The 'at work' coffee mug

[canesisters]

There is a controversy on the radio today over 'at work' coffee mugs.
One of the morning team says "Wash that thing every single day!" The other says "It only needs it when it starts to look dirty because the hot coffee 'cleans' it."

What do you say?

In my case, I'm the only person in the building and my mug used to stay full almost all day long so I would rinse it in the morning and keep on chuggin'. It would get a hot, soapy wash once a week or so.

 

[Nyboy]

Buy my coffee on way to work, throw away cup when finished.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my opinion, if you use milk and/or sugar you probably should wash it out occasionally. If you take it black I don't think it all that important.

When at work I generally used coffeemate or milk, depending on what was available, and sugar in my coffee. Different offices or construction sites can really vary on what is available but we had coffee of some sort. Often I was the first one in so I made the coffee. Even though I used milk product and sugar, I almost never washed the mug in soap and water, just rinsed it out in clean water at night.

One exception was when I worked in an office in London, Knightsbridge area. We did not have coffee machines. We had a tea lady that came around twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, with her tea cart. I could get a tiny tea cup of instant coffee from her. One tiny cup. I made coffee in the morning and carried a thermos to the office.

 

[so lucky]

Office break rooms and kitchens can really be a point of contention. I used to work with a lady who brought her own French press to make her coffee. She was always using a lot of cups, plates and utensils for various odd foods, and then leave a terrible mess--dirty dishes in the sink, cabinet doors hanging open, packages out on the counter. Our office manager nagged us about it frequently, threatening to close the break room if "You all" don't stop leaving a mess. (The culprit was higher ranking than most of us, so may have felt privileged)
One day we came in to work and found that all the silverware and cutlery had been removed. Nothing to stir the coffee with, or cut an apple with, or anything. ???!!!
I soon learned to bring my own utensils and keep them in my desk.
And I rinsed and dried my coffee cup, but didn't use soap most of the time.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I'd say it depends on what else went in it. Straight coffee or tea probably only needs a rinse, provided the mug is in good shape (if the inner glaze is chipped, or the inner surface isn't glazed more frequent washing is probably a good idea*. Straight coffee may in fact be antibacterial; I know straight tea is (that's why at a lot of Chinese restaurants, the pour the leftover tea out onto the surface of the table before they begin to wipe it down.

On the other hand if you are adding milk, sweetener, or citrus juice more frequent washing is probably warranted, since they spoil easier. By extension, if the tea/coffee blend you use contains actual bits of dried fruit (a lot do nowadays) it is probably best to treat it as if it has sugar added (because technically it does)

My personal headache like this involves my tea. I've never had much question about washing my mug or cup, because I usually don't use one (I find hot drinks make me very sleepy, so I drink most of my tea lukewarm to iced, out of a glass) when I am at home.

The problem is with what I have to do to take it with me when I go out (say to the city) for that I use a thermos, or more accurately a Camelback (since that allows me to drink the tea without opening the bottle, while keeping it from leaking into my bag). That DOES get dishwashed after every use, except for the straws which get hand washed (because they melt in the machine).

The problem involves the top. That gets dishwashed too, but the design means that there is always a sort of reservoir in the rubber nipple and inner workings that the machine never gets to (even if you pull the nipple off before putting it in) Eventually black mold develops, and I have to replace the top (which usually means buying a whole new thermos, as replacement parts are hard to order on their own) I assume it a sort of design flaw (obviously, the people who designed camelbacks never considered anyone would put anything but water in them**) And most of the other sports bottles either break readily or leak constantly. Guess it's just one of those annoyances one has to live with.

*with tea this can actually be a sort of selling point. For really good chinese tea the tradtion is to use a Yixing clay teapot (which is unglazed) to brew it. Part of the selling point of this is that some of the tea is supposed to be absorbed and retained within the clay of the pot (for this reason, you are supposed to have a separate pot for every kind of tea you could brew****, even though the things cost a fortune.) Since these pots are often treasured for lives and passed down as heirlooms, 5 and 600 year old examples are not unknown, and the rumor is that some of those have absorbed so much you can make tea in them by simply adding water, no leaves necessary.)

** I know from personal experience one should NEVER try and put anything carbonated in a camelback. The nipple is firm enough to keep the drink from leaking, but the jostling as you move will cause pressure to build up in it and so, when you put the nipple in your mouth and press down to take a pull, the pressure will release all at one and a stream of carbonated liquid will hit you in the back of the throat.

*** some real aficionados say you need a new pot for each season of each tea, since, like fine wine the same tea will taste different from year to year.

 

[digitS']

This morning, I'm having coffee with chicory and was just checking caffeine #'s. I won't have any trouble making the rinse/wash decision. DW practically snatches it out of my hand in the middle of the final sip! DW is strongly opposed to me reusing the mug altho that was common for me before she came along.

I must say that milk and creamer are "foods" to my way of thinking. I will wash the mug. I usually don't add anything to my coffee altho I've become something of a milk w/tea drinker lately .

throw away cup when finished.

NyBoy, you are missing one of the pleasures by using that disposable cup.

I could get a tiny tea cup of instant coffee from her. One tiny cup.

That sounds so American ...

... that's why at a lot of Chinese restaurants, the pour the leftover tea out onto the surface of the table before they begin to wipe it down...

That sounds terrible! They say that an anthropologist is a scientist who doesn't accept the germ theory of disease but I'd have trouble even touching a table for food and beverage if it had someone's leftover drink spilled all over it. Maybe if I could drag it out in the bright sunlight for several hours.

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

*with tea this can actually be a sort of selling point. For really good chinese tea the tradtion is to use a Yixing clay teapot (which is unglazed) to brew it. Part of the selling point of this is that some of the tea is supposed to be absorbed and retained within the clay of the pot (for this reason, you are supposed to have a separate pot for every kind of tea you could brew****, even though the things cost a fortune.) Since these pots are often treasured for lives and passed down as heirlooms, 5 and 600 year old examples are not unknown, and the rumor is that some of those have absorbed so much you can make tea in them by simply adding water, no leaves necessary.)

*** some real aficionados say you need a new pot for each season of each tea, since, like fine wine the same tea will taste different from year to year.

I went through a tourist "Tea Ceremony" when I was visiting Beijing China. An exceedingly charming and articulate young lady sort of explained the tea ceremony but was really lecturing us on tea plus getting us ready for the gift shop. I can support everything Pulsegleaner said above.

There are five basic different types of teas, each with an uncountable number of variations. The best way to brew tea, according to our guide, depends on the type of tea. She went through all five types. There was even one type where you throw out the first brewing because it is too strong.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I actually have practiced those things, and am pretty good at them. By no means "master" class but competent. It can be fun, plus you do get points from a lot of people by claiming you are practiced in Gong Fu since most people don't realized that ALL activities preformed with practice are "Kung Fu" in Chinese, not just the martial arts (that's wushu). I have sometimes summarized it

Most people, they haven't a clue
when I say I have mastered kung fu
I can't fight worth a ****
my kung fu skill's to sit
and fine oolong teas properly brew.

and @digitS' you misinterpreted a bit. They pour out the leftover tea in the POT, not the people's cups.. The tea on the table has not touched anyone's lips.

And they don't all do it. A lot of people consider it low class, saying "I'm too cheap and grubby to spend money on actually cleaning the table". And some really devout people think such a waste of tea is blasphemy. Lao Tze said in Taoism that wasting tea was one of the three most deplorable things a person could do.)

 

[journey11]

If you use cream or sugar, I would wash it daily so mold wouldn't grow. I left a travel mug in the car and found it under the seat a week later. It smelled pretty funky!