A coffee cup is a small, narrower container that holds liquids like tea and coffee. It usually comes paired with a saucer.
According to a 2018 study, the type of cup that you drink your coffee in impacts its flavor. Among other things, the researchers found that coffee served in a tulip mug (with sloped sides) had a stronger aroma than the classic diner-style split cup.
Material
The material used to make coffee cups can influence how your drink tastes. Ideally, the cup should be lightweight and long-lasting. It should also retain heat well and be easy to clean.
Various materials are used to make coffee cups, including porcelain and bone china, glass, stainless steel, plastic, and insulated or uninsulated metal. Many of these cups are also available in a range of styles and colors.
Porcelain and bone china are popular choices for cup and saucer sets because they offer a sleek, modern look. They are also lightweight and thin. However, they may be more expensive than other options. Glass and ceramic are also attractive choices because they are easy to clean and hold heat well. However, they can be fragile and break easily.
Size
The size of a coffee cup is important because it determines how much coffee you can consume at one time. It also influences the flavor of your beverage. Coffee cups come in different sizes and are usually narrower at the base and wider at the top. They may or may not have handles. Depending on your needs, you can buy a coffee cup that fits into a car cup holder or a classic travel mug.
The standard cup size is six ounces, although some cups hold more liquid. Starbucks, for example, offers a variety of cup sizes including tall, grande, and venti, which holds 31 ounces. The coffee cup sizing differs from country to country, though, as most use the metric system. In fact, some cups even have different names to differentiate their sizes.
Shape
A coffee cup should have a thick ceramic that helps preserve the temperature and concentrate the aroma. It should also have a slightly smaller capacity and a narrower diameter than a traditional mug. The walls should gently decline towards the rim.
A study by Fabiana Carvalho in 2018 asked coffee experts and amateurs at a specialty coffee event to taste different-shaped cups and rate their experience of the flavor, acidity, and sweetness. They found that tulip-shaped cups increase the intensity of aroma, while wider mugs reduce it.
Besides being a beautiful piece of drinkware, the coffee cup should be easy to handle and sturdy for baristas. That’s why it should be made of hard feldspathic porcelain, which offers superb resistance to impact and scratches.
Handle
The handle is one of the most important characteristics of a coffee cup, and it can have a great impact on how comfortable the cup is to hold. The handle needs to be able to space the fingers away from the body of the mug when it’s hot, and it should also have a shape that feels comfortable in the hand.
Most handles are designed to allow a few fingers into the loop, from small ones that require only the index finger to be gripped firmly to D-shaped handles that can accommodate all of the fingers. The handle should also be positioned so that the thumb can be placed on top to resist rotation.
In addition, the handle should have a flat bottom surface that is stable and non-slip.
Saucer
A saucer is a small, rounded dish used to support a cup and catch any drips. It also provides a platform for holding a spoon or other utensil. A saucer can be made of glazed ceramic, porcelain, glass, plastic or even insulated metal.
It’s considered more polite to drink coffee out of a saucer rather than directly from the cup. This allows the liquid to cool and also makes it easier to slurp, which is more efficient than drinking a hot beverage with your hands.
The Anthora cup is the go-to coffee mug for New Yorkers on the go. The paper cup with its Greek-inspired colors, lettering and accents has become iconic in its own right. It has been copied, licensed for merchandise and hunted by collectors.
