We have covered the art of making a perfect cup of coffee at home many times before. From choosing the right milk to the correct order for adding milk and sugar, we’re certainly not short on coffee-making advice here. But one thing you may not be aware of is that the cup you choose to pour your coffee into is pretty essential when making certain styles.

Nespresso coffee ambassador Mitch Monaghan recently hosted an education session on making barista-quality coffees at home, and he stressed that if you want to nail the perfect cappuccino or latte or beyond, you first need to choose the correct cup.

When speaking about mastering popular coffee styles (Aussies tend to drink cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, long blacks and espressos most), Monaghan explained that the differently-shaped cups you see in cafés are there for a reason.

“When it comes to making café-style coffee, size matters,” he explained.

“Café coffee cups come in a range of sizes designed to fit the different coffee servings perfectly. If you use a standard 350ml coffee mug for all your recipes, you’ll find it often looks half empty. Alternatively, use a smaller cup for the wrong recipe, and it could overspill.”

And in addition to adjusting cup size for the length of your coffee, there is research that indicates different cups bring flavour expectations for people. For example, smaller and narrower cups (say an espresso cup) tend to have people expecting more bitter flavours, while mugs bring on the expectation of a sweeter mouthful.

It also makes sense, when you think about it, that cappuccinos sit in wider cups that allow for easy access to the foam on top.

As a general rule, Monaghan shared that coffee cup sizes should be broken down this way:

In the end, home baristas should remember that “your cup should always be filled to the top. The difference is normally in the quantity of froth,” Monaghan shared.

Another detail many people forget when making coffee at home is that a cold cup will rob your coffee of about 20 per cent of its heat.

“Heating your cup is a simple and important step – particularly in winter – that many people miss at home,” Monaghan said.

“The best way is to use the ‘Lungo’ setting [on a Nespresso machine] without a capsule in the machine. Run the water directly into your cup. Give it a minute with the hot water, and then discard it when you are ready to make your coffee.”

And according to Nespresso, a lot of you are making your coffees at home now. The Nespresso 2022 Australian Coffee Report, which was conducted by YouGov, highlighted that almost three-quarters of Australians are currently making their coffee at home in some capacity, so it’s worth learning how to do it correctly.

If you’re in need of some new coffee cups now that you’re aware of their importance, check out Nespresso’s range which is made up of 30% recycled coffee bean husks. While you’re at it, check out the new Discover Your Favourites Assortment Box, which is made up of a collection of top-selling coffee capsules.

Stephanie Nuzzo is the Editor of Lifehacker Australia.

Yes, I wish to receive exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions from our partners.

Now you can get the top stories from Lifehacker delivered to your inbox. Enter your email below.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.