In an age of ecological consciousness this is not a new topic but it turns out to be the one uppermost on my mind lately. What kind of cup should one buy their coffee in?
First there’s the styrofoam cup. Harder to find these days, since they are deemed to be the most environmentally unfriendly. With CFC’s, damage to the ozone and the fact that they last a gazillion years in the landfill, they are the least desirable from that standpoint. But who can argue the fact that they keep your coffee hot the longest?
I’m sipping from one of these little thermal wonders right now. I got it a half hour ago at the world famous Dysart’s Truck Stop near Bangor, Maine and the coffee is still quite hot.
I think Starbucks uses styrofoam cups too but I’m not certain anymore, because after twice trying their coffee I’m convinced its the most vile tasting liquid on the planet. But that’s probably just me.
Plastic disposables are not much used any more, if at all. Once popular, they lose heat much too rapidly and like styrofoam they use petroleum products and take forever to break down in the environment.
Note: It takes over 50 years for plastic to break down in the environment so think about that the next time you’re tempted to throw something out the window while driving.
Next there is paper. This is the medium favored by the majority of coffee vendors in the country today, including my favorite, Tim Horton’s. I think I’m developing a slightly unhealthy Timmy’s addiction along with millions of my fellow Canadians, but I guess there are far worse things to be addicted to.
Of course paper is the most environmentally friendly of the disposables. It is a renewable resource, it’s recyclable and if its put in a landfill it breaks down reasonably quickly. Of course it also can burn the crap out of your hand unless you double cup, and then there goes any cost savings out the window.
Attempts have been made to alleviate the heat transfer problem like an additional slip on sheath, special coatings, etc. but its still a problem. The hand burns easily and the coffee cools rapidly.
Of course if you’re like my wife you may have developed a liking for tepid coffee so its not as big a problem for you.
Next let’s consider reusable travel mugs. These come in a huge array of shapes, sizes, and materials. They can range in price from a couple of dollars to $25 or more for the super elite models.
These come with their own special set of problems, not the least of which is remembering to take it with you when you enter the coffee shop. I have 2 or 3 different ones in the truck at this moment, but I’m not about to walk all the way back out to the truck to get it if I forget it the first time.
Problem number two is lid design. Manufacturers have tried a multitude of methods to keep the coffee inside the mug and yet easy to get out when you’re ready to drink it. Everything from little sliding doors to hinged flaps and oddly shaped sipping holes, no end of imagination has been applied to this aspect. Most of them succeed fairly well in their intentions, but make a lovely trap for not so lovely coffee residue, rendering them very unsanitary and difficult to clean.
That brings me to problem number three. I was looking at a lovely stainless steel model in Dysart’s trucker store just this morning. I was tempted to buy one based on looks alone despite the fact I have others already in the truck that I rarely use. What changed my mind, you may ask? It was so tall and slender, usually a desirable feature, but one would have to find a small child to wash it every time, as there’s no way my hand would fit, and my fingers wouldn’t come close to reaching the bottom.
Reusable cups, in my opinion, work best for a commuter who fills it as they go out the door in the morning and can remember to take it back in the house when they come home so it can be washed with the supper dishes.
For someone like myself, who stays out on the road up to two weeks or more at a time these cups can get pretty disgusting, especially if there’s a half inch of congealing coffee with milk and/or sugar left in the bottom.
If the coffee vendors and truckstops would provide a washout sink next to the coffee island it would help, but I don’t get too excited about trying to sluice one out in a bathroom sink. Especially if, instead of paper towels all they provide is an air blower hand dryer.
Some places, Tim Horton’s included, will rinse your cup out before pouring fresh coffee in it, but nothing replaces a good soap and water washing.
I’m sure I’m not the only one wrestling with this problem. Some of you are like me and switch from one to the other depending on the whim of the moment. I’m never sure what my policy is or if I have one.
Some of you have wrestled this thing to a standstill and have come up with a solution that works for you. If you’re one of these, please take a few minutes and share your insights with the rest of us by adding your comments to this post.
Happy coffee drinking.
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