Not all coffee cups are made of porcelain or ceramic. Not all coffee cups that aren’t made of porcelain are paper coffee cups, either. People’s fascination with caffeine has driven them to put coffee in all manner of things. Some folks even swear that coffee from glass coffee cups tastes different than from a porcelain or ceramic coffee cup, but that’s obviously subjective. There are other reasons that one might choose glass coffee cups over more traditional methods of serving coffee, though.
Looks
Some folks like to see what they’re drinking, and most coffee cups don’t allow for that. If you can’t see it, how can you be sure your cafe mocha contains the correct portion of cream, and that cappuccino the right amount of milk foam? When it comes to coffee, not everyone “gets it”, so coffee shops might make use of glass coffee cups to let their customers know that they’re getting what they’re paying for.
Glass Is Not As Breakable As You Might Think
Glass is usually accepted to be quite breakable, but the reality isn’t so cut and dry. It depends more on thickness than anything, really, just like ceramic and porcelain. As a plus, a glass coffee cup won’t chip or crack as easily as ceramic. Besides, unless your kitchen or office floor is made of concrete, odds are pretty good that, should you drop a glass coffee cup, it will probably just bounce.
Containing Heat
There’s no particular coffee cup material, be it ceramic or porcelain, that will keep your coffee warm, regardless of what some say. Heat does not transfer well through those materials, though, making them ideal for use as coffee cups. The goal isn’t so much to retain heat as it is to provide a handle that’s touchable by human hands. Generally speaking, glass does transfer heat a little easier, but glass coffee cups usually are made in a way that make them even more heat resistant than your standard cup. Of course, none of these will keep heat in like plastic or aluminum insulated mugs, or even lidded disposable coffee cups.
They Only Look Expensive
Glass coffee cups are much more elegant looking than their more traditional cousins, so many people assume they’re pricey. However, glass coffee cups are about as affordable as any quality coffee cup, regardless of the material. There are even glass espresso coffee cups available, complete with little glass saucers. Finding glass coffee cups can sometimes be a challenge, but most larger department stores will carry them, and you can always find an enormous selection online.
Want to learn more about coffee cups of all kinds? Check out Great Coffee Cups.