is the tears of a woman who was attractive once, twenty years ago… she married the man of her dreams, but her dreams were wrong. I’ve either fallen in love with the OP or with her post. I’m not sure which, but I’m not sure that it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/9 "2012-09-25T00:01:29Z")
Kudos to the OP. I love the way your mind works. I don’t care for honey in coffee, but maple syrup – real maple syrup from maple trees, mind you, not flavored corn syrup, which breaks down in coffee in nasty ways that makes you think you are drinking plastic – where was I? Real maple syrup in coffee is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/10 "2012-09-25T00:10:11Z")
Honey melts/dissolves into coffee just fine. I don’t care much for the honey/coffee flavor combination. As already mentioned, though, maple syrup in coffee is truly delightful. Add a cinnamon stick, yum! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/11 "2012-09-25T00:28:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’ve either fallen in love with the OP or with her post. I’m not sure which, but I’m not sure that it matters. I think the writer of J Peterman catalog just joined the board. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/12 "2012-09-25T00:31:46Z")
honey is good in coffee and you know what? it’s also good in hot milk. tea, of course. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/13 "2012-09-25T00:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > They’re big, boisterous people. speaking as a Proud American I’d like to say I also love you. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/14 "2012-09-25T05:24:32Z")
I’m an American and I seldom drink coffee, either hot or iced. I do, however, drink tea, mostly hot tea, and I like honey in it. I’ve never noticed any honey scum, only honey deliciousness. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/15 "2012-09-25T08:22:23Z")
My preference is honey for tea and sugar for coffee. Actually, I drink both black and unsweetened most of the time, but when I want them sweetened, that’s how I want them. I’ve seen people put honey in coffee before, and it’s not bad exactly, but the tastes clash somehow. ETA: When you have a cold or a sore throat, there is absolutely nothing better for it than strong black tea with lots of honey and lots of lemon. Except for strong black tea with lots of honey, lots of lemon, and a shot of whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/16 "2012-09-25T08:51:37Z")
> [@](#): > > When you have a cold or a sore throat, there is absolutely nothing better for it than strong black tea with lots of honey and lots of lemon. Try Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime Tea with honey, no lemon, for a cold. Also works wonders for some types of nausea. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/17 "2012-09-25T09:07:38Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Try Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime Tea with honey, no lemon, for a cold. Also works wonders for some types of nausea. Does it go with whiskey? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/18 "2012-09-25T09:11:38Z")
I’ve never tried it with whiskey. I prefer my whiskey on the rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/19 "2012-09-25T11:26:40Z")
I use honey in coffee sometimes, normally if I’m drinking it black. Sometimes through choice and sometimes through having no sugar. I’ve never waited for it to cool and it’s always been fine. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708/20 "2012-09-25T12:19:26Z")
At work I drink black coffee, like a big, manly, fuck you I’m an American. I need it strong and black and filtered through Abraham Lincoln’s dirty socks, because I’m and American and I work like a dog, eat like a pig, and sleep like a dead man! On weekends, though, I put molasses in my coffee. It has a big, manly, fuck you American taste. And it’s healthier: [molasses:](http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5573/2) "This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Magnesium and Manganese [honey:](http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5568/2) This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-in-coffee-hot-or-not/635708.md?page=2)