If you have a special favorite cup for coffee, in which it always seems to taste better, this is absolutely normal. The direct relationship between the cup and the taste of coffee has long been proven by scientists.
Among the research works on this topic, the most authoritative have gained articles by Brazilian Fabiana Carvalho from the University of Campinas. She conducted several different experiments and found that not only the shape, but also the color really matter. The conclusions are supported by both psychologists and coffee experts.
In This Article
Shape: the wider, the more aromatic
There are two reasons why cup shape is so important.
First, it’s a matter of physics. The wider the top of the cup, the more aromatic molecules are able to rise into the air and reach the olfactory receptors. And aroma is linked to taste and enhances it. For this reason, cupping is always done with wide bowls.
Secondly, certain associations influence. For example, a round mug seems especially cozy, and the coffee in it acquires a sweetness that the brain “finishes” on its own. A straight mug, and especially one with corners or pointed elements, gives the coffee taste more bitterness. This is supported by studies by both Carvalho (2018) and Dutch scientists (2017). By the way, in their opinion, texture also matters: the Dutch found that patterns on the surface of the cup program the perception of taste. But here everything is individual: some people “taste better” roughness, others – smooth lines.
Weight: heavy cup – delicious coffee
A heavy cup = a good drink. This is how the human brain interprets information about weight. If the cup is heavy, you will certainly think that the coffee in it is of high quality. But in a paper cup it will be much more difficult to catch the noble notes of the grain, if they are there.
For this reason, good coffee shops do not skimp even on paper cups, but try to buy high-quality and often heavier ones.
Color: Affects Attractiveness
Speaking of takeaway coffee, the color of the paper cup also significantly affects the perception of taste: in white, Americano will seem more bitter, in dark, sweeter and tastier. Scientists explain this by the fact that white color emphasizes the blackness of the coffee too much, reminding us that there is not a drop of milk in it. It is a similar story with ceramic cups, but the weight and material factor soften the severity of the “conflict”.
Researcher Fabiana Carvalho experimented with traditional dishes. In particular, her pink cup became famous throughout the coffee world, in which even very sour coffee was perceived by participants as sweeter than the same blend in a cup of a different color. This is how pink sets us up for sweetness.
By the way, Fabiana was not the first to think about this connection. Her research was preceded by the work of Australian George van Doorn, published in 2014. Even then, he proved that color matters.
Vision always influences taste perception. Very often, visual contact is the first contact. We first see a cup of coffee and only then bring it to our mouth, so visual cues already provoke the expectation of taste.
If you pour coffee into a green mug, it will seem sour to you (green is a signal to the brain that food tastes sour). In a red or pink one, it will seem sweeter (red is often ripe and sweet). In a black or dark brown one, the drink will be rich (brown and black are the colors of the coffee itself).
Material: Triple Factor
It influences taste according to three criteria:
- coffee cooling rate,
- the ability to absorb odors,
- the feeling of touching it with your lips.
Ceramics
Ceramics have always been and remain the ideal material for a coffee cup. Especially if it is real porcelain, high-quality expensive earthenware or even a handcrafted product. For example, different glazes give different textures to the outer walls of the cup and are able to emphasize the taste of coffee in different ways, and dense walls keep it hot for a long time.
The glazed ceramic itself does not absorb taste and smell, but coffee stains easily remain on it, so it is important to wash such a cup thoroughly after you have finished your coffee.
Glass
It goes well with hot tea, but with coffee it most often evokes cooling associations, which is why in coffee shops glass is usually used to serve summer drinks such as bumble or tonic. And for lattes, of course, because it is so nice to see its layers.
Glass does not absorb odors at all, but it also cools faster than ceramics, which means the coffee cools faster and loses its aroma.
However, glass can emphasize the taste and aroma of coffee, since this material does not interact with drinks in any way. Created taking into account all scientific research, Mark’s glasses are somewhat reminiscent of wine glasses without a stem and, according to the author’s idea, should maximally reveal the taste and aroma of expensive beans.
What a psychologist thinks about a coffee cup
The shape, material and colour of a cup can enhance the aroma and taste that coffee gives us, but there are still many other variables that influence our perception when choosing a cup. These are individual associations and characteristics.
It is natural for a person to choose the image of a cup that already has good memories associated with it. For example, a mug from childhood. On the other hand, people are also attracted, on the contrary, to unusual shapes and colors that stand out from the usual picture of the world.
It is worth remembering that most people are attracted to round shapes: the brain reads something good and pleasant in them. Round and streamlined is associated with warmth, tenderness, joy. By the way, that is why all babies seem so cute.
A cup may be good in all respects, but if for some reason it evokes unpleasant associations, it will distract from the taste of the drink, subconsciously setting you against it. And coffee from a frankly ugly, in your opinion, dish will certainly not please you.
Fortunately, the same is true in reverse: even the simplest mug with a rabbit on it can suddenly turn out to be the perfect vessel for coffee. Simply because it was in the dresser of your grandmother, whom you loved very much.
What do cup tasters think about the coffee cup?
There is a reason why espresso is served in a small cup: in a large container (if it is not preheated) the coffee will cool down faster and lose its aroma. In addition, in a small cup the crema will be higher and more noticeable, and with it the coffee always seems tastier.
Milk drinks lose their taste in a narrow glass. Because of the frothed milk, it will take a long time to get to the coffee layer: you will have to drink all the foam first, and then the coffee separately. So cappuccino always tastes better in a wide cup.
Layered drinks (like lattes) are best served in tall, narrow glasses because of their more appetizing appearance.
