Does the coffee cup also affect the flavor of coffee? Choose the right cup to make coffee taste better!

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A good cup of coffee is worth savoring. When you pick up a cup or glass and prepare to drink, you will first smell the aroma of coffee, followed by a satisfying taste and the aftertaste that lingers in your mouth...

Choosing a mug or a glass, different shapes, sizes, thickness of the rim, and materials will all affect your experience of tasting coffee, and may add or subtract points to the aroma and flavor.

Today we will talk about how to choose a coffee cup.

Why do you need to choose a special cup for drinking coffee?

Generally, mugs are designed for one purpose only, which is to safely hold hot drinks so that we can avoid getting burned when tasting hot drinks. However, this design has no effect on the flavor added during tasting.

In fact, many people have studied whether there is an ideal container shape, size, material, etc. for drinking coffee. However, most people do not have so many choices when buying a cup, let alone specifically looking for a cup of a certain shape, size, or material.

Sometimes we see some shops, baristas or coffee lovers using glass cups to drink coffee, but these glass cups are not designed for drinking coffee (such as red wine glasses, whiskey glasses), or the cups used by some people to drink coffee cannot fully enhance the sensory experience.

The Science Behind the Ideal Coffee Cup

Studies have found that the material, size, shape and even color of the drinking container will have different effects on the user's perception of the flavor of the drink.

For example, a 2017 study pointed out the connection between cup shape and tasting, and found that subjects tended to associate cups with narrower mouths with stronger aromas; cups with shorter bodies were associated with bitterness and strength; and cups with wider mouths had a sweeter taste perception.

Another 2016 study looked at bitter drinks (coffee) versus sweet drinks (hot cocoa), and found that when subjects drank coffee from a cup with a 3D-printed pattern on the surface, the bitterness increased by 27%, while when subjects drank hot cocoa from a cup with a circular pattern on the surface, the sweetness increased by 18%.

In addition, according to Fabiana Carvalho's research, pink and round cups are closely related to sweetness, while tulip-shaped cups increase the perception of aroma, etc.

What can a good cup add to coffee?

So now we know the importance of the cup to the experience, but when it comes to drinking coffee, what role does the cup play? What impact do these designs have on the coffee? And what type of cup is right for us?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a mug:

The relationship between cup shape and aroma: the design of headspace and tilt angle.

The relationship between cup shape and flavor: the surface area of ​​liquid contacting the mouth and the heat preservation effect.

The relationship between cup size and aroma: the diffusion of aromatic molecules in the space at the mouth of the cup.

The relationship between cup material and temperature: coffee temperature stability, comfort and durability.

Let’s take a closer look at each one below.

Coffee is served in different cups, each of which has a different impact on the sensory experience

Cup Shapes and Sizes

The headspace of the cup is an often overlooked evaluation item in general coffee shops. In addition, many coffee fans like the aroma of coffee, which will actually be affected.

The headspace affects the amount of liquid you drink, which is an important factor in creating space for aroma. Tasting is actually a combination of taste and smell, and the headspace will also affect the olfactory experience. "

Research shows that smell is the main source of taste perception. When the container is narrower/smaller, the same amount of liquid contacts the mouth less than a cup with a wide mouth, which reduces the sensory experience of coffee aroma.

The headspace is also affected by the tilt angle. When the cup is tilted to the lips, the angle will affect your drinking experience. The more tilted the angle, the closer the coffee will be to your nose. If there is not much headspace at the top of the cup, or the cup is too small or narrow, there will not be much space for you to feel the aroma of the coffee through the tilt angle.

However, this does not mean that narrow-mouthed cups are not suitable for drinking coffee. In fact, it still depends on the nature of the coffee you drink. Perhaps a narrow-mouthed cup is the right one for this coffee.

If there is enough headroom, a narrow cup can actually help concentrate the aroma of the coffee. Use a bulb-shaped cup to concentrate and amplify the aroma, or a flute-shaped cup to concentrate the "flavor." In other words, a wider cup concentrates the aroma, and a narrower cup makes the aroma more intense.

In addition, the width of the cup affects not only the aroma, but also different liquid surface areas will bring out different flavors. The liquid surface area represents the degree to which the coffee is directly in contact with the air. This will affect the speed of oxidation, indirectly softening the tannins of the coffee, and the speed at which the heat of the coffee dissipates.

The larger the surface area of ​​the liquid, the greater the contact area between the coffee and the air, and the greater the sweetness and body of the coffee, due to the faster oxidation rate of the coffee. This type of cup is more suitable for serving coffee such as Brazilian, Sumatran, or medium-dark roasted coffee.

On the other hand, the smaller liquid surface area and longer shape will slow down the oxidation rate, thereby retaining the fruit acidity. This type of cup is usually more suitable for serving African coffee or medium-light roasted coffee.

Another key to the cup shape is the design of the cup mouth, which affects the touch of the lips. Although the touch of the lips is less mentioned in the oral experience, it does have a significant impact on the drinker's experience.

Material

Finally, the size of the cup is also important; the more coffee a cup can hold, the slower it will cool.

Ceramics, wood, paper, metal, plastic, glass, no matter what material the coffee cup is made of, it will directly affect the coffee's insulation effect, temperature stability, and durability of the cup.

The negative effects of rapid cooling are often overstated, but few glass manufacturers know that you will pour hot beverages into glasses and drink them.

The truth is, coffee actually develops different flavors as it cools, and this is an important consideration. The material will directly affect how quickly the coffee cools.

Using porcelain cups to hold latte, espresso, and cappuccino is suitable for drinking, but it is not conducive to heat preservation.

The balance between customer experience and coffee temperature is very important. There are still many stores that fail to use cups correctly. The cup may look attractive, but will it make the drinker's hand too hot? Is the cup material not thick enough? This will cause the drinker to lose focus on what he should enjoy, because he will wonder when it will not be too hot.

In other words, it is not as simple as using a cup made of a certain material, but you have to consider whether the cup made of this material can enhance the drinker's experience.

The most common coffee cup design causes the coffee to cool quickly

So what does this mean for you, the reader? Whether you’re a coffee drinker, a barista, or a coffee shop owner, you can now have more control over the flavor of your coffee, rather than leaving it to chance.

You can experiment with coffee extraction, adjusting the grind size, brewing time, etc. to bring out the most ideal flavor of coffee. Buy coffee with the flavor characteristics you like, such as sun-dried coffee from East African countries or fruity coffee from Central America. But you can also choose to compare the same coffee in a cup, allowing you to taste this coffee in various aspects.

If you buy coffee to drink, you can avoid cups that have too thick walls, or cups that are tilted at too shallow an angle, or a shape that doesn't amplify the flavor characteristics of a particular coffee you like. Instead, you can choose a cup that amplifies the flavor characteristics of the coffee you prefer.

In summary, choosing a coffee cup does not require choosing the cup that is most suitable for a certain type of coffee, but choosing a cup that can concentrate or amplify one of your favorite flavor characteristics.

Recommended reading:

[Coffee Cupping Notes] What are the details and etiquette of Coffee Cupping?

Don't reheat your hot coffee in winter! Is there an ideal temperature for drinking coffee?

[Coffee Tasting] Floral? Fruity? Bitter or sour? What exactly is the "flavor" of coffee?

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