A regular at The Daily Grind in Chicago taught me to always order a 'for here' mug

I was working on my laptop at a corner table when an older guy named Frank sat down with his ceramic mug. He saw my paper cup and said, 'Kid, you're missing half the flavor.' He explained that the paper lining soaks up the oils that give coffee its real taste. I switched to a mug the next day, and he was totally right, the coffee tasted richer and warmer. Has anyone else noticed a big difference depending on the cup?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_grace25d ago

Frank had a good point about the oils. I keep a clean ceramic mug in my work van for this exact reason. The paper does more than soak up flavor, it makes the coffee taste flat and thin. @the_kim is right about bringing your own mug, it's a game changer for taste and heat. My shop coffee tastes completely different in a real cup versus a paper one. It's worth the extra minute to ask for "for here" or carry your own.

milaw1424d ago

Frank's onto something, but my clumsy hands would turn that nice ceramic mug into a pile of shards before my first sip. I stick with a thick plastic travel mug, the kind you could drop off a roof. It's not as fancy, but it still beats the paper cup taste by a mile.

the_kim25d ago

Wait, you mean not everyone drinks from a mug? Paper cups kill the taste for me too. I started bringing my own travel mug to places that only have paper. The coffee stays hotter and just tastes better. It's a small change but makes my morning stop way better.