Drinking coffee is considered an art. It starts from the bean down to the brewing process and finally drinking the cup of coffee. Many factors affect the whole experience, even the little things matter like where the bean is grown, how it is roasted, what kind of water is used, etc. These are the obvious factors that we know can affect the taste of coffee. However, there is one aspect that also affects the drinking experience, and that is the coffee cup size.
Hard to believe isn't it, but yes it is true. The difference in coffee cup size has a significant impact on the whole drinking experience.
That is why coffee cups come in different shapes and sizes, in order to suit everyone's preference for drinking coffee. You can have them in a cup, a mug, or even a tumbler or for some a coffee cup with lid for travelling.
These cups are also made from different materials. There is the ceramic cup, such as your typical mug, stainless steel cups, glass, porcelain, Styrofoam cups, paper coffee cups, etc.
So, what is the ideal coffee cup size?
There is no real answer to this question. One factor affecting the cup size preferred is culture. Coffee cup sizes vary according to culture.
Most Europeans, for example, prefer drinking in small cups. In Italy, which is the birthplace of Espresso, the Italians like to drink strong flavored coffee, thus a smaller cup size, around 4 to 5 ounces, will suffice.
Strong drinks such as espresso are best taken in smaller cup sizes. It is not ideal to drink strong drinks from the ordinary coffee mug.
On the other hand, people in the United States take their coffee in larger cups. One reason is that many Americans brew using their own coffee makers at home.
These machines typically dispense at least 5 to 6 ounces of per brewing. Another reason why Americans prefer larger cups is because they are used to getting big servings on their food and drinks.
Gourmet coffee served by franchises such as Starbucks and McDonald's also serve theirs in larger cups.
Because coffee is served in at least 8 ounces, these cafes pour them in a larger coffee cup size - larger than 8 ounces to prevent the 8 ounces of liquid from overflowing.
The "extra" space is to cater for the Americans who tend to pour more additive such as coffee, cream, sugar, and milk in their coffee.