The work by Oxford University, which is published in the International Journal of Cancer, defines any drink at 65 degrees Celsuis or above as “very hot” and posing a potential risk.
Consuming six or more hot drinks per day also raises the risk, according to data from 977,282 middle-aged men and women.
Although adding milk can cool drinks down slightly, a milky tea or coffee may still be far too hot, researchers say.
Tea made immediately after a kettle is fully boiled is touching boiling point, which is 100 degrees C (212 degrees F). Once poured into a cup, that lowers to around 90 or 95 degrees C.
The advice is to wait a few minutes before drinking so the beverage cools to a safer temperature.
Cancer Research UK says it’s difficult to put an exact time on how long a hot drink should be left to cool.
“But if you’re worried, we’d suggest just waiting until it’s comfortable to drink rather than drinking it while it’s still very hot,” the charity said.
Lead researcher Dr Keren Papier said research in South America – where many people drink a very hot herbal beverage called mate – had already shown a similar link between hot drinks and oesophageal cancer.
But she said: “More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk.”
A separate study, external of 118 young adults who did multiple tastings of different black coffees found most only deemed the drinks to be too hot if the temperature was 70 degrees C or above.
According to one takeaway coffee cup manufacturer, the ideal temperature for hot coffee on the go is between 49 and 60 degrees C.
Should a barista want the coffee to stay hotter for longer – if a customer requests extra hot – it can be served at over 82 degrees C, says MTPak Coffee.
WANT to get the best value out of your cruise – and explore gems on both sides of the pond?
Transatlantic repositioning cruises offer just that.
Windstar Cruises’ Knot Your Average Crossing offers a £1,000pp drinks, wifi and tips package on its Lisbon to Barbados sailingCredit: Windstar Cruises
As cruise companies relocate their ships from Europe to the Caribbean and beyond for winter warmth, you can get some amazing deals.
Combining a few ports of call on each side of the Atlantic, as well as some extended sea days, these one-way sailings offer the best of both worlds, with port days and plenty of time to relax at sea.
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And cruise lines often offer really competitive prices – or throw in extras such as free drinks or tips – to tempt holidaymakers on board.
Lisa Minot has the lowdown on six great transatlantic sailings.
Windstar Cruises start from £2,682pp, including all meals, drinks and activitiesCredit: Windstar Cruises
You’ll get a free all-in package, with alcoholic drinks, wifi and tips, worth more than £1,000pp on Windstar Cruises’ Knot Your Average Crossing from Lisbon to Barbados.
Departing Portugal on November 10, 2026, on this 14-night non-stop voyage on the 148-guest sailing ship Wind Star, guests can step up to the flying bridge to take the helm, and learn age-old seamanship skills.
There are talks on legendary explorers and pirates and you can learn to read charts, tie sailor’s knots and even navigate the vessel alongside the ship’s officers.
Prices start from £2,682pp, including all meals, drinks and activities.
You can save 50 per cent off the original fare sailing on Oceania Marina’s transatlantic sailing from Barcelona to Miami.
Departing November 25, 2026, the 15-day sailing offers the chance to enjoy port days in Spain and the Caribbean.
You will enjoy calls at Valencia, Alicante, Malaga and Funchal in Madeira before crossing the Atlantic and calling at San Juan in Puerto Rico and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
Oceania cruise fares include speciality dining, tips, free wifi plus a choice of wine and beer by the glass or shore excursion credits.
This sailing is now on sale from £1,415, down from £3,629.
Transatlantic sailings don’t have to end in North America.
With Celebrity Cruises’ sailing onboard Celebrity Equinox you’ll enjoy calls in Brazil and Argentina after your ocean adventures.
Departing Barcelona on November 19, 2026, you’ll explore Tangier in Morocco before your South American odyssey, calling at Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
You’ll visit Montevideo, Uruguay before arriving in Buenos Aires.
Popular excursions include a Moroccan Tea and Bread experience in Tangier, Carnival Behind the Scenes with Dance Lesson in Rio and a birdwatching trip in the Wetlands west of Montevideo.
Prices start from £699pp, including full-board and entertainment.
See celebritycruises.com.
FIT FOR A QUEEN
This cracking transatlantic deal on Cunard’s Queen Anne includes a stay in Miami and return flights.
Departing Southampton on January 10, 2027, this 15-night trip includes 12 nights onboard as well as a two-night hotel stay in Miami.
It includes calls at Hamilton, Bermuda, Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale before you dock in Miami for your 4H hotel stay.
Onboard, all meals, afternoon tea, theatre shows and gym are included.
Join P&O Cruises’ flagship Arvia as it sails from Southampton to the CaribbeanCredit: Alamy Stock PhotoGuests will be able to enjoys shows by former X Factor and Dancing On Ice star Ray QuinnCredit: Shutterstock
Enjoy shows by actor, singer and dancer Ray Quinn, on P&O Cruises’ flagship Arvia as it sails from Southampton to the Caribbean.
The X Factor finalist and Dancing On Ice winner will be performing in The Limelight Club throughout the sailing, which departs October 23.
