Coffee cup

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Espresso shot being poured into a breakfast cup DemitasseEspresso.jpg
Espresso shot being poured into a breakfast cup

A coffee cup is a container, a cup, for serving coffee and coffee-based drinks. There are three major types: conventional cups used with saucers, mugs used without saucers, and disposable cups. Cups and mugs generally have a handle. Disposable paper cups used for take-out sometimes have fold-out handles, but are more often used with an insulating coffee cup sleeve.

Contents

Coffee cups and mugs may be made of glazed ceramic, porcelain, plastic, glass, insulated or uninsulated metal, and other materials. In the past, coffee cups have also been made of bone, clay, and wood. [1] Disposable coffee cups may be made out of paper or polystyrene foam (often mistakenly called Styrofoam).

History

Coffee cups, along with other coffee ware, originated in the Middle East. In the 17th century, coffee was consumed from small handle-less bowls, "Turkish cups". The cups were manufactured in Japan and China; the same cups were frequently intended for coffee and tea. In Europe, Meissen porcelain cups appeared around 1710, [2] : 230  with large exports of "Turkish cups" to Turkey in the 1730s. These cups were tall due to the habit of drinking the liquid layer at the top, with the preparation sediment left at the bottom. As the drip coffee, invented in France in the 18th century, gained popularity, the need for tall cups disappeared, so the Sèvres porcelain signature cups were short. [2] : 232 

The porcelain handles first appeared on the Meissen tall cups in the 1710s (some Oriental cups had handles, but these were made from silver). Handles became common by the 1730s. [2] : 232 

Shapes and sizes

Espresso

The Italian Espresso National Institute recommends serving espresso in a white china cup holding 50−100 ml, [3] usually served on a saucer. In the US, espresso cups are sometimes called demitasse cups. [4] The espresso macchiato, made with a shot of espresso and a dash of steamed milk, is also served in a demitasse.

Cappuccino

Traditional 6 oz cappuccino served in a ceramic cup, on a saucer, with a spoon and napkin Traditionalcappuccino.jpg
Traditional 6 oz cappuccino served in a ceramic cup, on a saucer, with a spoon and napkin

The Italian Espresso National Institute recommends serving cappuccino in a china cup holding approximately 160 ml, [3] usually served on a saucer.

Gibraltar or cortado

Some shops serve a cortado in a 4-ounce Libbey Gibraltar glass, calling the drink a Gibraltar. [5]

Sini

Traditional Ethiopian cups are called sini. These are small, pottery or porcelain cups, slightly larger than a demitasse, used to serve coffee from a jebena. [6]

Cafe drinkware

A paper coffee cup Kaffe og mandarin (5198912077).jpg
A paper coffee cup

Cafes use various sizes of coffee cups to serve mochas, lattes, and other coffee drinks. They are typically 225, 336, 460, and sometimes 570 ml.[ dubious – discuss ] These cups are made of porcelain and shaped to encourage and aid in creating latte art.

Shape innovation

NASA designed "Space Cups" for use by astronauts in the International Space Station. The specially-shaped coffee cups are 3D printed and are used by sucking the liquid out of a bag. The sharp inner corner of the Space Cup allows the liquid to flow toward the drinker's lips through capillary flow. Data from experiments conducted with Space Cups can be used to design better fluid systems used in space, such as toilets, oxygen, air conditioning, and water coolants. The data can also be applied to societal uses of fluid systems on Earth, such as improving the design of portable medical blood testers for infectious diseases. [7]

Materials

Latte with latte art in a 12 oz ceramic cup 12ozLatte.jpg
Latte with latte art in a 12 oz ceramic cup
Turkish coffee set containing a coffee cup (fildjan), a coffee pot (cezve) and a sugar bowl, as traditionally served in Bosnia and Herzegovina Turska kava.jpg
Turkish coffee set containing a coffee cup (fildjan), a coffee pot (cezve) and a sugar bowl, as traditionally served in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Porcelain and ceramic

Porcelain and ceramic cups are widely used for coffee. Ceramic is sturdier, cheaper than porcelain, and retains heat better because it is thicker.

