Does coffee taste better in a red mug? 5 of the most '˜bizarre' coffee theories

For many it is the most important moment of the day, the first cup of coffee.

Does mug vary taste? Picture; contributed

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While many people live for coffee, there are some bizarre theories about how you can improve the taste of your cuppa joe.

Many people believe that coffee tastes better in certain coloured mugs. Indeed there has been studies carried out to try and support the argument.

Here are some of the weirdest coffee theories from around the world.

1- The colour of the mug affects taste

Studies have shown that the darker the colour of the mug, the nicer it is to drink coffee from.

Researchers found that the contrast of the colour of coffee in a white mug makes the coffee look and taste bolder, which is why it seems to taste bitter coming out of a lighter cup.

Perhaps that’s the reason Starbucks Christmas cups are so popular?

The best shade varies from study to study with some suggesting red, orange, clear and even light blue to be the optimal shade.

2- The best time to drink coffee is not first thing in the morning.

This is due to your levels of cortisol at the time - for example, first thing in the morning is not a good time, as our cortisol, which are at their highest when we wake up.

Later in the morning between 9:30 and 10:30 is better, as well as the dreaded “afternoon slump” between 1 and 4.

3- The ultimate drinking temperature is...

Have you ever absent-mindedly taken a sip of a freshly-made coffee mere minutes after making it, then feel like you’re in Danté’s Inferno as you feel your mouth burn the fire of a thousand suns?

Researchers at the University of Texas had enough of brewing coffee and burning their tongue seconds later, so they recruited 300 subjects to investigate the optimum “drinkable” coffee temperature, which proved to be 136 degrees.

4- Thrills abd spills

Look closely and see that the stain left after spilling hot coffee on your shirt has an ombré effect - light on the inside, getting darker towards the outside.

Blame the particles - around the edges, round particles show up darker, while elongated particles in the middle are lighter.

5- We hear you

Can coffee even improve your hearing? According to a study of 65,000 women in the US were tracked for incidents of tinnitus. Research found that women who drank just one cup of coffee a day were 15% more likely to have tinnitus compared to those who drank 4 or 5 cups.