How to Heat Sake

Last Updated: March 1, 2023 References

Even though sake is often served chilled, some types of sake actually benefit from being heated, instead. The traditional way of heating sake is by submerging a jar of sake in hot water, but there are also a few other options you could try.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

The Basics of Heating Sake

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1
Know when to heat sake. Nowadays, premium sake is usually served chilled instead of warm. However, if you have a less expensive type or homemade sake, or simply want to draw out a different dimension of flavor, you can try heating it before serving it. This can be an especially good option for a cold winter day. ^{[1]
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- Heat causes the alcohol to vaporize. Aroma-producing ingredients with low boiling points also vaporize, making these flavors stand out more. This has very little effect on bitter acidic tastes, but sweet tastes get pronounced more effectively. As such, sake with a high level of acidity is often heated since the process can balance the acidic flavor with the sweet undertones more evenly.
- Warm sake also tends to have a "dry" taste when compared to chilled sake. The effect of the alcohol is increased as the vapors begin coming off.
2
Determine the right temperature. There is a full range of temperatures you can heat sake to, from lukewarm to hot. The right temperature to use depends partially on personal preference, but there are a few standard approaches to take that you might want to consider.
- The average temperature of kan sake, or "warm sake," is between 107.6 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit (42 and 45 degrees Celsius). The full range of possible warmth varies slightly beyond this, though, and each range of warmth has its own traditional term associated with it. ^{[2]
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  - At 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to hinata-kan, or "warmed in the sunshine."
  - At 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as hitohada-kan, or "heated to body temperature."
  - At 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as nuru-kan, or "heated to tepid temperature."
  - At 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as jo-kan, or "heated fairly warm."
  - At 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as atsu-kan, or "heated hot."
- As a general rule, warm sake is ideal as an accompaniment for cold or plain dishes, like sushi, as well as dishes that have soy sauce in them. Hot sake, on the other hand, is ideal to serve alongside warmer dishes, like hot pot, or foods made with a large amount of oil or fat. ^{[3]
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- Two types of sake that are often heated include junmai and honjozo. Junmai sake is often served fairly warm to hot. ^{[4]
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  Research source} Honjozo sake is typically served warm at room to body temperature.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Heating Sake on the Stove

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1
Pour the sake into a tokkuri or decanter. Pour the sake you want to serve into a bottle with a narrow, tall neck and open mouth.
- You should not fill the container to the brim. Sake expands as it heats, and if you fill the container too high, it could burst out of the top.
2
Boil water in a saucepan. Fill a small saucepan with enough water to cover roughly three-quarters of the height of the decanter you are using for the sake. Place the saucepan on the stove and heat it over medium-high until the water begins to boil.
- If you want to be more traditional, there is a special utensil known as a "kan-tokkuri" you should use. If you decide to use it, heat the water in the stove with a saucepan or kettle and pour the water into the kan-tokkuri after it starts to boil. ^{[5]
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3
Gently lower the container of sake into the water. Turn off the heat and slowly submerge the sake in the hot water. Lower it carefully to prevent any water from getting inside the container. Let it sit, uncovered, for one to three minutes.
- Place the sake as close to the center of the saucepan as possible. Do not allow it to tip or tilt as it sits in the water.
- For a more precise way of heating sake, you can measure the temperature of the drink using a thermometer to determine if it has reached your desired temperature.
- If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
4
Remove the sake from the water. Carefully lift the decanter of sake out of the water and serve the hot drink immediately.
- If the container feels too hot to touch with your bare hands, wear oven mitts as you remove it from the hot water. You might also want to consider wiping the bottom dry with a towel before serving sake from the container.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Heating Sake in the Microwave

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1
Place the sake in a microwave-safe mug. Pour enough sake into a microwave-safe tumbler or mug. Generally, you will need to pour about 3 oz (90 ml) of sake into the mug for each intended serving.
- While a tokkuri might be safe to use in the microwave depending on which materials it is made from, the traditional shape of the jar can cause the sake inside to heat unevenly. As a result, some parts can become far too hot while others would remain cold. For this reason, it is recommended that you heat the sake in a separate mug first.
2
Microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. Place the mug of sake in the microwave. Heat it on high power for 30 to 60 seconds, varying the temperature based on how hot you want the sake to become. ^{[6]
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- While the sake should heat more evenly inside a standard mug or tumbler, it is still a good idea to pause the microwave at the 30 second mark and give the drink a quick stir with a spoon or plastic stirring rod. Doing this can allow you to gauge the current temperature and can also help the sake heat more evenly.
- If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
3
Transfer the sake into a tokkuri. Once heated, pour the sake from your tumbler or mug and into a traditional tokkuri. From there, you can serve the sake as usual. Do so immediately to avoid losing flavor or heat.
- You might need to handle the mug or tumbler with an oven mitt, but you should probably be able to touch the sides of the tokkuri without a mitt after you make the transfer.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Heating Sake with a Slow Cooker

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Add enough water to the bowl of a slow cooker so that the level of water is about three-quarters the height of the sake bottle you wish to heat. ^{[7]
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Cover the slow cooker and set the temperature to low. Allow the water to heat up until it reaches a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius). ^{[8]
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3
Place a bottle of sake into the water. Open the lid of the bottle. Uncover the slow cooker and carefully submerge the bottle of sake into the hot water
- Make sure that no water gets into the sake from the open top of the bottle.
4
Let the sake sit for 30 minutes. Turn off the slow cooker. Allow the bottle of sake to sit in the hot water for a full 30 minutes.
- Gauge the temperature of the sake by looking at it. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot. ^{[9]
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5
Remove the sake from the water. By now, the bottle itself might be fairly hot. Use an oven mitt to carefully grasp the bottle and remove it from the water. Serve immediately.
- Continue to wear the oven mitt as you pour and serve the sake, as well. If you wait for the bottle to cool down enough to touch with your bare hands, the sake will end up cooling down too much.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Heating Sake with an Espresso Machine

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1
Pour the sake into the pitcher. Fill the espresso machine's metal or ceramic pitcher with enough sake to serve. ^{[10]
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- Note that you should prepare about 3 oz (90 ml) per intended serving.
Fill the upper reservoir with water and set the temperature of the espresso machine to low. Allow the water to heat up for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius).
3
Submerge the sake in the water. Open the lid of the upper reservoir and submerge the pitcher of sake in the water. Turn off the heat and allow the sake to sit in the warm water for 30 minutes. ^{[11]
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- Position the pitcher carefully so that none of the water gets inside the mouth and into the sake.
4
Steam the sake. Remove the pitcher of sake. Place the steam wand of the espresso machine into the pitcher and turn on the steam to the wand. Let the sake continue heating up until it reaches a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius). ^{[12]
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- The steam wand should sit at a 45 degree angle to the surface of the sake. Do not allow it to dip into the sake; it must rest above the liquid in order to provide steam. The tip of the wand should also be just a bit off-center.
- If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
5
Remove and serve. Remove the steam wand from the sake and serve immediately.
- You should be able to handle the pitcher without the use of an oven mitt.
- If you want to serve the sake in a more traditional way, pour it out of the pitcher and into a tokkuri before serving it to guests.

Community Q&A

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Question

Is there a noticeable difference between stovetop and microwave?

Community Answer

Probably not. The stovetop will give you more control over the temperature, though.

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