Sit Down and Have a Cup of Coffee

Just last month I confessed that I actually drink Starbucks brewed coffee more than a serious coffee lover should.  The truth is that I’m not the coffee snob I would like to be.  I appreciate world-class coffee, and it is an incredible pleasure to drink it, but most days I drink stuff that is far inferior.

That is coffee confession number two, but I’m not quite ready to get into that yet.

One of the biggest problems with coffee shops, regardless of whether you prefer Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s, or even Blue Bottle, is what happens when you order coffee to go: your coffee is unceremoniously poured into some form of disposable cup with a plastic lid.

While I know I should care about the overuse of precious natural resources, landfill capacity, and carbon footprints, the thing that galls me most is that these things are a crime against coffee.

First, the lid.

The lid always has a hole to drink from.  And that is really the point.  One orders coffee to-go so it can be consumed on the run.  Unless you have some preternatural sense of balance, a lid is an absolute necessity so you don’t get soaked with piping hot coffee.

But wrapping your lips around a hole in a plastic lid is just wrong.  For starters, the aroma of the coffee gets trapped in the cup.  Yes, you may taste something when you drink your coffee, but it is a fraction of what you would taste if those aromatic coffee particles were also traveling up your nasal cavity.

And I don’t know about you, but I have a very difficult time not scalding my tongue when drinking from the plastic lid.  My only guess is that it has to do with the physiology of the mouth, and that normally one’s lips get an early sense that coffee is too hot, which sends a message to the brain, “Take a small sip, dummy.”  With the plastic lid, the lips only sense cool plastic, and thus the tongue gets treated to the river of burning java.

Second, the cup.

I would like you to try this sometime at home.  Make a pot of coffee and pour two cups:  one into a paper take-out style cup (sans lid) and the other into a porcelain cup, with an ample brim and a thin, rounded rim.

Eating and drinking should be acts of pleasure, not merely sustenance.  When the other senses are engaged, they heighten your enjoyment. Disposable cups do nothing to enhance the experience of drinking coffee.

Luckily there are some cafés that have porcelain cups on hand, should you be savvy enough to ask for one when you order.  But not all of these are nice.  Some are way too big and thick and chunky.  Others will be cracked or stained or dirty.  Which is why it is a rare treat to find a place that takes pride in its drinks and in their service.

I understand that sometimes one just needs a quick pick me up, and the drive-thru must suffice.  Or that sometimes you just cannot wait for that shot of caffeine while walking to the office in the morning.

But consider this a reminder that in the name of efficiency, you are missing out on a potential source of deep pleasure.  It doesn’t take that long to drink a small cup of coffee.  Grab a seat, ask for a proper cup, smell the coffee, and enjoy.