Should you drink your coffee in glass cups or mugs?

Drinking hot beverages in glass is one of many options available. Apart from tea, which is commonly drank in this way, there are those who love to drink their coffee in glass, which differs from those who opt to drink their coffee in a mug.  We will now explore the main differences between these two ways of enjoying one of the most pleasant and much-loved daily rituals.

While having coffee in Italy, the majority of coffee drinkers will most likely sip it out of a heavy porcelain mug, as this is the most traditional way to serve it. Nevertheless, you may come across someone drinking it out of a small coffee glass with no handle, which often resembles that of a large shot glass.

Undoubtably, in Italy every type of coffee has a story, and the so-called “caffè in vetro” is no exception.  In recent years drinking coffee from a glass has spread throughout the whole country, however its origins find their roots in Italy’s capital city. It is in fact in Southern Rome that the custom of ordering coffee in glass has become increasingly popular. Legend has it that the citizens of Rome discovered that the bartenders were prone to not cleaning the cups properly. Therefore, customers started asking for glass cups as it allowed them to check the cleanliness of their espresso before drinking!

Is it true that drinking espresso in a glass changes the taste? We certainly think that it holds characteristics that influence the taste of the coffee. The Italian espresso cup , also known as “tazzina”, has been designed to keep coffee at the right temperature for the amount of time it takes Italians to consume their sip-and-go beverage whilst chatting and reading the news at their favourite bar.

Since glass cools faster, when using a glass coffee cup, your espresso will be drunk at a lower temperature and, as a result, you may perceive it as slightly more bitter.

Aficionados of drinking coffee from a glass proclaim that those who drink coffee in porcelain are not getting the full experience. This is because coffee served in a porcelain is hidden, and one can’t admire the barista’s skill to produce the perfect crema, which – as some say – is even encouraged by glass. At the same time, this serving method allows coffee lovers to perceive the delicate notes of the beans, just as it does with fine wine. They will also claim the taste itself is better, due to the glass creating several different sensations as coffee lays on the drinker’s lips, granting a more elegant and refined experience.

Whether it is to be considered a trend or a rising tradition, just as it with fine wine, coffee can be enjoyed from a glass to enrich its intense, delightful, and aromatic flavour. Furthermore, there is another quite compelling reason for which glass cups are worth using: being 100% reusable, they are totally eco-friendly and represent a zero-waste option. This means they are a great choice in terms of sustainability!