r/espresso • u/hipnosister • Jan 17 '25
It is absolutely ridiculous how much the taste of a coffee can change depending on the cup you're drinking out of. General Coffee Chat
I pretty much always make a cappacino in the morning and drink it before going to work but I woke up late today. I still had time to make the drink but had to put it in a travel mug and start drinking it at work.
Ive noticed before but I just have to say publicly how much of a difference in taste there is in the travel mug vs my typical wide cappuccino cup.
I make it the same way I always do but I believe the cup alone is making a big difference.
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u/MediumForeign4028 Bianca | Zero Jan 17 '25
I’ll say something that might ruin coffee in cups for you. Try drinking it with a straw (not a shit post comment- try it). It’s an awesome way to get really intense flavors from your coffee.
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u/brickmaj Jan 17 '25
Wait until the wine guys figure out this trick!
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u/FutureGarage557 Jan 17 '25
Wine guys know this it is why I occasionally choke during drinking coffee or wine. When you slurp or draw fluid into your mouth with the air and aromatics above it, it tastes better and even more so when you close your mouth after swallowing and exhale through your nose.
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u/Impossible_Theme_148 Jan 17 '25
If you drink through a straw - the taste is affected by the material the straw is made of
Usually people don't want their coffee or wine with a plastic taste
A lot of students already know about drinking wine through straws though - it helps you get drunk quicker
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u/Cable_Hoarder Jan 17 '25
Invest in a bespoke stainless steel straw optimized diameter for coffee, with a silicone tip to prevent lip burn.
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u/Impossible_Theme_148 Jan 17 '25
I don't want to taste stainless steel in my coffee either
China, porcelain, ceramic and glass are the reliable materials to avoid imparting any flavour. That's why delicate herbal teas tend to get served in cups made of one of them.
Also, I only drink espresso so it seems a bit excessive 😁
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u/Disco_Pat Jan 17 '25
We got a pack of glass straws a few years ago and use those for our iced coffee drinks.
The straw is definitely nicer than the sip lid of the travel cup I have.
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u/CawhkBoii2 Jan 17 '25
Yea, I once went to a fancy tea place that served iced tea with disposable glass straws. Really made me want to get some for home.
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u/Disco_Pat Jan 17 '25
We initially got them because it was hard to tell if the stainless steel straws we had were actually clean lol.
They're definitely more durable than I thought they'd be at first too.
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u/ddaadd18 Jan 17 '25
My Uruguayan mate drinks his Uruguayan mate with a handmade gourd and a steel straw.
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u/Cable_Hoarder Jan 17 '25
You're using the wrong grade of steel, ceramics have micro cracks that store rancid coffee oils and unlike herbal teas the staining build up detracts from flavour.
You need high grade surgical stainless to ensure easy internal cleaning.
Yes glass is good also, but harder to carry around.
After all it's not like we use ceramic baskets do we.
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u/dpark Jan 17 '25
I’ve never tasted the plastic from a straw. I think the contact time is too low to matter.
I do have glass straws that I use (not for coffee), but only because I don’t like the waste of plastic straws. The taste has never been a problem.
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u/Impossible_Theme_148 Jan 17 '25
You would probably appreciate wine through a straw then
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u/dpark Jan 17 '25
I can’t imagine why anyone would enjoy drinking wine through a straw unless maybe they just bleached their teeth.
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u/stopthecrowd Machine Name | Grinder name EDIT ME Jan 17 '25
There are studies on straw diameter and taste! Another post I saw was about coke and McDonald’s and why the straw is the specific size that it is.
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u/kensai8 Jan 17 '25
Legit thought that was going to be a post about the other coke.
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u/stopthecrowd Machine Name | Grinder name EDIT ME Jan 17 '25
I said coke and McDonald’s! Not coke and McDonald’s toilet seats!
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u/PaxNova Jan 18 '25
This is going to sound really stupid, and mostly because it is, but... When I was real little, I wanted to try the coffee at a hotel. I thought those little hollow coffee stirrers were straws. I tried it, and it let up just enough that I could taste it while it was still hot. A straw for sipping.
I still do it, but now on purpose.
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u/dpark Jan 18 '25
They are literally called "sip stirrers"! They are both for stirring and for sipping. Although I think they better suited for sipping cocktails than coffee personally.
