Paper Cups for Hot Drinks - Which to choose?

At Event Supplies we frequently get asked which paper cups we would recommend to our customers; this is a tricky question as it depends on the heat of hot drink you intend to serve.
By: Event Supplies
 
Jan. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- At Event Supplies we frequently get asked which paper cups we would recommend to our customers; this is a tricky question as it depends on the heat of hot drink you intend to serve. We supply a wide range of paper cups from single-wall plain paper cups, to our latest triple wall 'Ultimate' hot paper cups. The primary difference is the insulation offered by the specific cup type.

Our Plain White or Mocha Single wall hot cups are ideal for warm drinks; however boiling coffee would be somewhat uncomfortable to hold without the use of a cup sleeve (available separately). Due to their single-wall construction there is no additional layer to hold the heat of the drink.

Double wall and insulated weave paper cups are specifically designed to resist greater heat, the multiple layers work in a similar way to a thermos flask; trapping air and protecting the customer's hand from hot beverages. In addition to this, the extra strength is ideally suited to 'coffee on the go'.

With different coffee shop and drinks providers favouring varying disposable cup materials, it is interesting to find out which is the most effective insulating material. Perhaps the most appropriate way to discuss the insulating properties of a paper cup is to compare it with another frequently used non reusable cups, such as the common expanded polystyrene for example. This can be done by carrying out a simple test to show whether the polystyrene or paper cup kept the warm drink it contained hotter for the greatest length of time.

Paper cups vs Polystyrene cups
The heat retention test involves putting 200 ml of hot water into a polystyrene cup and the same amount into a hot drink paper cup to find out which is the better insulator. For a broader comparison, you could also introduce a plastic vending cup into the test to see how its insulation qualities measure up. We all know each of these drinking cups will provide a certain level of insulation, but this test will help demonstrate which is the most efficient method to keep drinks warm.

How to Test the temperature
You can use any tempurate measuring device to test the temperature of the liquid. Taking a temperature reading every minute for a minimum of 10 minutes, then again at 20 minutes and 30 minutes, will help to show whether the paper cup is the best insulator. readings are easiest to interpret in visual form, perhaps as a graph.

Heat retention
In a similar test, cup and food container distributor Contexpan discovered that the liquid in both cups dropped in temperature very fast during the first five minutes, from around 100 degrees centigrade to in the region of ninety degrees. However, at this point, the liquid in the polystyrene cup cooled at a significantly slower rate than the paper cup, remaining at around 80 degrees after 25 minutes compared with the liquid in the paper cup, which had dropped to around 70 degrees.

The results
The findings suggest that the polystyrene cup is the better insulator, with the paper cup in second place. A third cup, a plastic cup, was used in the Contexpan test and this presenting inferior insulation properties, with the water temperature falling to below 70 degrees centigrade after 25 minutes. However, some catering supplies companies are now using double-layered disposable paper cups with an air pocket in between to trap the heat and provide an extra layer of insulation. Further tests would need to be carried out to discover whether this gives the paper cups the edge over polystyrene ones.

From the findings above, we would most likely expect the extra insulation of ripple/weave hot drink paper cups to put them in pole position with this sort of test. The ripples act like a thermos flask, greatly increasing the heat retention of the cups. Further tests are required to conslusively confirm this statement however.

Biodegradable Paper Cups
recently there has been a lot of attention focused on the use of Biodegradable paper cups. This has become a issue as traditional PE coated paper cups use non-renewable materials for their inner lining. Obviously this lining is required to make the cups watertight, so the only way to make paper coffee cups more eco-friendly is to replace the PE lining with an eco-friendly alternative.

The new range of Biodegradable Paper Cups use a PLA (Polylatic acid) lining instead of the traditional PE (Polyethylene) coating. Previously PLA has been mainly used on Plastic Glasses designed for cold drinks. This is because PLA would begin to dissolve if it touched a hot drink. The latest formulations are temperature treated to make it suitable for use with piping hot drinks; this advance has made the coating appropriate for use with disposable paper cups.

PLA vs PE coated paper cups
There is lots of erroneous information on the Internet regarding the environmental benefits of using PLA coating, primarily regarding the disposal of cups at landfill sites. Contrary to popular belief neither the PLA or PE coated paper coffee cups rot at landfill sites. These sites are specifically designed to prevent material 'rotting' as such, as this process released potentially dangerous methane gasses.

A prime advantage of PLA coated paper cups is that the coating is made from a renewable resource, this accounts for roughly 5% of the material used for an average single-wall paper cup.

In order to legitimately trumpet the green credentials of using disposable paper cups it should also be noted that they need to be recycled using appropriate facilities.  This is true of both PE and PLA paper cups. Nether type of paper cup should be disposed of in normal 'paper waste' collections, this can potentially contaminate the entire recycling collection! Currently, the best way of recycling coated paper cups of this nature in the UK is through the save-a-cup scheme.  Specific collections are organised for paper cups, ensuring that they make their way to a suitable processing plant.

Event supplies stock a huge range of quality catering disposable items used throughout professional catering businesses, whether you are organising a large event or small party, event supplies service, prices and product range ensure your catering disposable needs are exceeded.


0844 4995456
http://www.eventsupplies.co.uk
http://www.eventsupplies.co.uk/product_listing,7,0,Hot_Dr...

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Event Supplies distribute a wide range of catering disposables and reusable products including Paper Tablecoverings, Plastic Glasses, Tumblers, Paper cups, Paper plates, Napkins, Cutlery and more. We deliver next day.
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Source:Event Supplies
Email:***@eventsupplies.co.uk Email Verified
Zip:BD21 2BH
Tags:Paper Cups, Hot Drink Paper Cups, Paper Coffee Cups, Disposable Paper Cups
Industry:Entertainment, Environment, Business
Location:Yorkshire - England
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