The 15-night sailing includes calls at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, before the delights of Philipsburg in St Maarten, St Kitts, Castries in St Lucia and finally Barbados.
The fare, from £945pp, includes return flights. See iglucruise.com.
HOMEWARD BOUND
With Holland America, you can sail to Blighty from Florida.
The 12-night sailing departs Fort Lauderdale April 4, 2027 and calls at Kings Wharf, Bermuda, before a relaxing seven days sailing.
There’s plenty to do on the Nieuw Statendam, with its Music Walk district featuring sophisticated live venues including BB King’s Blues Club and Rolling Stone Rock Room.
The ship will call at Portland for Weymouth before arriving in Dover.
Prices are from just £819pp.
With their Have It All package, from £1,599pp, you also get a drinks package, wifi, tips, speciality dining and two shore excursions.
THIS travel club can save you a whole lot of money when going on holiday – and Sun readers can try it out for just £1.
Ever wanted to swap those noisy airport cafes and hard airport seats for somewhere a little more comfy and relaxed, where free food and drink is flowing?
Swap the overcrowded airport seating for glam lounges with unlimited food and drinkCredit: Getty
Try Travelzoo for 30 days for £1
For £1, you could bypass the airport chaos entirely and kick back in a stylish, comfy airport lounge with ice-cold drinks, super-fast Wi-Fi and somewhere to put your feet up
Travelzoo are a money-saving club where members can bag a load of travel benefits, including free airport lounge access if your flight is delayed.
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The membership costs £30 for the year, which is already a steal.
But Sun readers can bag a 30 day free trial for only £1 by clicking here.
So before your next holiday, you could be chilling in an airport lounge with bottomless food and drinks (including alcohol) in exchange for that quid rattling around in your pocket.
We all know the dreaded feeling. You’ve dragged your bags through the terminal, braved the queues, and finally made it to the gate – only to look up at the screen and see the dreaded words: DELAYED.
Suddenly, you’re searching for a seat in a packed airport terminal, clutching a soggy-yet-expensive airport sandwich.
But if you’re a Travelzoo member, you get access to over 1,600 lounges across 500+ airports in more than 100 countries.
The way this works is simple. When your flight is delayed by one hour or more, you get airport lounge tickets automatically sent to you by email or text.
Inside these stylish lounges you’ll find things like private and comfy seating, free Wi-Fi and charging points, and even showers, desks and sleep pods in some locations.
Complimentary drinks even include alcohol across some of the airport loungesCredit: Getty
Try Travelzoo for 30 days for £1
You’ll also get complimentary food and drink, which includes alcohol.
So even if your flight is delayed for multiple hours, you know you’ll have access to good-quality food, drinks and even somewhere to nap.
“As soon as I got the delay notification from Delta, I received an email with lounge pass PDFs” writes one Travelzoo member, Holly.
“Our flight ended up being delayed six times and the lounge pass was a lifesaver.
“This lounge had free food, drinks, snacks, Wi-Fi, showers, etc. It was worth it!”.
Another member, Angela, said she used it at London Heathrow after a delayed flight saga.
She said: “Travelzoo notified me of our delay and sent vouchers to a lounge that was way better than the one my credit card had.”
Usually, access to these airport lounges would require an elite membership status with an airline, or an expensive day pass.
However you can access these lounges with Travelzoo no matter who you are flying with, even with economy class tickets.
Flight delays are made much easier when you have somewhere comfortable to sit and relaxCredit: Getty
Airport lounge day passed typically cost between £30 – £40, whereas a Travelzoo membership costs £30 for an entire year.
That means just one delayed flight would justify the cost of an entire year’s membership.
You could easily spend over £30 on meals and drinks for the family in the airport Wetherspoons, but instead you’ll have your own less-crowded, more comfy zone with access to all the snacks and drinks you’ll need.
Best of all, you can register up to three travel companions on your itinerary for free – meaning your family or mates get the VIP treatment right alongside you.
Travelzoo members don’t just get airport lounge benefits – they also get access to super cheap holidays.
There are members-only sales and hand-picked holiday deals that give members access to some of the best holiday bargains out there.
For example, members can bag Benidorm package holidays for £179pp, a two-night staycation for two in Northumberland for £89, or a charming English inn stay for £59.
Members will be alerted when flash holiday sales go live, and can bag these exclusive discounts before anyone else.
How to register for lounge access
Once you’re signed up to Travelzoo by clicking here, follow these steps:
Visit airportlounge.travelzoo.com and register your flight at least 24 hours before departure
Enter your flight number, travel date, and passenger details. You can register up to 3 travel companions on the same itinerary.
Each flight leg requires a separate registration (roundtrips and connections need individual entries).
If your flight is officially delayed by 1+ hour, you’ll automatically receive QR-code vouchers via email and text with participating lounge options.
Note: Cancelled flights or flights rescheduled to the next day do not qualify.
Sun readers can try Travelzoo for 30 days for just £1 by clicking the button below.
