How hot should my water be for brewing coffee?

Thumb Roast Coffee - Specialty Coffee made simple

The temperature of water can have extreme effects on the taste and smoothness coffee. 195°-205° is the ideal range for hot brewing because it leads to a well-balanced coffee. Water over 205° brews bitter and abrasive coffee, while water below 195° doesn’t extract traits from the coffee grounds which often leads to a sour and undeveloped taste. 

To acheive this temperature, bring a pot or kettle to boil on the stove and after it boils, let is rest for about 30-40 seconds.  Or, bring it to an "almost" boiling point.  Or, there are several temperature controlled water kettles on the market.  One of the ones we use is THIS (click link) or THIS (click link) one that has a goose neck spout for more control of the water (used for pour over or Chemex method)

We recommend Cold Brew be prepared at refrigerator temperature (41° or below), and brewing time depend on how strong you want your coffee.
The main choices for the type of water to use when brewing include hard tap water and distilled water. Tap water is the most accessible option, but it’s important to remember the differences in every individual’s tap water. Some people have soft water with few minerals. Soft water will brew flat tasting coffee. Most people have hard tap water with a lot of minerals. Hard water brews more flavorful coffee but if the water has too high of a mineral count the coffee can become bitter. Distilled water is good for the brewing equipment due to the total lack of minerals but will brew an exceedingly average cup of coffee.  Our vote: use tap water!