As I sit in bed, enjoying my Sunday morning cup of coffee I begin to think about the whole coffee experience. As I reflect on what makes a coffee experience different, my thoughts shift to the Europeans. As I reflect further, I think that the answer may actually lie in the cup itself.
In North America we are big fans of the coffee mug. The coffee mug is essentially a cylinder with a handle that allows for stable container that will hold a greater amount of liquid. The fact that it also provides a consistently large area in which to put some kind of messaging is best left for another discussion on the marketing benefits for the mug. But the main thing is that the mug hold quite a bit of coffee. When I compare this to the European tasse, it dawns on me that perhaps the difference in the experience is about the temperature.
It is a known fact that great coffee taste has a half-life of about 30 minutes. So, essentially, as soon as the cup is poured, the first sip will always be better than the last. The difference in the coffee experience then, comes down to the use of a mug versus a tasse. A tasse will hold less coffee than a mug, and therefore you will consume all of your coffee in a shorter window of time, thus maintaining a more consistent flavor throughout the experience than a mug.