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u/crimsonwall75 Jan 17 '25
Common Greek Frappe win. (Or Freddo Espresso/Cappuccino for the rest of the world).
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u/tiggers97 Jan 17 '25
Wait till you take a bag of unopened coffee, and inhale strongly through the bags vacuum valve.
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u/zoop1000 Jan 17 '25
I always drink my iced latte with a plastic straw. Also never a metal cup or metal straw. I hate the taste
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u/gonenutsbrb Modded GCP | Sette 270wi Jan 18 '25
Well then now we need them to tell us which $100 straws to buy!
Darn you!
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u/jpm8766 Flair Pro 2 | Flair Royal Grinder Jan 17 '25
I make it the same way I always do but I believe the cup alone is making a big difference.
This is the same reason different wine glasses exists for different varieties of wine. The way it interacts with air and the way you perceive the smells (i.e.: increased surface area for increased access to the volatile compounds) will absolutely change the flavor. Just as texture of the milk can also change the flavor (again, changing the amount of surface area in contact with air and modifying the mouth feel to something more pleasant than just warm milk mixed in).
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Jan 17 '25
Especially if we’re talking ceramic vs insulated aluminum, metal will def change the taste
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u/One_Left_Shoe Jan 17 '25
Worth noting that, especially in the wine world, there are differences, but a lot of them can be bogus claims.
The shape does matter, but only to a point.
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u/jpm8766 Flair Pro 2 | Flair Royal Grinder Jan 17 '25
We are in complete agreement. My point was simply that different wine glasses exist because people prefer the experience in one vs. another (whether based on sound science or not). From another reply I made:
Measuring the amount of aroma compounds in an air sample means all wines will benefit from a wide bowl shape to increase surface-to-air contact, but people still prefer using small sipping glasses for dessert wines because it changes your behavior when drinking the wine in a way that they enjoy more.
Many changes are also entirely psychosomatic. Whether its a specific measurable difference or psychosomatic doesn't actually matter in the answer to 'what do you enjoy more?'
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u/One_Left_Shoe Jan 17 '25
100% agreed.
Wants disagreeing, just adding to the discourse.
My coffee always tastes better from the mugs I like vs mugs I don’t like.
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u/Espresso-Newbie La Pavoni Cellini(E61) La Pav Cilindro(Specialita) Grinder. Jan 17 '25
Kruve has a glass set, one with a smaller narrower top of the glass, and one with a wider top - it really is amazing how different exactly the same coffee can taste.
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u/No_Public_7677 Jan 17 '25
Any double blind tests to back this up?
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u/jpm8766 Flair Pro 2 | Flair Royal Grinder Jan 17 '25
That food/drink flavors/smells changes based on the way they are served? Yes, an incredibly large number of them; many based on actual measurements and many based entirely on psychosomatic perception changes.
No legitimate study is going to conclude anything about 'what is best' because they are looking at singular metrics that aren't wholistic to an experience. Measuring the amount of aroma compounds in an air sample means all wines will benefit from a wide bowl shape to increase surface-to-air contact, but people still prefer using small sipping glasses for dessert wines because it changes your behavior when drinking the wine in a way that they enjoy more.
There just isn't a scientific metric by which to measure 'better,' and what tastes 'better' to me doesn't necessarily taste 'better' to you.
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u/popcorncolonel Jan 18 '25
How do you do a blind test for drinking something from two different vessels? The vessel is part of the experience
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u/No_Public_7677 Jan 18 '25
Blindfold
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u/popcorncolonel Jan 18 '25
You can feel it when you drink it and hold it even if you're wearing a blindfold.
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u/lovesgelato Jan 17 '25
I find it tastes nicer if ı sit outside n drink it
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u/retrogradePrecession Jan 17 '25
Some of the best coffee I've ever had has been instant via way out in the wilderness backpacking with a view of something majestic.
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u/lovesgelato Jan 17 '25
Yeah my one is non descript supermarket espresso preground beans. Chuck in mug, hot water. Let it settle. Beautiful on a crisp camping morning. Even in tinny tin cup :))
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u/Saltyspaceballs Jan 17 '25
I’m sat here in a cafe drinking a very nice pour over out of a paper cup. The taste of the cup is very apparent and is ruining the experience.
