We told you why you should have your own reusable coffee cups in a previous blog post and this is the first of many reusable coffee cup reviews so you can make an informed choice when you need to buy a reusable coffee cup.
We thought we’d start with a pretty well-known favourite in Vic Park – The KeepCup. Which, comes in two options; glass or plastic.
You could probably say the KeepCup was one of the first reusable coffee cups that really made traction in the Perth coffee scene. I remember buying my first plastic KeepCup back in 2010! (I still have it by the way, but it is now proudly owned by my two year old).
What is it made of?
So let’s get the story straight – KeepCup offer two types of reusable coffee cups. They have the original polypropylene plastic design and they now have a tempered glass design with a silicone or cork band.
They offer LOTS of fun colour combinations and the sizes vary from an extra small (espresso size) to an extra large (jumbo mug size).
Is it portable?
The KeepCup is pretty portable. If you go for the plastic option it’s easy to throw in your bag, car, bike basket (like, actually throw it).
You’ll have to be a bit more wary of the glass KeepCup, while we can report some of us have successfully kept our glass cups safe for a while now without problems (I have chucked it in my handbag and gone about my business, and even dropped it wooden floorboards without issue), one of our committee members did however accidentally drop his cup on the pavement and it didn’t survive!
Some of our members with older cups complained that the cups weren’t 100% spill proof, but the newer cups seem to have a better design.
Is it easy to clean?
The KeepCup is very easy to wash by hand or throw in the dishwasher (note: if you have the cork band, this needs to be removed first).
Some of us noticed it was harder to keep the plastic cup smelling fresh so we prefer the glass cup which is much easier to clean.
Is it barista friendly?
The KeepCup is barista friendly and comes in recognisable sizes.
How much does it cost?
12oz is $16 online 12oz glass is $26 online (but we can report seeing them cheaper in certain cafes in Vic Park).
You can check out their online store here.
Where is it made?
The plastic cups and lids are made in Victoria and the glass cups and silicone bands are made in China. The cork bands are made from recycled waste material from the wine industry.
What is the company philosophy?
KeepCup seem to have a very strong stance on sustainability. As they claim on their website “The KeepCup was conceived as a sustainable product and this mandate overrides all commercial decisions we make.”
The KeepCup is perfect for…
The plastic cup is perfect for someone on the go that needs to be able to chuck their cup in their bag afterwards. Fun colours are always appealing too, especially to kids (because, they drink babycinos and hot chocolate too!).
The glass cup is perfect for those with refined taste, who don’t want the plastic aftertaste.
Keep your eyes out for our competition at the end of our review process where you could win the glass and plastic KeepCups pictured above!