Just a follow-on from Cecil’s excellent article about wine glass shapes, I was wondering if the shape of your coffee cup or mug would similarly affect your enjoyment of the flavor (assuming you are partaking of real coffee and not just instant). My guess is that since coffees from different parts of the world have different flavors (just as wines do -although there are just the two varieties, Arabica and Robusta), there may be optimal shapes for coffee cups. But that’s only a guess.
Honestly, I don’t think coffee tastes good in glass mugs. It’s funny you should ask this; I have never run across anyone who ever seems to have thought about it. But to me, the material of the mug is most important. I have this porcelain mug from England, the kind with a thick white glaze; the glaze is matte rather than shiny/brittle, and…well, the coffee just tastes best in that. By far. Couldn’t tell you why.
Shape is part of it too, but it’s more a “feel” thing-- no idea what the rules are. Not too thick-walled. My mug says, “Made exclusively by Pimentel for Croff” on the bottom of it.
I’m with you on the matte glaze. While preparing to go off to college, I purchased four brightly colored coffee mugs at a dollar store. They had a matte finish and I got hooked. By the end of college I only had the yellow one. It’s still my favorite coffee mug. I think part of it’s appeal to me is that it doesn’t seem as hot to the touch as glossy glazed mugs. This could all be in my head, but I’d be curious if there are other people with similar observations.
I’m the exact opposite. I love glass coffee cups and will reach for one every time. If there isn’t one clean or available, I’ll drink from a ceramic cup, but it is slightly dissatisfying. I always thought it was a weird quirk in my head, but now that you mention it, the material and shape might have something to do with it.
Shape seems to be a part of it, too, as I like the smaller, lighter cups. I have this one, and it is a little too heavy and thick. This one is just right.
I think coffee is as nuanced as wine, if we’re talking about low-end, reasonably good wines, say in the 10$/bottle range. On the other hand, I don’t think we appreciate coffee by its bouquet the way we do with wine, so the shape of the cup doesn’t matter much.
On the other hand, I find the size of the cup has a significant influence on the amount of coffee I drink. If I use a mug, by the time it gets cool enough to gulp down–I tend to do it, as I love the taste of good coffee. I’m not one of those people who drink it just for the jolt. So I tend to favor an old fashioned coffeecup and saucer, one that happens to have a narrow vertical shape the coffee tends to stay hot longer.
Part of Cecil’s explanation dealt with the exposure and reaction of components of the wine to oxygen which I don’t think will really apply to coffee.
IMHO, with coffee what will be relevent is the surface area of the liquid releasing aromatics and heat. So the shape of the cup would definately have an effect on that. Heat loss will also be affected by the material the mug is made from. My favorite mug is glass as well, but that’s definately a matter of personal opinion rather than anything I can quantify.