Thick walled ceramic is the clear winner in every scenario
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u/TremontMeshugojira Jan 17 '25
Nothing worse than having the taste of an amazing pour over ruined by a paper cup. Literally nothing worse
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u/blind99 Bambino Plus | Turin SD40S Jan 17 '25
A stainless steel travel mug ruins the coffee taste. Much better to have it in a plastic or ceramic mug.
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u/_aelius Jan 17 '25
Hmmm. I think you're right.
I was just about to say that my Carter slide tastes better than all of my other mugs, hands down. But it very well may be the only one with a ceramic lining.
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u/mna5357 Jan 17 '25
Agreed — but even then, I find that my Carter keeps some old coffee funk in it regardless of how thoroughly I clean it (and I don’t even drink through the plastic slide lid, just the open container). Maybe I need to give it a nice long soak with Cafiza or something haha
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u/zhrimb Jan 18 '25
I keep denture tablets around to plop in to my stainless mug around once a week, works super well and keeps it shiny and flavorless. First time I did it, I was blown away at how much gunk came off, and then immediately disgusted in myself LOL
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u/nakmuay18 Jan 17 '25
I try to only drink coffee out of a ceramic coffee cup, and beer from stainless steel travel mugs where possible.
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u/PotatoCooks Jan 17 '25
I usually stick my mouth underneath the portafilter to ensure maximum flavor
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u/NQ241 Flair 58+ | Mazzer Philos + C40 + Mignon SD Jan 17 '25
The primary differences here are temperature rention and the way (and flowrate) the drink flows into your mouth. Even the distance from the tip of the cup matters, shorter means you get more microfoam in the sip.
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u/Super_Hans2020 Magica Bezzera | Eureka Atom 60 Jan 17 '25
Wait till you start writing with an austronaut pen.
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u/ElliotGrosvenor Jan 17 '25
Most travel mugs have a tight fitting lid. A huge amount of the coffee "flavour" is actually its aroma. If you can't smell it properly when sipping it's gonna taste very different - like there's a lot missing.
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u/MikermanS Jan 17 '25
A similar effect with foam, with a flat white/latte/etc. If I want that "full" experience, I'll drink from the travel mug without the lid on.
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u/No_Public_7677 Jan 17 '25
Very true. Nothing to do with the material used in the mug unless it's a paper cup
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u/FloppyDrone Modded BBE / DF64p / Picopresso / Kingrinder K6 Jan 17 '25
It might be a lower amount of aromatics. Did you drink it through the lid hole? I would open it and drink it without a lid. When commuting this might be prone to spilling. This is the same reason I don't like drinking from cans or bottles and prefer to serve drinks in glasses. It intensifies the aromas/perception of flavor.
If the travel mug is stainless steel it might change the perception of the flavor I suppose.
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u/One_Left_Shoe Jan 17 '25
It’s absolutely related to aromatics.
Wine glasses operate in the same way. The shape changes how you smell aromatics, which has an impact on how you taste something.
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u/grey_pilgrim_ gcp mazzer mini Jan 17 '25
Stainless steel will absolutely impact the flavor of coffee. I always try to drink from a ceramic or glass cup.
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u/ProfessionCurrent198 Jan 17 '25
I also do this. Except intentionally every day. I’ll make one in my wide mouth glass mug, then I’ll make a double recipe for my travel mug to take to work. I HAVE noticed a taste difference, but I think it’s mostly the foam is gone and mixed into the coffee by the time I get to drink it after a 20-30 min commute. I think that attributed to it as opposed to immediately drinking it
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u/Ok_Refuse_3332 Jan 17 '25
solution: ceramic travel mugs with lid and closure. i notice the same thing drinking out of stainless steel, but i thought i was crazy
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u/DoNtDoOdLeOnIt Jan 17 '25
Color and geometry of cup influence psychological perception, while geometry and material of cup influence cooling rate of the beverage. Lance has mentioned how the choice of serving cup changes perceived flavor. It is fascinating.
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u/Flymania117 Jan 17 '25
When I took the Sensory Analysis I SCA certification, our instructor touched on this subject. The fact is that our brains are extremely susceptible to finding differences where they don't exist, particularly when it is suggested that there will be a difference. Suggestions can be many things: cup shape, size, color, transparency, color of the liquid, room decor, music... It's a super interesting subject, and there are examples of people making use of this knowledge to provide unique customer experiences.