Coffee cups selling on Indian Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Coffee cups selling.jpg
Coffee cups selling on Indian Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Paper

Paper cups are usually lined with wax or plastic to prevent leakage. A famous design of a paper coffee cup is the Anthora, which has become symbolic of New York City's daily life. [8] [9]

Bamboo

Reusable bamboo coffee cups, promoted as a "natural" product, are made of powdered bamboo fibres suspended in glue containing melamine and formaldehyde. The German consumer group Stiftung Warentest raised concerns that these substances constitute a health hazard when used for hot drinks. [10] The cups are also not recyclable. The UK Food Standards Agency advised retailers in June 2023 to withdraw bamboo cups, making further sales unlawful. [11]

Polystyrene

Polystyrene, sometimes known as styrofoam (not actually Styrofoam), is used mainly because of its insulating abilities.

Accessories

Coffee cup lids

Usually made of plastic, the first patent for a coffee cup lid design was filed in 1967 and focused on creating a tight seal between the cup and the lid to reduce leaking and a vent hole to allow steam to escape. [12] [13] [14] However, there was no opening for drinking, and the consumer would have to tear into the lid. [15] In 1986, the Solo Traveler lid was created; it is found in the Museum of Modern Art's 2004 exhibit "Humble Masterpieces". [16] [17] Recent lid designs like the Viora have improved on Solo Traveler's design, which has too small a vent to allow sufficient air to enter while drinking. [13] Louise Harpman, co-owner of the world's most extensive collection of coffee cup lids and co-author of the book Coffee Lids (Princeton Architectural Press, 2018), suggests that coffee cup lids "represent a major shift in American 'to-go' culture". [18]

Coffee cup sleeve

Coffee cup sleeves are roughly cylindrical sleeves that fit tightly over handle-less paper coffee cups to insulate the drinker's hands from hot coffee. The coffee sleeve was invented and patented by Jay Sorensen in 1993 and is now commonly utilized by coffee houses and other vendors that sell hot beverages dispensed in disposable paper cups. Coffee sleeves are typically made of textured paperboard, but can be made of different materials.

Environmental issues with disposable cups

The United States uses about 120 billion disposable coffee cups annually, almost all of which end up in landfills. [19] Polystyrene foam cups have the reputation of not being recyclable, [20] non-biodegradable, [20] [21] a major part of marine litter, [22] and has various health risks. It is banned as a food and drink container in several U.S. cities including Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Calif., and Amherst, Mass. [23] The doughnut company and coffeehouse chain Dunkin' Donuts has been criticized for continuing to use styrofoam cups. The company has argued that there is no other material that is as insulated, [24] and has an official statement about their foam cups on their website. [25] However, in 2013 they began phasing in doubled-walled paper cups designed to look like their signature foam cup. [26]

Polystyrene foam cups are easier to recycle than the alternative, paper coffee cups, which are lined with polyethylene to make them impermeable. The few composting facilities which do accept them produce plastic fragments, contaminating the environment, [27] and biodegrading very slowly. [27] Paper coffee cups also release trillions of microplastic nanoparticles per liter into the water during normal use. [28] [29]

Reusable cups

By 2019, coffee shop customers increasingly used reusable coffee cups as a sustainable option; shops were offering a discount as an incentive. [30] Cups made of bamboo fiber, polypropylene, and other organic materials such as starch and paper pulp were used. Only 1 in 400 single-use cups were recycled in 2017, and media coverage encouraged consumers to look for alternatives. [31] Use of reusable cups declined sharply to reduce the chance of infection with the onset of the covid pandemic in 2020, and as of 2023 had not returned to previous levels. [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee in Italy</span>

