If you’ve ever sworn that your morning cup of coffee tastes better out of your favorite mug, you’re so not alone. And it turns out, it’s not just personal preference, there’s science behind it. Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University, and founding father of Gastrophysics, believes that drinking coffee from your favorite cup actually improves its flavor.
In his book “Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating,” Professor Spence explains that drinking coffee out of your favorite mug “creates a personalized experience” that could make drinkers give more value to it as a result of owning the cup, which in turn makes it taste better.
He says most people feel almost embarrassed to admit they prefer coffee in their favorite mug, because they don’t really believe it can change the taste and that they’re just being silly. He writes, “And yet, as a gastrophysicist, I firmly believe that this form of personalization really does make a difference to how much we enjoy the experience—a subtle one, perhaps, but significant nonetheless.”
Professor Spence points out that marketing smarties at companies are using the personalization tool to boost their bottom lines, like Starbucks writing customers’ names on cups and Coke creating labels with names. Having something personalized can trigger pleasant memories, making the whole experience better overall.
And if your favorite mug happens to bite the dust one day and you have to replace it, he advises going with a heavier one. Maybe even one without a handle, so you “feel more warmth from the drink, which research shows makes the world around us look warmer.”
Source: My Recipes