Why does ceramic provide a better coffee sipping experience?

Have you ever noticed how coffee tastes so much better from a coffee mug than it does from a paper cup? Why is it that ceramic provides a better coffee sipping experience?

Depending upon your coffee experience (i.e. the amount of coffee you consume each day), you may say it’s all in our heads. So, we decided to look into the reason ceramic tastes so much better to drink from (just to make sure it wasn’t just us).

Your location and activity will impact what material you drink from. But no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’ll most likely drink from one of the following six materials:

1. Plastic
2. Stainless steel
3. Paper
4. Styrofoam
5. Glass
6. Ceramic

Our research proved that the material you drink from will impact your coffee’s flavor. Let’s take a look at each of these materials and see why coffee tastes the best when sipped from a ceramic mug.

The different materials to drink coffee from

Plastic

Plastic absorbs odors and flavors. These flavors get locked into the plastic and impart these flavors into the coffee. With time, these added flavors make it nearly impossible to enjoy the finer notes of coffee.

Stainless Steel

Unlike plastic, stainless steel doesn’t absorb flavor. However, it does impart flavor. This can be attributed to poor construction or low grade quality materials (such as finishes that leech into beverages). As Deneen Pottery explains, this can also be due to “a reaction between one of coffee’s 1,000-plus compounds and the metal isn’t always clear.”

Paper

Paper provides a terrible coffee drinking experience for several reasons. First, a paper cup is a sponge to outside odors and flavors. Secondly, when a paper cup is heated up it can start to smell because of the way the paper is treated. And lastly, a paper cup is not a sustainable way to enjoy your coffee.

Styrofoam

Unless you’re in a waiting room, you really shouldn’t be drinking coffee from a styrofoam cup. We understand that you can only read so many gossip magazines before you succumb to the complimentary pot of coffee. But there’s a reason your science teacher told you not to melt styrofoam.

Glass

Glass creates a better coffee drinking experience than the previous four materials because it provides a neutral taste. However, it’s still not as good as ceramic. Glass is unable to retain heat the way ceramic does.

The flavor of coffee changes as it cools. The ideal coffee drinking temperature is between 120°F and 140°F (and some would say even hotter depending upon their personal preference). Maintaining the optimal temperature is an essential part of enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.

Ceramic

So, why does coffee taste better when drinking it from ceramic? Like glass, ceramic is a neutral material. It neither absorbs flavor nor imparts flavor. But unlike glass, ceramic provides insulation to help maintain the optimal drinking temperature. As we already mentioned, the taste of coffee changes with temperature.

Want all the benefits of a coffee mug even on the go?

We realize it’s not practical to bring your favorite mug on the go. Movement and speed bumps can create a problem for a coffee mug in the car. And we’ve experienced the sad loss of a coffee mug hitting the pavement while trying to shut the door with your hands full.

That’s why we created the Elemental Tumbler. It’s durable but has a ceramic lid to create that at-home-sipping-from-your-coffee-mug-experience.

Our tumblers are BPA free, food safe, and constructed with premium 18/8 stainless steel. They’re built with triple wall copper insulation to keep your coffee piping hot for 6 hours!

Depending upon the amount of caffeine you need, the Elemental Tumbler comes in 12 oz. and 16 oz. Order it Matte Black, Matte White, Teak Wood, or White Marble to match your style.