[David Tucker]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

I'm not sure if this is in the Wikipedia entry, but I read elsewhere that the real problem with what McDonalds was doing was that they kept the coffee much hotter than they should have. Guess why? Because the hotter the coffee is kept, the longer it stays fresh, which means they have to make new pots less often. So it really came down to corporate greed - saving money on coffee - rather than the coffee being heated at a reasonable temperature for drinking like any sane person would do.

I do have to say that as a person who considers myself a something of a coffee snob that McDonald's coffee was kept at what would be considered the proper temperature. Coffee should be served very hot. Many restaurants serve it much cooler to avoid liability issues but I think McDonald's coffee was the proper temperature. (I don't think the lawsuit was frivolous however!)

[David Tucker]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

I'm not sure if this is in the Wikipedia entry, but I read elsewhere that the real problem with what McDonalds was doing was that they kept the coffee much hotter than they should have. Guess why? Because the hotter the coffee is kept, the longer it stays fresh, which means they have to make new pots less often. So it really came down to corporate greed - saving money on coffee - rather than the coffee being heated at a reasonable temperature for drinking like any sane person would do.

I do have to say that as a person who considers myself a something of a coffee snob that McDonald's coffee was kept at what would be considered the proper temperature. Coffee should be served very hot. Many restaurants serve it much cooler to avoid liability issues but I think McDonald's coffee was the proper temperature. (I don't think the lawsuit was frivolous however!)

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by David Tucker

I do have to say that as a person who considers myself a something of a coffee snob that McDonald's coffee was kept at what would be considered the proper temperature. Coffee should be served very hot.

So you're saying that all coffee should be served between 180 and 190 degrees? And that the other restaurants that sell coffee at lower temperatures are doing it wrong? Or that home-brewed coffee at 135 to 140 degrees is also not hot enough? I don't drink coffee, so I wouldn't know, but it seems rather odd to me that McDonalds is the only one doing it "right" and that they're doing it for the sake of their customers....

What I didn't realize until today was that the woman was 79 years old. Balancing/holding a cup of coffee between one's legs and the precise pressure and dexterity required to remove the lid - without spilling the contents - would be virtually impossible for someone her age. With any disposable cup with a lid, if you apply pressure on the outside, then remove the lid, the cup will flex inward, so you have to reduce your pressure to avoid crumpling the cup. Doing this with your knees/thighs would be quite the challenge for anyone, let alone a 79 year old woman. I think McDonalds should have covered her medical expenses, but what she was trying to do was pretty damn silly...

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

People have free will, and if they make the choice to crank up the volume day in and day out, they're choosing to lose their hearing. Blaming that on Apple, Creative, or any other device maker is lunacy.

Agreed, this is insane. It is 100% the listeners' fault if they lose their hearing.

[David Tucker]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

So you're saying that all coffee should be served between 180 and 190 degrees? And that the other restaurants that sell coffee at lower temperatures are doing it wrong? Or that home-brewed coffee at 135 to 140 degrees is also not hot enough? I don't drink coffee, so I wouldn't know, but it seems rather odd to me that McDonalds is the only one doing it "right" and that they're doing it for the sake of their customers....

What I didn't realize until today was that the woman was 79 years old. Balancing/holding a cup of coffee between one's legs and the precise pressure and dexterity required to remove the lid - without spilling the contents - would be virtually impossible for someone her age. With any disposable cup with a lid, if you apply pressure on the outside, then remove the lid, the cup will flex inward, so you have to reduce your pressure to avoid crumpling the cup. Doing this with your knees/thighs would be quite the challenge for anyone, let alone a 79 year old woman. I think McDonalds should have covered her medical expenses, but what she was trying to do was pretty damn silly...

Well, McDonald's has actually always been considered to have very good coffee if you're just looking for a cup of Joe. I would be surprised if coffee in a drip machine at home is 135 when its served immediately. That water is hot coming out of there. And by the time you're done pouring it and adding creamer and stirring it, its going to be cooler. If you serve coffee at 135 and then start adding that stuff you'll have lukewarm coffee pretty quick. Which is gross.

When you're getting coffee to go, in an insulated cup, its going to hold its heat. She was pretty foolish to try and do all of that in the car. And if you're going to do that in the car...put it in the cup holder. Of course, given how hot their coffee is, they should also probably do things like put the creamer & sugar in before giving it to you. I think if they offered that then that would have removed a lot of their liability since then you have no reason to open the container in the car.

I'm served food quite often that is too hot for immediate consumption. How many times I've burnt my mouth with pizza I can't remember! Or at a restaurant when you get a plate so hot you can't touch it. Food is going to cool quickly so I would expect it to start out hot.