Italians are well known for their special attention to the preparation, the selection of the blends, and the use of accessories when creating many types of coffees. Many of the types of coffee preparation known today also have their roots here. The main coffee port in Italy is Trieste where there is also a lot of coffee processing industry. Italian coffee consumption, often espresso, is highest in the city of Trieste, with an average of 1500 cups of coffee per person per year. That is about twice as much as is usually drunk in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polystyrene</span> Polymer resin widely used in packaging

Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a poor barrier to air and water vapor and has a relatively low melting point. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, with the scale of its production being several million tonnes per year. Polystyrene is naturally transparent, but can be colored with colorants. Uses include protective packaging, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery, in the making of models, and as an alternative material for phonograph records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Styrofoam</span> Trademarked brand for extruded polystyrene

Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), manufactured to provide continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and as a water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by DuPont. DuPont also has produced a line of green and white foam shapes for use in crafts and floral arrangements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teapot</span> Vessel for preparing and serving tea

A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water, and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea. It is one of the core components of teaware. Dry tea is available either in tea bags or as loose tea, in which case a tea infuser or tea strainer may be of some assistance, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured. Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the dry tea and hot water are added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served. Some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of the spout. A small air hole in the lid is often created to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. In modern times, a thermally insulating cover called a tea cosy may be used to enhance the steeping process or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mug</span> Type of cup

A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cups. Typically, a mug holds approximately 240–350 ml of liquid. A mug is a less formal style of drink container and is not usually used in formal place settings, where a teacup or coffee cup is preferred. Shaving mugs are used to assist in wet shaving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drinking straw</span> Thin tube for drinking liquids

A drinking straw is a utensil that is intended to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. Disposable straws are commonly made from plastics. However, environmental concerns related to plastic pollution and new regulation have led to rise in reusable and biodegradable straws. Following a rise in regulation and public concern, some companies have even voluntarily banned or reduced the number of plastic straws used. Alternative straws are often made of reusable materials like silicone or metal or alternative disposable and biodegradable materials like paper, cardboard, pasta, or bamboo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooler</span> Insulated box used to keep food or drink cool

A cooler, portable ice chest, ice box, cool box, chilly bin, or esky (Australia) is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disposable product</span> Product designed to be discarded after use

A disposable is a product designed for a single use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. The term is also sometimes used for products that may last several months to distinguish from similar products that last indefinitely. The word "disposables" is not to be confused with the word "consumables", which is widely used in the mechanical world. For example, welders consider welding rods, tips, nozzles, gas, etc. to be "consumables", as they last only a certain amount of time before needing to be replaced. Consumables are needed for a process to take place, such as inks for printing and welding rods for welding, while disposable products are items that can be discarded after they become damaged or are no longer useful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper cup</span> Cup mostly made of paper or card

A paper cup is a disposable cup made out of paper and often lined or coated with plastic or wax to prevent liquid from leaking out or soaking through the paper. It may be made of recycled paper.

Keurig is a beverage brewing system for home and commercial use. The American company Keurig Dr Pepper manufactures the machines. The main Keurig products are K-Cup pods, which are single-serve coffee containers; other beverage pods; and the proprietary machines that use these pods to make beverages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic cup</span>

A plastic cup is a cup made out of plastic, commonly used as a container to hold beverages. Some are reusable while others are intended for a single use followed by recycling or disposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-serve coffee container</span> Soft or hard container filled with a single portion of coffee grounds for brewing

A single-serve coffee container is a container filled with coffee grounds, used in coffee brewing to prepare only enough coffee for a single portion. Single-serve coffee containers come in various formats and materials, often either as hard and soft pods or pads made of filter paper, or hard aluminium and plastic capsules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foam food container</span> Form of disposable food packaging

