By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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What Starbucks has said
In 2019, responding to a Portland lawsuit over a spilled cup of hot water, Starbucks said: “Our partners take great care in ensuring our beverages are brewed to industry standard and provided with secure lids” (AP via KOMO News). In later suits it said it takes pride in ensuring its beverages are “crafted with care” and “delivered to customers safely” (FOX 26 Houston, 2021; Los Angeles Times). Neither statement gives a temperature.
The one number on a Starbucks website is for home brewing. Its coffee press guide says the ideal brewing water is 195°F to 205°F (Starbucks at Home). That figure is for water poured over grounds at home. It says nothing about the cup handed through a store window.
What lawsuits have alleged
| Case | What was said about temperature | Who said it |
|---|---|---|
| Evans v. Starbucks, Lynwood drive-thru, 2022 incident | The legal team “believes the coffee’s temperature was 190 degrees” | Plaintiff’s legal team, reported by the Los Angeles Times |
| Mogavero v. Starbucks, Jacksonville, 2017 verdict | Described as a “190-degree beverage” | UPI, without naming the source of the figure |
| Simms v. Starbucks, Harris County, Texas, 2021 | Suit alleged a “dangerous condition” from the drink’s temperature; no figure reported | Complaint, reported by FOX 26 Houston |
These are allegations and press descriptions. None of them is a court finding. The Mogavero jury found Starbucks 80% at fault for a lid that came off (ABA Journal), and the Garcia jury awarded $50 million in March 2025 for burns from a venti tea spilled at a Los Angeles drive-thru. Starbucks said it would appeal (ABC7, AP), but the case settled in June 2025 and was dismissed in July 2025; the terms were not made public (LASC case summary). Our Starbucks burn page covers those cases.
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Industry ranges
| Source | Figure |
|---|---|
| Brown and Diller, Burns (2008) | Hot beverages frequently served at 160°F to 185°F; calculated optimum drinking temperature about 136°F |
| American Burn Association | Coffee, tea and hot chocolate usually served at 160°F to 180°F |
| Abraham and Diller (2019) | Coffee groups recommend brewing at 195°F to 205°F; coffee from a 200°F brew is expected at 186°F to 191°F in the cup; recommended service range 130°F to 160°F |
| Public Citizen on Liebeck | McDonald’s standard in the early 1990s was 180°F to 190°F |
Our hot beverage temperatures page compares chains in more detail.
How fast those temperatures burn
For tap water, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission lists how long it takes most adults to suffer a third-degree burn (CPSC Publication 5098):
| Water temperature | Exposure for a third-degree burn |
|---|---|
| 150°F | 2 seconds |
| 140°F | 6 seconds |
| 130°F | 30 seconds |
| 120°F | 5 minutes |
The typical serving ranges above start at 160°F, hotter than the first row of this table. A spill into a lap, where clothing holds the liquid against the skin, leaves no time to react. Our scald burns page explains why, and our FAQ on what degree burn hot coffee causes covers the depths.
What this means for your case
You do not need Starbucks’ internal temperature to bring a claim. The Starbucks cases on this page turned on the lid, the carrier or the handoff, and the temperature is proved through the burn itself, the medical records and, in litigation, the store’s own equipment settings and policies obtained in discovery. Keep the cup and lid. See can you sue for a coffee burn for what must be proved, and our burn injury lawyer page for next steps.
Talk to a burn injury lawyer
Beverly Law handles hot drink burn cases in California and Washington. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Call (310) 552-6959 for a free consultation. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Common questions
Does Starbucks publish its coffee temperature?
Not in any source we found. Its public statements say its drinks are brewed to industry standard.
Is 190°F a confirmed Starbucks temperature?
No. It is what plaintiffs’ lawyers alleged in the Evans case and how UPI described the Mogavero drink.
Is hot water or tea hotter than coffee?
The Abraham and Diller review expects tea poured from a 200°F brew to be a few degrees hotter in the cup than coffee. The Garcia case involved tea, and the Portland case involved hot water.
Can I get the store's temperature records?
You can request them in a lawsuit. Holding temperatures, equipment settings and training materials are common discovery requests.
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If you or your child was burned because of someone else in California, Texas and Washington, talk to a burn injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Burn Injury Lawyer · Burn injury questions
Sources
- AP via KOMO News, Nov. 1, 2019 (Cha v. Starbucks; Starbucks statement "brewed to industry standard and provided with sec (komonews.com)
- Los Angeles Times via AOL (Evans v. Starbucks, Lynwood, legal team believes 190°F; Starbucks statement) (aol.com)
- UPI, May 19, 2017 (Mogavero; "190-degree beverage") (upi.com)
- ABA Journal, May 22, 2017 (Mogavero verdict, 80% fault) (abajournal.com)
- FOX 26 Houston, Sept. 1, 2021 (Simms v. Starbucks, Harris County drive-thru; Starbucks statement) (fox26houston.com)
- Starbucks at Home, "How to Brew with a Coffee Press" (195-205°F brewing water) (athome.starbucks.com)
- ABC7 Los Angeles, March 15, 2025 (Garcia verdict; Starbucks plans to appeal) (abc7.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, March 17, 2025 (Garcia: venti tea, drive-thru, Feb. 8, 2020) (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Brown F, Diller KR, Burns 2008 (160-185°F; optimum about 136°F) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- American Burn Association, Scald Injury Prevention Educator's Guide (160-180°F) (childburn.org)
- Abraham JP, Diller KR, Journal of Food Science 84(8), 2019 (195-205°F brewing guidance; 186-191°F expected in cup from a (foodsci.oregonstate.edu)
- Public Citizen (McDonald's 180-190°F standard in Liebeck) (citizen.org)
- U.S. CPSC Publication 5098, Avoiding Tap Water Scalds (150°F 2 s, 140°F 6 s, 130°F 30 s, 120°F 5 min) (cpsc.gov)
- Los Angeles Superior Court, case summary for Garcia v. Starbucks, No. 20STCV10214 (post-trial motions denied June 4, 202 (cap.lacourt.ca.gov)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.