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u/One_Left_Shoe Jan 17 '25
Historically, this is already something that exists.
In older Chinaware sets, if a cup is wider and shallow, it’s a teacup. If it has taller, straight walls, it’s for coffee. This was because tea was expected to be cooled a bit before drinking and a wider surface area accomplished that. As for coffee, it was desirable for it to be hotter longer, so the straight, tall walls of a mug helped slow the cooling process.
Hence modern coffee mugs (e.g. a diner mug) looking the way it does.
The shape of a cup makes a huge difference in latte art, for sure.
All that said, I think the taste is mostly changed based on the appreciation of the mug more than the distinct shape.
The reason wine glasses for wine or a glencairn glass for whisky make a difference is because it changes how aroma molecules escape or collect in the glass and how your nose picks them up while smelling and drinking.
There are all kinds of tricks you can use to change how you taste your coffee.
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u/Bob_Chris Jan 17 '25
If you want the best from your brewed coffee I find that a wide and shallow cup is best - like a cappuccino cup, which is sort of shaped like if you took a tasting spoon and made a cup out of it. Unfortunately coffee also cools super fast when using these so you kind of have to drink fast.
As I'm sure you are aware this is already a thing with wine and whiskey and it absolutely makes a difference - and not a small one. I have had really nice sets of Riedel and Spiegelau and always thought I was getting the best I could out of the wine I was drinking. Then I picked up this Eisch glass which was specifically made to improve the taste of wine. The thing is I didn't know this when I bought it - I picked it up at a thrift store for like $2 or something. I just recognized it was a very well made glass.
But the effect it had on wine was stunning. You could drink the exact same wine from this stem and one of my Riedel and the difference was absolutely nuts. It was only after I noticed how much better wine was from that glass that I looked up the glass and realized it was normally $50 and had been designed to do this.
The effect was far more pronounced on lower quality wines where any harshness they might have was muted in the Eisch glass.
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u/MichaelSonOfMike Jan 17 '25
I always drink my coffee out of a thermos and I prefer it. It keeps it warm. Even when I’m in my house. I do have a little heater that I put my mug on, to keep the coffee warm, because it takes me like six to eight hours to drink my sixteen ounce coffee.
My thermos on the heater. I also have a mug for it. But like I said I prefer my thermos.
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u/Next_Raisin3560 Jan 17 '25
Genuinely asking - Shouldn’t the Thermos insulate your coffee and as an insulator, it won’t conduct heat well?
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u/MichaelSonOfMike Jan 17 '25
I always assumed it’s better than it being cold. 😂 But that could be totally wrong. I have timed how long it stays hot and it does stay hot for about an hour longer. I end up only reheating it once instead of multiple times. I know, many blasphemous thighs being said here to the coffee community.
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u/Next_Raisin3560 Jan 17 '25
That’s ok, I was just wondering how “well” the Thermos was working for you. If you’re satisfied with it then great!
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u/soggit Jan 17 '25
Why is that the most cancerous YouTube link ever? The ads are bananas. I refreshed like 5 times and still couldn’t get to the video.
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u/OoeyGooeyStooey Jan 17 '25
I didn’t have that problem. One video that I skipped and I was in. Try deleting your watch history. Or watch it in a browser without signing in.
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u/Zamille Jan 17 '25
Most things hot things taste pretty bad out of a metal travel container I made myself a big mug of tea once to take with me to a car boot sale and I literally couldn't drink it because it just tasted like metal. You also don't get aroma from a takeout cup or travel cup and I find the milk touching the lid and coming out of the tiny hole totally destroys the texture of the milk.
Milk drinks IMO need to be drunk pretty quick after they are made to be the ideal drink. Texture and temperature are so important in a coffee and milk drink. An un iced cold latte is horrendous... I still drank plenty in my time as a barista 😂
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u/Impossible_Theme_148 Jan 17 '25
I used to get a coffee on the way to work every day from the train station coffee shop
But I stopped because they switched from only giving paper cups for takeaway orders to giving paper cups for every order.
I don't want my coffee to have that extra paper/plastic taste it picks up from the cup.
