Does Hot Water Destroy Collagen? The Honest Answer

The confusion comes from mixing up two different ideas. Heat does change proteins — that's what's happening when an egg white turns from clear to solid. That process is called denaturing.

People then reasonably assume that pouring boiling water on collagen does the same kind of damage.

The collagen in ʼkôfē is hydrolysed — already broken down into short peptide chains before it reaches the pouch. There's no intact protein structure left to unravel, which is exactly why it dissolves cleanly into a drink instead of clumping.

The amino acids that make up those peptides are what your body absorbs, and normal drink temperatures don't remove them from your cup. Collagen has been used in hot foods and broths for as long as people have made stock.

Use water at around 80–90°C rather than straight off a rolling boil. This isn't about protecting the collagen — it's about taste. Boiling water scalds coffee and turns matcha bitter.

It also dissolves the powder more smoothly, with less stirring.

Hot: one scoop into 200ml of hot water, froth for ten seconds with the included frother, then top with milk if you like.

Iced: froth one scoop into 100ml of room-temperature water first so it fully dissolves, then pour over ice and top up. Going straight into cold water is the one thing that will leave you with lumps.