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Choosing the perfect cup of coffee may seem insignificant. But coffee cups are not a “one size fits all”! There is an infinite number of designs, formats, and materials to meet everyone’s needs perfectly. If you want to taste the best espresso shot possible or a delicious specialty coffee from your pour-over, a coffee cup is an essential piece of the puzzle.
Think of a glass of wine: each wine style has specific characters in acidity, fruit expression, tannin, and alcohol. Therefore, the different glass shapes intensify or mellow those attributes. Would you serve Champagne in a shot glass? Neither do we!
The choice of cups you use will have a real impact on your experience.
It could even improve the coffee flavors, according to several studies carried out in recent years. The size, shape, and even the color or pattern of your mug could affect how you perceive the taste of your coffee.
Table of contents:
- The size,
- The shape,
- The right material,
- The temperature,
- The thickness,
- The color of your cup,
- Handles and saucers.
Size does matter!
We don’t teach you anything: there are almost as many shapes and sizes of cups as coffee drinkers. So it’s important to know what you’re looking for while shopping! Your favorite brew should decide the size of your cup.
If you are an espresso lover, you should seek an espresso cup, called demitasse, which means half-cup in french. It typically holds between 2 to 3 fluid ounces of liquid. The liquid should not reach the edge of the cup.
Latte lovers should aim for a perfect cup with a capacity between 5-8 oz for a cappuccino to 8-14 oz for a latte or mocha. Here, we want the liquid to reach the edge of the cup correctly. To make latte art easier, opt for preferably small formats, not exceeding 12 oz.
If you drink regular coffee, whether you make it with a drip, a pour-over, or a French press, the size of your cup will be dictated by your preference. From a small 6 oz cup up to a mug, anything will do, depending on how you enjoy having your cup of Joe.
Be careful with huge cups or mugs. Unless your goal is to drink a large hot chocolate around the fire, with both hands, make sure you can take your cup with one hand.
The Shape
The best shape for an espresso cup is the conical shape to exalt the espresso’s flavor, aroma, and appearance. That shape helps to achieve a compact and long-lasting foam, allowing a better release of the scents.
Another reason you shouldn’t drink your espresso from a 12 oz mug is the headspace.
“Headspace, the volume between the liquid and the top of the glass, is a huge factor in creating room for the aroma to aerate. Headspace is critical because it creates that place for the nose to be involved,” says Mark Vecchiarelli, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of KRUVE.
Studies show that the coffee smell is one of the largest factors in the coffee’s perceived flavors.
Wine connoisseurs can tell you everything about this! Since coffee’s flavors are even more elaborate than wine. Yes, you read correctly: coffee has more flavor notes than wine! In fact, “one of the most chemically complex things we consume, with subtleties of aroma, texture, and flavor rivaled by almost no other food,” stated the World Coffee Research (WCR) organization. It only makes sense for coffee drinkers to do likewise.
The perfect espresso cup’s bottom should have the traditional egg shape to keep the crema intact and preserve its compactness and color.
If you are going to practice your latte art in your new mug, take the time to “play” with the cup a bit to see if it is easy to handle. You should be able to hold it in one hand from the bottom or sides, not the handle, to give you maximum stability when creating your designs.
The right material
Ceramic, porcelain, stainless steel, glass are the four materials frequently used for a coffee cup. Again, there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing the perfect coffee cup.
Stainless steel is the most durable material if you plan to travel. Be careful to choose a double-wall design since stainless steel conducts the heat. Be attentive as well that cheap stainless steel can contribute to giving a metallic taste to your beverage.
Ceramic and porcelain espresso cups are the classics; baristas’ favorite because they’ll never leave any unwanted flavors into the drinks.
Ceramic is probably the most common, mainly because of its low cost. On the other hand, it breaks easily and does not retain heat very well.
Porcelain is probably the best option, as long as you buy the quality, thick porcelain (not the small-flowered cups for tea!). This material retains heat very well and is very durable, so you can easily keep these cups for many years.
Glass cups let you see your drink, which I like. It is charming to craft layered milky drinks or taking pictures as we do for Instagram! 😉
Be sure to buy glass containers that are safe for hot beverages. Otherwise, you could end up with a lot of damage and broken glass.
Like ceramics, glass won’t transmit any flavor to your drink.
Choose a double-wall design; otherwise, you’ll end up burning your fingers and sipping a cold espresso.
The temperature
How does cup temperature affect the shot?
Serving coffee in a cold porcelain cup could ruin your taste experience.
For example, the smaller the drink, an espresso, the more critical it is to prewarm your cup. The cold porcelain instantly takes away heat from freshly hot prepared coffee, reducing its temperature by up to 50F/10°C, and makes it cool faster. If you add cold cream and sugar to your espresso and stir it with a cold spoon, the temperature will drop by another 50F/10°C. It will result in a much less pleasant drinking experience. Besides, serving in a prewarmed cup will develop the delightful coffee aroma; it will intensify the fragrance.
