Like many people, I often grab a morning coffee on my way to work. I had been looking for a reusable coffee cup for a while, and I finally decided which to purchase. I got an rCup – and I love it! Here’s my rCup review…
Why should you use a reusable coffee cup?
This is an rCup review, but first things first. Why should you choose to carry a reusable coffee cup, such as an rCup, around instead of simply using disposable ones supplied by coffee shops?
Recycling paper cups isn’t easy
First, and most importantly, hopefully we all know by now that single-use plastic isn’t a good thing.
Coffee cups are paper though – right? Well, no. Most are lined with a thin layer of plastic to stop them from leaking. This combination of paper and plastic is difficult to separate and so they are more difficult to recycle.
In fact, used coffee cups most often end up in landfill.
So, you can either pop your used coffee cup in the non-recyclable bin, or invest in a reusable cup.
You could save yourself some money
Many coffee shops now offer a discounted rate for bringing your own reusable cup. In fact, in some places you can save as much as 50p per coffee!
Sure, you have to buy a reusable cup first, but if you like your coffee you’ll make that money back pretty quickly. And then your savings can (slowly) contribute to your next adventure!
What I considered before purchasing my rCup
- I wanted to keep my coffee warm. I’ll sometimes leave my coffee on the side for 20 minutes, and I’d rather it didn’t get cold. So I wanted to look for a thermal coffee cup.
- I wanted it to hold my favourite coffee. It just wasn’t going to work if I couldn’t buy my regular cappuccino.
- I wanted it to be reasonably priced. I like nice things, but I don’t like parting with a lot of money for no real reason!
Which coffee cups did I consider?
Before I get into the rCup review, what other options are out there?
I did some research, both online and in actual shops (I almost never go into actual shops!). And I found lots of great options for reusable coffee cups. Here are the top five I considered:
Frank Green reusable cup
The Frank Green Travel Coffee Mug is super stylish. It comes in many colours with a soft matt finish.
This reusable coffee cup comes in 175ml, 295ml and 475ml. I was looking for a 340ml cup to fit my cappuccino, so this didn’t quite work for me.
They are spill-proof, not leak-proof, and can be recycled at the end of their coffee cup life.
It’s a relatively expensive option at £20.99, but they do look pretty!
Keep Cup Thermal Stainless Steel
I liked the KeepCup Thermal Stainless Steel but it was the most expensive of the bunch at £26. KeepCups are great, the perfect size, and come in a variety of colours, but this one just seemed way too pricey!
Aladdin Leak-Lock Travel Cup
I really liked the Aladdin Leak-Lock Travel Cup when I saw it in the shop. It is around £16.99, and so one of the cheaper ones I considered.
The trouble was I really liked the smaller version – the 250ml – but it wouldn’t have fit my coffee. The 340ml somehow didn’t have the same charm…
I think this is the one I would have bought if I hadn’t ended up with an rCup. It’s not too expensive, and it is essentially a vacuum flask which will keep your coffee warm for up to 3 hours.
Chilly’s Bottles Coffee Cup
I was originally planning to get a Chilly’s Bottles Coffee Cup, and I actually asked for one for Christmas. I love their bottles and so wanted to stick with the brand.
However, the stock seemed to dwindle after Christmas and hasn’t come back in. It makes me wonder why… plus, they’re expensive at £23 each.
rCup
I ended up buying an rCup. Below are my reasons for choosing this one, and how it has lived up to expectations.
My rCup Review
How long does coffee stay warm in an rCup?
rCup advertise that coffee will stay warm inside for over 90 minutes. I don’t tend to drink that slowly, so I can’t claim to have fully tested that.
I haven’t had an accidental sip of cold coffee yet though!
Is the rCup really leakproof?
Being leakproof is a big plus for a reusable coffee cup – especially if you want to use it when traveling. The closure system is easy to operate and does indeed stop leakage!
I maybe wouldn’t trust it at the bottom of a bag, in case the lid is accidentally pressed, but at the top of my bike bag? Sure!
How Eco is rCup?
I like that rCups are made from recycled disposable coffee cups. This eases my conscience about all of the disposable cups I’ve used in the past.
It feels like doing your bit twice – both reducing single use items, and recycling old ones.
What is rCup like to drink from?
rCup is pretty nice to drink from. It’s a lightweight cup and, with small hands, I appreciate its lack of bulk.
rCup’s closure system allows you to drink from any side. OK, it’s not that hard to look for the little hole in other cups, but it’s still nice not to have to!
What size rCup should you buy?
Particularly with thermal models, it’s actually quite hard to work out from sight alone what size reusable coffee cup will fit your favourite coffee.
I typically buy take-away coffees from the cafe next to my office and I almost exclusively get a cappuccino. So I wanted to be sure that this particular coffee was going to fit in my new cup!
So I did some Googling and worked out that a standard regular Cappuccino is 340ml.
I bought the 340ml/12oz version and my first impression was that it looked a bit too big. So I took a take-away coffee cup, filled it with water, then filled the rCup – and it was indeed exactly the same size.
Does my cappuccino fit in my rCup? Yes. Although, because of the foam and the fact that the rCup lid sinks down into the cup, I do have to drink some of the coffee before screwing on the lid.
This doesn’t really bother me because I’m usually pretty keen for a sip of coffee. But if I do forget, the foam squidges out of the sides which is a little messy.
I wanted to mention this in my rCup review in case it bothers you. But it’s no problem at all if you’re after a non-foamy coffee like a Latte or Americano!
How much does an rCup cost?
rCup is actually the cheapest cup I seriously considered (hooray!). You can pick one up for £12.
I think it’s well worth the money.
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