Tea and coffee are the most consumed beverages in the world, and over 80% of tap water consumption is associated with making tea, coffee and other hot drinks. Since tea and coffee are rich in organic matter, they can potentially act as disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors. Nonetheless, DBPs generated from reactions between residual chlorine in tap water and organic matter in tea and coffee have received limited attention in literature. In this study, model compounds were selected to represent the different types of organics found in tea and. Their chlorine demand and DBP formation was measured and the potential for DBP formation during real-life preparation of tea and coffee assessed.