Does the colour of the mug influence the taste of the coffee?
Van Doorn, Wuillemin and Spence tested whether the colour of a mug changes how the coffee in it is perceived. In the first experiment, cafe latte drunk from a white mug was rated higher in flavour intensity than the same coffee from a transparent mug. Because the mugs differed slightly in physical form, a second experiment used identical glass mugs fitted with coloured sleeves, and the effect held: the coffee was rated as less sweet in the white mug than in the transparent and blue ones. Since the transparent and blue ratings did not differ significantly, simultaneous contrast can be ruled out as the explanation. The authors suggest instead that the colour contrast between mug and coffee changes the perceived brownness of the drink, which in turn shifts perceived intensity and sweetness. Their practical point is that anyone serving coffee should treat the mug as part of the multisensory experience, which this publication cites as the clearest consumer-facing result in the crossmodal literature.
Van Doorn, Wuillemin and Spence tested whether the colour of a mug changes how the coffee in it is perceived. In the first experiment, cafe latte drunk from a white mug was rated higher in flavour intensity than the same coffee from a transparent mug. Because the mugs differed slightly in physical form, a second experiment used identical glass mugs fitted with coloured sleeves, and the effect held: the coffee was rated as less sweet in the white mug than in the transparent and blue ones. Since the transparent and blue ratings did not differ significantly, simultaneous contrast can be ruled out as the explanation. The authors suggest instead that the colour contrast between mug and coffee changes the perceived brownness of the drink, which in turn shifts perceived intensity and sweetness. Their practical point is that anyone serving coffee should treat the mug as part of the multisensory experience, which this publication cites as the clearest consumer-facing result in the crossmodal literature.
Written from the abstract, OpenAlex.
What our sources record
Reproduced as it was written when this source was checked, figures and all.
3, 10. White mug enhanced rated intensity against a transparent mug; in the second experiment, using identical glass mugs with coloured sleeves, coffee was rated less sweet in the white mug than in the transparent and blue ones. Simultaneous contrast was ruled out. doi:10.1186/2044-7248-3-10
Where we use it
- Why Your Coffee Tastes Different in a White Cup, Why We Crave
Reliability of this reference
The link below was matched against the publisher's record on title, first author and year, and all three agree.
The source
https://doi.org/10.1186/2044-7248-3-10
DOI: 10.1186/2044-7248-3-10