Road Testing the KeepCup

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I’ve never had a coffee cup that comes with a manual before – next time I’ll be sure to read it first

Blogger’s disclaimer – the KeepCup was provided to Birds on the Blog as a free sample for review; and these are my opinions.

The KeepCup is basically the coffee addicts equivalent of the Bag for Life – a way to save the planet by reducing the use of disposable takeaway coffee cups.

It’s made from food grade polypropylene, has a click on lid with a sipper hole, and a band to personalise. You can also choose different colours to personalise the cup – useful to avoid squabbles over His and Hers…

It is pretty enough to look at, and feels substantial enough in the hand, and comes in a cute little hessian bag.

[edit - oopsy, I misunderstood, the KeepCup does not, sadly, usually come with the cute little bag. Mea culpa.]

What does personalise the band mean exactly? Well, you can use a permanent marker to colour in how you like your coffee…cappucino or latte, white or black, sugar or decaff.  I’m not altogether sure how useful that is – I might want different drinks perhaps, and anyway I’m expected to say what I want – not pass a note.

So if I needed an excuse, here it was. This week I’ve tried out the KeepCup at a few of the places where I feed my caffeine habit.

First stop, Sainsbury’s cafe, after early morning shopping. I suppose the fact that I was drinking in rather than taking away added to the confusion, but I wanted my breakfast.  Still although she looked very bemused by the idea, and it took me some time to convince her that I really had brought my own cup, my latte was duly served in the KeepCup.  I tested it throughly, and it worked beautifully. With the lid clicked on the seal wasn’t perfect, but only leaked three drops when I held it upside down.

Next stop, Cafe Ritazza at Pease Pottage Services.  Now that was a scenario that I could imagine it being useful for – a long motorway journey. HoweverI’d forgotten the difficulty of washing it. The only option was the toilets and I hadn’t thought to bring any paper towels with me. Perhaps the little hessian bag was a clue…it’s not just the cup you need, if you’re going to want more than one coffee…

It did rinse out easily enough, though. And the young man at Cafe Ritazza took it from me and filled it up without any hesitation. Of course, it was his first day on the job. He overfilled it. And so I had leakage problems straight away…

My third trial was the best, at my local coffee shop in Peacehaven, Coffee Haven. The staff were fascinated, but also clearly suspected I was from Candid Camera. But they were happy enough to use my KeepCup, and in terms of usability it does compare favourably with the takeaway ones they provide.

On balance, I don’t really think the idea will catch on. My initial theory that it would be good on a long motorway jouney was really destroyed by the difficulty of washing it up, and drying it. Of course it would be possible to be prepared, but perhaps these days we are just too used to more convenience, and less keen on planning ahead.

If I was travelling into work each morning, and getting a coffee on the way, then I think the KeepCup might well suit me, as that way it would become a daily habit. But for an occasional coffee drinker, or a complete addict who wants several cups a day, it is a little less convenient. It is certainly much nicer to use than the usual takeaway disposable coffee cups, and if you are an organised, regular coffee drinker then it is definitely worth trying out.

Check out the KeepCup website for more information.

Ann

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About Ann Godridge
Ann Godridge has just completed her first crime novel, The Mermaid's Shroud, and has started work on the sequel. Her story the Tree of Knowledge was shortlisted for the Asham Award. She writes about writing and sometimes about textile arts at her blogStraw into Gold. You can find out more about her here - About Ann G.
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