The perfect cup?

A good coffee is a real treat when it's brewed correctly. However, to present the good coffee in its best form, do we need some kind of specific cup to go with it? Is the perfect cup important?

I’ve seen people obsessed with the cups and have a huge collection of cups which most of them stayed unused in the cupboards. While some people are collecting limited edition Illy cups in their gallery and would never be used. Some just have their one and only favorite mug and use it for the rest of their life. Well, how important is the cup?

I heartily agree that good coffee is a good coffee regardless of what vessel was used to serve them. The cup wouldn’t have any add-on value to the coffee. However, for me, coffee is a wholesome experience. It’s not just the taste that matters. The experience, the feel and the atmosphere are very important to enjoy a good cup of coffee to its potential. So, every bit that can add to that experience is a plus for me.

Most often than not, we already have clothes that can protect us from the cold and cover our body. Still, many of us are still buying new better-designed and fashionable cloth. It’s an effort of presenting themselves in a better way. When it comes to coffee, it’s almost the same thing. While any normal mug could be used, presenting a cup of coffee in an elegant vessel will always be a plus for those who are serving as well as being served.

In my opinion, there are three important aspects when choosing the right cup. First is the capacity of the volume. Depending on what you’re serving, the cup should always be served at 75-95% capacity for best presentation. Serving a 2oz espresso in 14oz jumbo mug might look a little out of place while it’s perfectly okay. Next is the material of the cup. Ceramics and crystal glasses are my two favorite cup materials. They can help keeping your drink warm and do not impart taste to your drink. Stainless steel is okay, but then I sometimes feel that I could taste the metallic taste. Paper cup in my opinion, is a no no. Not only they’re not environmental friendly, they can impart an off taste to your perfectly brewed coffee. Lastly it’s the design. Basically, most cappuccino and espresso cups look the same. All it matters is the small details in the ear or in the body shape, as well as color choice. Choose whichever that looks perfect to you.

Here’s one of my favorite cups for closing.