Navigating The Best Time To Drink Coffee

Want to hear something shocking? Come here and listen closely…

…not everyone drinks their coffee in the morning! (GASP)

Jokes aside, loads of people actually drink their coffee during different times of the day. Those who enjoy more than a cup a day may relate to that fact. But why? Well, sometimes it’s as simple as wanting the taste of coffee. We crave coffee, we drink coffee. That’s all there is to it. 

For some, drinking coffee should be purposeful. They don’t drink coffee to just enjoy it or just because they like the taste of it. They seek the benefits it provides. What those benefits are are closely related to when the best time to have coffee actually is.

So, grab a cup of joe and let’s get straight into what the best time to drink coffee is!

When To Drink Coffee For Alertness

Coffee is practically synonymous with caffeine at this point. And people just can’t start a proper morning without a brew to help them wake up. 

Surprisingly, the best time to drink black coffee (or any brew for that matter) isn’t right after you wake up. Some say you need to give yourself a little grace period of 30 to 60 minutes before you drink your coffee. The reason behind that is cortisol.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is said to help you with focus and alertness. Caffeine in coffee can help increase cortisol secretion in people. Cortisol will also reach its peak during the said grace time and it will slowly decrease as the day goes by. By delaying your morning coffee, you can keep your cortisol levels at a certain peak!

You could also opt to drink your coffee even later in the morning. Mid to late morning to be exact. Delaying it even further will allow you to catch your cortisol levels as it starts to dip, giving you that extra boost. Let’s say you wake up at 6:30 in the morning. This would mean that the best time to drink coffee would be between 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. That’s like brewing your coffee in the morning, going on your daily commute, and having it in the office. Pretty doable if you ask us.

Best Time To Drink Coffee For Digestion

While many people can enjoy coffee before having eaten anything, some people run into tummy troubles when they do. One likely reason is that they drank it on an empty stomach. 

That’s because coffee may increase the production of stomach acid, which helps break down food in your tummy. Without the presence of actual food in the stomach, it could irritate its lining and even the intestinal tract. This could lead to acid reflux.

With that being said, one could utilise that specific ability to help with digestion. You could wait an hour after your meal before having your brew. There are folks that recommend drinking your coffee hot if you drink it after meals. While coffee is already helpful in digestion, hot drinks like coffee, tea, or water in general are said to emulsify fatty foods and make digestion easier. 

Thinking about ordering a coffee after lunch? Go for it! Coffee after dinner, though? Best not to - unless it’s decaf. You wouldn’t want to be up all night!

Also Read - Top 7 Teas to Relieve Constipation

Best Time To Drink Coffee For Weight Loss

We like to think that the best time to drink coffee when you’re on a weight loss regimen is still in the morning. After your breakfast or before your workout, to be specific. The reason behind that is backed up by what we mentioned before!

For starters, we know that coffee may help with digestion. If you want to lose weight properly, you don’t do that by simply not eating - you do that by practising good dietary habits. If you’re eating right and making sure your meals are digested properly, that could help!

We all know that coffee is full of caffeinated energy. Skipping sugar-powered sports drinks and drinking au natural coffee is a good way to get an energy boost. And do note we said au natural. If you put heavy amounts of sweeteners or creamers in your coffee, that would surely affect your weight negatively. So the best time to drink black coffee is around an hour before you hit the gym. 

Check out - Is Coffee Good for Weight Loss? Everything You Need to Know

Worst Time To Have Coffee

We’re sure no one is surprised when we say that having coffee after dinner is not a good idea. Actually, it’s best to cut off caffeine intake by late afternoon, around 5 p.m. Drinking coffee past that time would likely affect your sleep levels. 

If you simply MUST drink coffee, then consider getting decaf and avoiding adding any sugar if you still want to get some sleep. But remember - there’s still a teeeeeeny bit of caffeine in decaf coffee!

Also Read - What is Decaf Coffee - Everything You Need to Know

Best Place To Get Coffee?

Now that you know when the best time to drink coffee is, we can tell you where to get the best coffee! At Portfolio Coffee, we've got the java you’ll fall in love-a with! With a variety of coffee and blends, our coffee store & coffee subscription have something for everyone.