A good cup of coffee takes not only good beans and a skilled extraction method, but the coffee cup is also a vital element.
If you choose the right one, a cup of coffee can make a perfect appearance, and drinking it will also improve the quality of life.
●By material:
The coffee cups on the market generally include ceramic cups, glass cups, and plastic cups.
Different materials have a certain impact on the taste, as well as on their own. A good cup can reflect the delicate flavor of coffee, but a bad one will ruin a good cup of coffee.
▶Porcelain cup
The most common coffee utensils are the ones made of white china, bone china, etc.
The surface is smooth, the texture is light, the color is soft, the glaze can have different colors and patterns, and the bone china is even more light and translucent.
Porcelain cups are of the widest application. For specialty coffee, white porcelain cups are the most conducive to observing the color concentration of coffee liquid.
▶Pottery Cup
Made of clay, the surface is relatively rough, the texture is strong, and it has a sense of simplicity and Zen.
A favorite of coffee gamers who seek a sense of culture and history.
The disadvantage is that the coffee scale is easier to adhere to the surface of the cup, which is kind of difficult to clean.
▶Glass
The whole body is transparent, and the double-layer glass has better thermal insulation effect.
And using it to hold fancy coffee such as espresso and latte, macchiato, shows well the layering of coffee.
▶Plastic Cup
The temperature of hot coffee is usually high. When drinking coffee from plastic or paper cups, the smell of the cup is very likely to destroy the original taste of the coffee and affect the taste of the coffee.
However, there is no similar trouble with iced coffee. So, if you like to drink hot coffee, it is recommended that you choose a coffee cup of other materials!
● By the cup mouth:
There are two types of coffee cups: wide-mouth cups and straight-mouth cups. For two coffee cups of the same material and different shapes, the coffee flavor will also be different.
The shape of the mouth of the cup affects the first contact between the coffee and the taste buds when you sip it, which determines which flavor of the coffee comes into your mouth first.
▶ Wide Mouth Cup
As the name suggests, the mouth of the cup will expand outwards and be more open.
This also allows coffee to better reach a broader group of taste buds, allowing your tongue to experience the full flavor of coffee, especially the experience of acidic flavors.
▶Straight cup
That is to say, the mouth of the cup is perpendicular to the table, the coffee entrance is more concentrated, and it directly touches the sweet area and the middle area, making the taste more balanced.
● By the cup wall:
There are also thick and thin wall thicknesses of coffee cups.
Different thicknesses of cups have different thermal insulation properties. In the process of tasting, at different stages, the taste of coffee will be different due to the different cooling temperature of coffee.
▶Thick cup wall
It is more conducive to keeping warm and is more suitable for drinking fancy coffee such as latte or cappuccino.
▶Light and thin wall
It has a more delicate taste in the mouth and is more suitable for drinking a single offering. It can feel the different flavors of coffee at different temperatures from hot to cold.
Whether you choose a cup according to the material of the coffee or the coffee cup, don't forget to warm the cup before drinking. If the cup is cold, it will affect the taste of the coffee, except for iced coffee.
Although there are many types of coffee cups to choose from, the material that affects the flavor of coffee the most is the material of the cup, so I still recommend using ceramic cups or glass cups to drink coffee.
Science about coffee cups
Why is specialty coffee drunk in china or glass cups?
Because coffee itself is an acidic drink!
The acidity or nonacidity of coffee depends on the degree of roasting of the coffee beans.
The longer the roasting time (like a dark roast), the more the acidity of the bean is destroyed, and the less sour, because the more caramelized inside the bean.
Conversely, the shorter the baking time (like light baking), the sourer it will be.
In simple terms, the pH value is between 0 and 14. The lower the number, the more acidic, the higher the number, the more alkaline. The lemon juice is about 2, the pH of the shallow coffee is about 4.5 to 4.7, and the deep coffee is about 4.5 to 4.7. At 5.5, the human sense of taste does not feel sour as long as the pH is above 5.5.
Therefore, acids such as vinegar, lemon juice, and lightly roasted coffee should not be stored in plastic bottles or paper cups. Even stainless steel 304 and 316 thermos cups are not recommended, because there will be a rust smell.
Porcelain or glass cups are the best containers for acidic beverages. Good coffee should be kept in glass bottles. Otherwise, what you drink is the dissolved ink, which is not only unpleasant, wasteful, but also unhealthy.
The pleasure of tasting coffee depends not only on coffee itself, but also on the overall experience.
A fine-textured coffee cup and saucer, carrying the mellow and rich boutique handmade coffee, together with a piece of dessert, we think, is the meaning of quality life!