# paper or styrofoam cup for hot drinks - a poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816 "2002-03-12T11:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/1 "2002-03-12T11:04:25Z")
I would thing there is maybe 10 or 20 dopers out there who might buy a coffee, tea, or other hot drink from some place to go once in a while. When I do I will go out of my way to go to a place that has foam cups. Also I have not bought such a drink if I find out that a place has only paper cups. Anyone else do this? Anyone else do the opposite for environmental reasons? ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/2 "2002-03-12T11:13:26Z")
I prefer the foam cups myself. They don’t burn my hand holding them, the drink stays hotter longer and I hate those little cardboard cup holder things that go around the papercups to keep them from burning. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/3 "2002-03-12T11:34:58Z")
I prefer styrofoam cups because you can pull them across the table, and watch the vibrations in the coffee. When you hit the resonant frequency of the coffee-in-the-cup system, droplets of coffee leap out onto the table. It’s fun. But a question is raised in the OP. How many Dopers buy a cup of tea or coffee to go from some place once in a while? Is it 10? Or is it 20? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/4 "2002-03-12T11:40:36Z")
so far it’s 3 so have either of you not bought a hot drink just because they have only paper cups? ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/5 "2002-03-12T11:49:30Z")
The only time I’ve not bought hot drinks because of the paper cup is when I know there is a place with foam cups very close. Usually, most places largest size is foam, so I’ll pay the extra 10 cents or what ever it is to get the foam. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/6 "2002-03-12T12:27:46Z")
I would prefer styrofoam, but it’s hard to find places that sell coffee in SF cups around here. ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/7 "2002-03-12T14:46:11Z")
Ick, ick, ick! Styrofoam is just nasty. (IMnsHO) It feels icky and I swear I can taste it in my coffee. Paper cups for me, please. ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/8 "2002-03-12T15:44:03Z")
I want my coffee in a Styrofoam cup. A cup with the McDonalds logo on it, so I can put it in my lap as I drive off, spilling scalding liquid in my crotch like some dumb friggin’ idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/9 "2002-03-12T18:09:36Z")
What **Robinh** said, only double. I can’t stand to touch it or smell it, and I sure as hell don’t want my food or drink anywhere near it. Blechhh! ---
**Author:** ![ejrn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/10 "2002-03-12T18:14:56Z")
Do you people have no sense of taste or smell? There’s a reason why Starbuck’s uses paper cups. Why ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee with the taste and aroma of styrofoam? Ugh!☹ ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/11 "2002-03-13T00:13:21Z")
looks like about 10 > [@](#): > > There’s a reason why Starbuck’s uses paper cups I was really wondering about this. I thought that a place that really only serves coffee should know that coffee was ment to be served hot and paper cups cause the coffee to cool down too fast. McD’s and Dunken Donuts to me seem to have the right idea. I must admit that I haven’t considered that the s.foam would impart a ‘taste’ to the coffee/tea. I will have to try a side by side comparson one day. When I do go to a place that only has paper cups and decide to buy anyway I try to take 2. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/12 "2002-03-13T02:52:40Z")
I use paper cups, with the little sleevie thing to keep from burning my fingers. If I’m worried about the drink getting cold, I double-cup, or use my own insulated cup or thermos. 'Course, I get my drinks for free, so I may be an exception. ---
**Author:** ![igotit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@igotit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igotit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/13 "2002-03-13T04:19:09Z")
I take it any way I can get it. I do like the foam cups better then the paper ones but Starbucks doesn’t use them. ---
**Author:** ![Tabithina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@Tabithina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabithina)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/14 "2002-03-13T04:38:32Z")
I prefer paper, because I like my coffee to cool off fairly quickly. I don’t like it to be extremely hot, and I have no patience whatsoever when it comes to coffee. Must. Drink. Now. I also can smell a vaguely nasty, plastic-y odor when I first take the lid off of a foam cuppa joe. Kinda spoils it for me. Foam cups are only for coffee emergencies.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tigergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@tigergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigergirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/15 "2002-03-13T05:18:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > **I prefer styrofoam cups because you can pull them across the table, and watch the vibrations in the coffee. When you hit the resonant frequency of the coffee-in-the-cup system, droplets of coffee leap out onto the table. It’s fun.** 😛 hehe… thanks **Tansu** for the little droplets of hot chocolate now on my desk! ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/16 "2002-03-13T09:56:49Z")
I only use paper cups with the sleeve thingies. I was using a styrofoam cup once and I accidently gripped too hard. It cracked down the middle and burned the hell out of my hand. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-styrofoam-cup-for-hot-drinks-a-poll/97816/17 "2002-03-13T09:58:51Z")
Oh, yeah. So, I do go out of my way to find paper cups, but it’s not for any environmental reason or anything.