To find the best coffee cup for enjoying your coffee, you have to first choose the best coffee cup material.
Many materials can be used to make a cup. Ceramic, stainless steel, glass, paper, plastic and styrofoam. A very popular choice is ceramic cups but is it the best coffee cup material for you?
Depending on your preferences and the situation, the best material for drinking coffee will definitely change.
You might use a ceramic cup to drink coffee cup at home but when you are outdoors, you will surely prefer a stainless steel travel mug due to its shatterproof nature.
The Best Coffee Mug Material
To find the best coffee mug that will give you the best coffee drinking experience, we will be discussing the different kinds of coffee mugs available based on the material. Coffee mugs will be judged based on the following 3 factors.
1) Taste alteration. The most important thing a good coffee cup should do is not changing how the coffee you are drinking taste. You should be able to savor the true taste of the coffee without any taste alteration.
2) Heat retention. Many studies have shown that hot beverages such as coffee and tea are best enjoyed by people above a certain temperature.
3) Convenience. Portability and comfort. It is more than just the act of drinking the coffee itself. How accessible and comfortable your coffee mug is also results in a poorer or better coffee drinking experience.
Are Ceramic Mugs The Best Coffee Mugs?
Ceramic cups are by far the most popular cups for coffee drinking around the world. You will see them everywhere. In homes, in cafes and at the workplace.
It is not hard to see why they are so popular. Ceramic cups are generally cheap and found in all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs. This makes it easy to find one you like.
Taste alteration. And most importantly, ceramic does not alter the taste of coffee. Ceramic is a natural material which means it will not react with coffee. It also does not retain any flavours or smells which could affect how your coffee taste.
All these factors make ceramic cups the clear winner. Or is it?
Heat retention. Beyond the benefits listed above, ceramic cups do have a lot of disadvantages as well. For one, it does not retain heat well. This means you have to finish drinking that great cup of hot coffee before it turns cold.
You might opt for a thick-walled ceramic mug or even a double-walled ceramic drinkware for better heat retention. However, these are very heavy especially double-walled ceramic mugs which are also more expensive.
Based on our own personal experience, double-walled ceramic mugs, tumblers or bottles are surprisingly heavy for its size.
Convenience. Ceramic mugs can be very cheap but we do advise being careful about buying cheap ceramic mugs as lead is usually found in the glaze or coating on ceramic drinkware. (https://homeguides.sfgate.com/dangers-china-glazed-ceramic-coffee-mugs-105433.html).
Apart from price, ceramic mugs also fare badly in this area. They are fragile and can break or chip easily. Coffee or tea are also likely to leave stains on your ceramic mugs over time.
Ceramic mugs are also hot to the touch which means you need to hold it by its handle. Although for some people in colder countries, this might actually be a perk as holding a hot ceramic mug keeps your hands warm!
Overall Benefits Of Ceramic Coffee Mugs
- Does not alter taste of coffee
Overall Disadvantages of Ceramic Coffee Mugs
- Poor heat retention
- Fragile
- Hard to remove stains
- Hot to the touch
Is Glass The Most Beautiful Coffee Cup Material?
Glass is another highly popular material when it comes to drinking coffee. Visually appealing especially for those Instagram-worthy shots. A glass coffee cup is all about being able to see your drink.
Taste alteration. A highly neutral material, glass drinkware will not alter the taste of your coffee in any way. And unfortunately, this is where the advantanges of glass end.
Heat retention. Coffee in a glass cup simply cools quickly. An alternative is double-walled glass cups which has better heat retention. However, such cups are made from thinner glass which makes them even more fragile.
There are also pyrex or borosilicate glass which are known to be more sturdy but they too break more easily compared to other materials.
Convenience. While glass is very easy to clean, glass drinkware are generally very fragile and most people have probably shattered a glass cup or two in their lives. Glass cups may also shatter due to the heat and even pyrex or borosilicate glass are known to break or shatter sometimes.
Unless you are using a double-walled glass cup, glass is also hot to the touch and you will need a handle to drink a hot cup of coffee.
Overall Benefits Of Glass Coffee Cups
- Does not alter taste of coffee
- Very easy to clean
- Visually appealing
Overall Disadvantages of Glass Coffee Cups
- Poor heat retention
- Very fragile
- Hot to the touch
- Not portable
Stainless Steel Mugs & Tumblers Have Many Advantages But One Big Flaw
Stainless steel travel mugs, bottles and tumblers are highly popular due to its numerous strengths. However, it fails in the most important factor when it comes to a great coffee drinking experience.
Taste alteration. On paper, stainless steel is supposed to be an inert material that should not react with the beverages it hold but there are actually many real reasons why stainless steel might alter the taste of your coffee. Find out more from our article on why your stainless steel drinkware has a smell : https://www.saraverdier.com/why-do-stainless-steel-mugs-drinkware-smell/
Often, people complain of a metal taste from their stainless steel travel mugs or bottle. This could be from a new mug or it could happen after using the mug over a period of time.
For people considering a stainless steel coffee mug, this could be a big deciding factor. However, there is a solution to this. Continue reading to find out!
Heat intention. Double-walled stainless steel mugs and tumblers are commonly found and they have excellent heat retention. They are not only able to keep your coffee hot for a long period of time, but they also keep your iced coffee cold. Like all double-walled drinkware, do note that you have to put a lid on your stainless steel drinkware for the best heat retention.
Convenience. Highly portable and shatterproof, stainless steel travel mugs and bottles are perfect for people on the move. They are also generally easier to clean and more resistant to coffee stains.
Due to the double-wall construction and the insulation it provides, the exterior of such stainless steel drinkware will not feel hot even if it contains scalding hot coffee. Furthermore, no condensation will form when it is holding a cold drink. This means you won’t need coasters for your stainless steel mugs!
Overall Benefits Of Stainless Steel Mugs
- Keep drinks hot or cold for a long time
- Easier to clean
- Shatterproof
- Lightweight
- Great for traveling
Overall Disadvantages of Stainless Steel Mugs
- Alters the taste of your coffee
Stainless Steel With Ceramic Coating. The Best Of Both Worlds?
Stainless steel coffee mugs have many useful properties but it spoils the whole coffee drinking experience due to it changing the taste of your coffee. But what if we can solve this problem?
A Steelceramics cup comes with a stainless steel double-wall construction and a ceramic-coated interior. With its proprietary ceramic coating, a Steelceramics cup will not alter the taste of your coffee or beverages it contains.
Steelceramics is technically not a material but it has all the advantages of a stainless steel mug and a ceramic mug but without any of their disadvantages.
Overall Benefits Of Steelceramics
- Does not alter taste of coffee
- Keep drinks hot or cold for a long time
- Easy to clean
- Shatterproof
- Lightweight
- Great for traveling
Find out more about Steelceramics: https://www.saraverdier.com/steelceramics/
So Which Material Should I Pick For A Coffee Cup
At the end of the day, the best material for a coffee cup depends on how and where you drink your coffee. We hope that this article and guide has been useful in helping you make a decision!