A foam food container is a form of disposable food packaging for various foods and beverages, such as processed instant noodles, raw meat from supermarkets, ice cream from ice cream parlors, cooked food from delicatessens or food stalls, or beverages like "coffee to go". They are also commonly used to serve takeout food from restaurants, and are also available by request for diners who wish to take home the remainder of their meal. The foam is a good thermal insulator, making the container easy to carry as well as keeping the food at the temperature it had when filled into the container, whether hot or cold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee cup sleeve</span> Sleeve that insulates hand from hot drink

Coffee cup sleeves, also known as coffee sleeves, are roughly cylindrical sleeves that fit tightly over handle-less paper coffee cups to insulate the drinker's hands from hot coffee. Coffee sleeves are typically made of textured paperboard, but can be found made of other materials. Coffee sleeves allow coffee houses, fast food restaurants, and other vendors to avoid double-cupping, the practice of using two nested paper cups for a single hot beverage. Some paper cup holders carry advertisements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disposable food packaging</span>

Disposable food packaging comprises disposable products often found in fast-food restaurants, take-out restaurants and catering establishments. Typical products are foam food containers, plates, bowls, cups, utensils, doilies and tray papers. These products can be made from a number of materials including plastics, paper, bioresins, wood and bamboo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cup</span> Small container for drinks

A cup is an open-top container used to hold liquids for pouring or drinking. Although mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring. Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, pottery, wood, stone, bone, polystyrene, plastic, aluminium or other materials, and are usually fixed with stem, handles, or other adornments, though a beaker has no handle or stem. Cups are used for quenching thirst across a wide range of cultures and social classes, and different styles of cups may be used for different liquids or in different situations. Cups of different styles may be used for different types of liquids or other foodstuffs, in different situations, or for decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disposable cup</span> Drinking cup intended for a single use

A disposable cup is a type of tableware and disposable food packaging. Disposable cup types include paper cups, plastic cups and foam cups. Expanded polystyrene is used to manufacture foam cups, and polypropylene is used to manufacture plastic cups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disposable tableware</span> Disposable table utensils

Disposable tableware includes all disposable tableware like

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phase-out of polystyrene foam</span> Decline of polystyrene foam use

In the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a global movement towards the phase-out of polystyrene foam as a single use plastic (SUP). Early bans of polystyrene foam intended to eliminate ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), formerly a major component.