Furthermore, an espresso served at a cooler temperature may result in a sourer and bitter shot.
According to coffee experts, the cup must be dry and hot at around 105F/40°C before pouring your drink. The right temperature allows maintaining the espresso’s cohesion and retaining the crema color longer.
If you are like me, a slow drinker, I enjoy a prewarmed cup for my cappuccino or lattes; the coffee stays warm longer.
💡 Tips from my at-home barista: pour hot water or boiling water in the cup and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up the cup. Demitasse can be stored on the top of the espresso machine for a constant warm temperature.
The thickness
Size, shape, material, and temperature will impact the taste of your coffee. Consequently, the cup’s thickness will play a significant role and help regulate the espresso’s temperature. A thick porcelain cup will slightly lower your coffee’s temperature initially and then maintain throughout the degustation. The lower part of the cup must be thick also to preserve heat better, while the upper part should be slightly thinner to make sipping comfortable for the lips.
The color of your cup
Believe it or not, your cup’s color and transparency play a factor in the taste of your coffee. A study conducted in Australia in 2014 showed that the color (transparent, white, or blue) of the cup could influence the consumer’s perception of a café latte beverage.
The aromas perceived were very different, especially in terms of bitterness, intensity, and sweetness.
“We found a particularly significant difference between the white mug and the clear one.”
Specifically, the white mug was associated with a more “intense” (or bitter) tasting coffee cup, and the transparent cup was not. The blue cup, meanwhile, turned out to be “an intermediate.”
Participants noted less sweetness when drinking from the white cup than when drinking from both the blue and clear glass mugs.
On a personal note, for an espresso cup, the most suitable color for the inside is a bright, glossy white. It’s a visually better contrast with the caramel tones and the rich color of the espresso crema. On the outside, I’m not too fond of colors like yellow or orange, but I like black, blue and white.
Handles and saucers
It may look insignificant, but a handle of a cup keeps the hand away from the hot sides of the cup. The small cross-section of the handle reduces heat flow between the liquid and the hand. You can pick it up without burning your fingers and make it easier to lift without slipping. For cappuccino, lattes cups, or oversized mugs, you can bypass some fingers or even your hand through the handle, not holding the handle. I enjoy doing that on cold days; it warms my old bones. 😉
I like a cup with a saucer, primarily if you regularly serve guests. A saucer then makes it easy to add a spoon (for latte drinks) or a cookie while also avoiding spills.
A personal note about a company that I love: notNeutral, with their Lino cup collection, engineered the perfect set of cups. They collaborated with world champion baristas to design the ideal cups with functionality.
“They studied the fluid dynamics of coffee during a pour, the ergonomics of grips and handles, and the interplay between the drinker’s nose and the cup’s mouth during a sip. Through this careful examination of the baristas’ pouring and the consumers’ drinking experiences, notNeutral created LINO, a family of cups with exquisite form and function.”
Please watch their fantastic video for more info.
The bottom line
Having the right cup will make your coffee experience much more enjoyable.
Be sure to consider those different elements: size, shape, material, thickness, and color before you buy.
The right size and shape will enhance the flavor through the liquid surface and the aroma through the headspace. The material and the thickness are critical for temperature stability, comfort, and durability.
In addition to all the technical aspects, coffee cups make the perfect present for any coffee lover in your life!
Now you know all the qualities required for the perfect cup of coffee, the question is which one to buy? Don’t worry; I got you covered! Part 2 of this article should help you choose the best demitasse, mug, or cup for your latte that the current market has to offer.
Sources:
Allen Burt, Espresso Machine Experts – March 01, 2017 – Six things to consider when choosing an espresso cup – https://espresso-experts.com/blogs/espresso-machine-experts/six-things-to-consider-when-choosing-an-espresso-cup.
SpecialCoffee – The perfect cup for the perfect espresso – https://specialcoffeeitaly.com/perfect-cup-for-perfect-espresso/
Burgess-Yeo, S. – November 20, 2018 – How Your Coffee Cup Makes Your Coffee Taste Better — Or Worse – https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/11/how-your-coffee-cup-makes-your-coffee-taste-better-or-worse/
Nikola S., Tamp & brew – Part 1: Yes, coffee has more flavor notes than wine – https://www.tampandbrew.com/news/yes-coffee-has-more-flavour-notes-than-wine.
Flavour Journal – November 25, 2014 – Does the color of the mug influence the taste of the coffee? – https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2044-7248-3-10#B17
Roasty Coffee – Best espresso cups for the true caffeine addicts – https://www.roastycoffee.com/best-espresso-cups/
Barista Microtorréfacteur – April 6, 2011 – CHOISIR LA TASSE À CAFÉ PARFAITE POUR VOS BREUVAGES À BASE D’ESPRESSO – https://cafebarista.ca/blogue/choisir-tasse-cafe-parfaite-breuvages-espresso/
notNeutral – April 30, 2019 – Consider the Cup – https://www.rios.com/news/consider-the-cup/
