The Best Coffee Cups

Buying Guide

If a warm cup of coffee is necessary for you to start the day, a disposable coffee cup could be just what you need. You can take it with you on your morning commute or grab it before you leave on your road trip without worrying about washing it, storing it or losing it.

But disposable coffee cups also come in handy when you’re serving coffee to attendees and a meeting or other event. Simply set the cups on a table near the coffeepot and let people serve themselves.

There are some things to consider before buying to-go coffee cups, though. One is whether lids are included. This might not be a factor if you’re drinking the coffee in the same location where it’s being served. But if you prefer lids, some to-go cups come with them. Others don’t include the lids but allow you to purchase them separately.

You also should look at whether the coffee cup will get too warm for your hands when a hot drink is poured into them. Many are double-insulated or have a polyethylene lining for that very purpose. If they don’t offer any such protection against heat, you might need to purchase a separately-sold sleeve.

The capacity of the cup is important, as well. If you’ve used disposable coffee cups in the past, you’ve probably experienced the small, 10- or 12-ounce versions while in a professional setting.  But they also come in 16- and 20-ounce sizes that can offer you a more generous amount of caffeinated beverage — and who can object to that?

• If your coffee cups come with lids, make sure they’re built to fit tightly and resist leaks. A problem with purchasing the lids and cups separately is that you might not be able to ensure the lid will fit well enough to prevent sloshes and spills.
• For those daily commutes, a reusable travel mug might be a more sustainable option. But you can also purchase disposable cups made using recycled or renewable materials.
• When you purchase to-go coffee from a café, often the cup will include a sleeve. You can buy sleeves separately, but there are plenty of disposable cups that are insulated well enough to keep the outside comfortable to the touch even with a hot beverage inside.
• Condensation can be an issue with any paper cup. Make sure the disposable cups you choose are built to resist the moisture seeping through to the outside.
• Heat tolerance can vary from one disposable cup to another. Some paper cups are more limited in terms of the temperatures they can hold than those that are insulated or lined.
• The quantity of disposable cups you purchase varies, too. If you’re buying for a large group, you’ll want to balance quantity against quality.
• Design aesthetics can also play a role in a disposable cup’s suitability. If you want to add some whimsy or class to your morning beverage, there are cups that offer that.