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Noticing a shift to paper cups even for indoor coffee service
This move towards disposable cups is hurting both the environment and the coffee experience. The paper lining can leave a weird taste, and it feels less personal. I've asked a few places to use real mugs, but they say it's faster for them.
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jesseross6mo ago
That "faster for them" line says it all. It's a pure trade-off where convenience for the staff completely overrules reducing waste and the customer's experience. The whole ritual of coffee just becomes another disposable transaction.
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amy_west6mo ago
But let's be real, sometimes efficiency is just about keeping the line moving. If they brewed every pour-over fresh, you'd be waiting ten minutes and complaining about that instead. Sure, waste is a problem, but many places do use compostable cups or have recycling programs. It's not that they don't care, but they have to balance speed with quality for everyone. The ritual of coffee can still happen, it just looks different when you're not the only customer. I'd rather get my coffee fast than watch a barista perform a ceremony while I'm late for work.
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chen.cole6mo ago
My buddy in Portland watched them pull his pour-over from a fridge already in a paper cup. They said it was "batch brewed for efficiency" at 7 AM. So he paid five bucks for hours-old coffee in disposable packaging just to save them thirty seconds.
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the_brian6mo ago
Did my friend tell you about the time his latte came in a disposable cup even though he was sitting in? The barista said they pre-make them during rush hour to save time. So his "experience" was just grabbing a cup from a stack, exactly the disposable transaction you're talking about.
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