Why does the coffee cup affect the taste of coffee?

It is generally believed that cups are just containers for holding liquids, and cups are designed in various shapes just to look good.

But in fact, coffee is just like wine. Different coffees need to be served in different cups to experience the best taste of the coffee.

Because the taste of coffee depends not only on the variety, origin, processing method, roasting degree, water quality, water temperature, production method, etc. of the coffee beans, but also on the shapes, colors and sizes of coffee cups.

The electronic version of the 56th issue of the American journal "Food Quality and Preference" published in November 2016 published a study by the University of Oxford in the UK on "whether the shape of coffee cups affects consumer preferences". The statistical results show that a coffee cup with a wide mouth will make consumers expect the taste of this cup of coffee to be sweeter, while a coffee cup with a short body will make people expect it to be a bitter cup of coffee.

The study collected 309 respondents from China, Colombia and the UK, with an average age of 17 to 60. Respondents were asked to rank eight different shapes of coffee cups, and the results showed that the height and diameter of the cup affected respondents' expectations of the taste and aroma of the coffee in the cup.

1

The impact of shape

Through research, it was found that respondents thought coffee from a coffee cup with a wider mouth tasted sweeter, while coffee from a short cup was considered more bitter than coffee from a tall cup.

As for cultural differences, Chinese people prefer shorter cups. Not surprisingly, for the same price, people are more willing to buy the cup with a larger capacity.

The researchers said that when respondents saw the wide cup, they thought the coffee contained more milk or water than the one in the narrow cup, which is why they thought the coffee tasted sweeter.

Similarly, they thought the shorter cup contained less milk or water, so they expected it to taste bitter.

In addition, the shape of the cup will affect people's willingness to consume. People are more willing to pay for hot drinks in taller and "fatter" cups.

In addition, tall or "fat" cups may make it easier for bitterness to escape. The researchers suggest that if relevant practitioners want to do better business, they can start with the cups.

2

The impact of color

An Australian study found that even if it is exactly the same coffee, using coffee cups of different colors can make people feel different degrees of bitterness.

George Van Doorn, a professor at the Department of Psychology at Federation University of Australia, recently invited dozens of people to conduct an experiment. He used transparent, white and blue coffee cups, put the same coffee in them and asked the test subjects to try it.

The results of the study found that white coffee cups make people feel that the color of the coffee liquid is darker than transparent coffee cups, and thus they will feel that the coffee is concentrated and tastes bitter.

The coffee in a blue cup, through the color contrast between blue and the coffee liquid, will make people feel that the color of the coffee liquid is relatively lighter, and thus make people feel that the concentration of this cup of coffee is low and it will not taste very bitter.

For most people, a cup of coffee is a mood. But for cafe owners and baristas, the unremitting pursuit and perfection of every detail that affects the taste of coffee reflects a professional attitude and spirit.

When visual information becomes a communication link in consumer behavior, the correct use of cups may be able to convey in advance a message that is consistent with consumers' expectations. It can even use ingenuity to subvert consumers' expectations and create new sensory effects.

Carefully selecting coffee cups allows customers to appreciate the store owner's careful considerations. The customer's good mood is also an indispensable condiment for a delicious cup of coffee.