References

  1. ↑ "History of the Coffee Mug". wholelattelove.com. Whole Latte Love. 2019-09-01. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  2. 1 2 3 Sakuraba, Miki (2010-03-31). "Evolution of Porcelain Tea Ware in Europe From Hizen Porcelain Tea to European Porcelain Tea Service" (PDF). Cultural Reproduction on its Interface: From the Perspectives of Text, Diplomacy, Otherness, and Tea in East Asia. The International Academic Forum for the Next Generation. Vol. 1. Translated by Heaton, Jenine. Institute for Cultural Interaction Studies, Kansai University. pp. 227–242 [230, 232]. ISBN   978-4-9905164-0-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-01. p. 232: Large quantities of coffee pots and cups were exported from Meissen to Turkey in the 1730s. It is clear from this fact that early European porcelains were directly related to Turkish tea wares, indicating that the Turkish cup strongly influenced the manufactories of Meissen. These cups were tall in relationship to their width and were designed because of the Turkish custom of drinking the clear layer of coffee at the top. In France at the beginning of the eighteenth century, however, the drip method of extracting coffee was developed, thus eliminating the need for tall coffee cups. Perhaps as a result, the short coffee and tea cups became the signature style of Sèvres Porcelain. (16 pages)
  3. 1 2 "The Certified Italian Espresso and Cappuccino" (PDF). Istituto Espresso Italiano.
  4. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, updated 2022, s.v. demi-tasse
  5. ↑ Nguyen, Tien (2011-02-10). "Drink This Now: Cognoscenti Coffee's On-the-Menu Cortado". LA Weekly . Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  6. ↑ "Coffee time Ethiopian coffee pot jebena and Coffee Cups-sini". Pinterest . Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  7. ↑ Regan, Helen (2015-05-04). "Astronauts Now Enjoy Espresso Out of Special Cups". Time . Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  8. ↑ Fox, Margalit (2010-04-29). "Leslie Buck, Designer of Iconic Coffee Cup, Dies at 87". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Urban History to Go: Black, No Sugar". The New York Times . 2005-06-26.
  10. ↑ "Die meisten setzen hohe Mengen an Schadstoffen frei" (in German). Stiftung Warentest. 2019-07-23.
  11. ↑ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (2023-10-21). "Warnings over 'eco' coffee cups that pose risks to health with toxic resin". The Guardian.
  12. ↑ Garber, Megan (2011-05-09). "The Rise of the Plastic, Disposable Coffee Cup Lid – Nicola Twilley". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  13. 1 2 "To-Go Cup Lid Makers Hoping to Capitalize On 'Third Wave' Success". Roast Magazine. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  14. ↑ "Patent US3421681 – Cup and lid – Google Patents" . Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  15. ↑ Kennedy, Pagan (2013-10-25). "Who Made That Coffee Lid?". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ "Patent US4589569 – Lid for drinking cup – Google Patents". 1983-10-24. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  17. ↑ "Humble Masterpieces". MoMA. 2004-09-27. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  18. ↑ "History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places". Smithsonian . Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  19. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Jishnu; Dash, Manoj Kumar; Hewege, Chandana; Balaji, M. S.; Lim, Weng Marc (2021-09-26). "Social and Sustainability Marketing in Coffee Shop". Social and Sustainability Marketing: A Casebook for Reaching Your Socially Responsible Consumers through Marketing Science. CRC Press. p. 853. ISBN   978-1-000-40802-7.
  20. 1 2 "Drinking Coffee in a Styrofoam Cup? Pour It Out". Rodale News. Archived from the original on 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  21. ↑ Bandyopadhyay, A.; Basak, G. Chandra (2007). "Studies on photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene". Materials Science and Technology. 23 (3). Maney Online: 307–314. Bibcode:2007MatST..23..307B. doi:10.1179/174328407X158640. S2CID   137115006.
  22. ↑ "Marine Litter". kimointernational.org. Archived from the original on 2013-03-23.
  23. ↑ Daneman, Matthew (2013-12-21). "More cities ban polystyrene foam, citing environment". USA Today.
  24. ↑ "Dunkin' Donuts Opposes Proposed Somerville Styrofoam Ban". Somerville, Massachusetts Patch. 2013-02-28.
  25. ↑ "FAQs". DunkinDonuts.com.
  26. ↑ "Dunkin' Donuts introduces paper coffee cups in Brookline - Business". The Boston Globe. 2013-08-19.
  27. 1 2 Brinton, Will (April 2016). "The Environmental Hazards Inherent in the Composting of Plastic-Coated Paper Products" (PDF).
  28. ↑ "Take-out coffee cups may be shedding trillions of plastic nanoparticles, study says". UPI. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  29. ↑ Zangmeister, Christopher D.; Radney, James G.; Benkstein, Kurt D.; Kalanyan, Berc (2022-05-02). "Common Single-Use Consumer Plastic Products Release Trillions of Sub-100 nm Nanoparticles per Liter into Water during Normal Use" . Environmental Science & Technology. 56 (9): 5448–5455. Bibcode:2022EnST...56.5448Z. doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c06768. ISSN   0013-936X. PMID   35441513. S2CID   248263169.
  30. ↑ Marcus, Rebecca (2019-11-23). "Five reasons why you should switch to a reusable coffee cup". Which?.
  31. ↑ "Just one in 400 coffee cups are recycled even if you put them in recycling bin, poll finds". The Telegraph. 2017-04-06.
  32. ↑ Houghton, Amy (2023-03-08). "Why did we give up on the reusable coffee cup?". Time Out United Kingdom.
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