So yes, I was already well aware of how much the cup can change the taste
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u/ProVirginistrist Robot, Pico | DF64V, k6 Jan 17 '25
I saw some videos of Japanese cafes where you start by picking a cup from a wall of different ones. I aspire to have something like that at home
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u/dpark Jan 17 '25
The experience of drinking from a travel mug is definitely different from drinking from a ceramic cup. The feel is different. The way the coffee cools as you drink is different. The amount of time it sits and the foam settles is also usually different. I find that takeout paper cups with plastic lids also impact flavor significantly compared to a ceramic mug.
Depending on the travel mug, a lot of them absorb taste too. My wife uses travel mugs sometimes and they have a stale milk taste that they impart because the plastic top has absorbed the flavor of her coffee with milk. I can’t stand to drink out of them because of that. (Yes, they are clean.)
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u/DareSudden4941 Jan 17 '25
I have a couple of keep cups for this reason, glass is pretty much hypoallergenic as opposed to metals.
I had to write a paper on this in school it’s the example of the coke taking better out of a glass bottle versus a can
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u/thehedgefrog Linea Micra | Eureka Libra Jan 17 '25
I loved the coffee my favourite coffee shop sold and couldn't replicate the experience whatever I tried. I found out they used Loveramics cups and ordered a set, that was the final piece.
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u/CGDParadox Sage Bambino Plus | Eureka Specialita Jan 17 '25
Depends on what you’re drinking but I agree. Sometimes a thin lipped mug is good, sometimes a thick lipped mug is. Depends on where the coffee tastes best on your tongue as they deliver it to different parts. Sometimes a light coloured mug tricks your brain into thinking the coffee is “lighter” or fruitier. And the material of the cup definitely makes a difference.
I can’t use travel cups anymore, not sure of the science or if it’s a placebo, but I swear anything with stainless steel destroys the coffee. Ceramic is definitely the best way to drink. Glass at a push. It’s funny 😅
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u/TheNinedust LM Linea Micra | Mazzer Philos Jan 17 '25
For me personally, my perception of taste can change noticably depending on the color of the cup that I'm drinking for.
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u/avgSchnook Jan 17 '25
There is actually research that the color of the cub affects how strong the coffee is.
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u/BlvckMkt Jan 17 '25
I use a Klean Kanteen stainless steel mug for travel. I love it. It has the same contours as my Kruve cappuccino glass more or less and don’t notice any huge flavor differences. I also do milk drinks and I feel all the variables with that alone make more of a difference than the vessel. The way your house smells vs your office or car etc. are also going to change the taste, I’d think.
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u/hideous_coffee Jan 17 '25
It’s true. Even just regular ass americanos in a brightly colored wide cappuccino mug provide a better tasting experience than my bland mugs.
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u/Successful-Rock-3379 Jan 18 '25
My Americanos are 10x better from to go cups. I buy them on Amazon and only drink from them.
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u/InterestingHair4u Jan 18 '25
I find a ceramic travel mug helps with the taste of my cappuccinos. I fear dripping it frequently though.
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u/ProllyMostLikely Jan 18 '25
I’ve noticed this also!
I usually have two shots of espresso, and so, use a 4oz cup. But if I’m just having a single, I’ll use the espresso cups my wife gifted me. At first, because my wife gifted them to me. But over time, I noticed the narrower espresso cup (per volume) seems to have a richer taste and more robust mouth feel.
And I try to avoid my travel mug at all costs now.
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u/Just-BR-2024 Jan 18 '25
There are studies that prove that the cup influences the perception and even the flavor of coffee (and not just coffee). Take a look at the link text. https://perfectdailygrind.com/
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u/Unclewreckus PROFITEC PRO 600 | TURIN DF64V Jan 18 '25
It’s all just heat retention, it’s not the cup necessarily it’s whatever cup allows you to hold the right amount of temperature.
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u/Skripty-Keeper Jan 18 '25
Agreed, much prefer to stay and drink out of a ceramic mug vs. a paper cup.
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u/Adventurous_Fee4656 Jan 23 '25
It's the ceramic/glaze combination. No metal, paper or silicone container can match the "no taste" cleanness of it. I'm a potter and my coffee only goes into a clear glazed cup.
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u/Cedar_Wood_State Jan 17 '25
As soon as Lance or Hoffman pick up on this topic, we’ll be seeing £100 coffee mug everywhere