It is obvious that the type of coffee you start with has the greatest influence on the final taste of your cup of coffee. Generic instant coffee will never taste anywhere near as good as Hawaiin Kona (or your favorite premium blend). Starting with fresh clean water is also important, which is why many coffee makers come with built in water filters. Of course the coffee maker and carafe should also be clean. But after the coffee is brewed, details such as the type of coffee cup you use can also affect the final flavor of the coffee (unless you are using generic instant coffee, in which case there's really nothing you can do to make it taste better).
One of the best types of coffee cup is a ceramic mugs made of porcelain. Porcelain is not porous and due to their very smooth surface, is usually easy to clean. Porcelain is also fairly inert and will not add any chemicals to your coffee. You want to make sure you use a cup designed for drinking though - some "ornamental" porcelain cups that are designed as artworks use glazes that may have chemicals that could leech into your coffee. Fortunately, regular ceramic mugs are both common and inexpensive.
Although less common than ceramic mugs, glass coffee mugs are also excellent and have all the properties of ceramic mugs, although ceramic mugs tend to insulate a bit better than glass mugs. They also have the benefit of looking good when filled with coffee, displaying its rich auburn brown color (at least until you add cream and sugar).
Stainless steel coffee cups are excellent, although some people feel that they impart a bit of a metallic taste to the coffee. Unlike glass and porcelain, stainless steel is unbreakable. Most stainless steel coffee cups are insulated and designed to keep your coffee warm for a longer period of time. Usually they also come with a lid to both prevent spillage and aid in keeping the coffee warm.
The worst type of coffee cup is plastic, Styrofoam or paper. Chemicals will often leech into your coffee, and adversely affect the flavor. Surprisingly, although paper isn't as bad as plastic or Styrofoam, many coffee shops still serve their premium coffee in wax coated paper cups. Beyond just flavor, there are some concerns that plastic and Styrofoam cups contain harmful chemicals that can leech out if the coffee is hot enough. These cups are also bad for the environment.
Coffee residues cling to even glass or ceramic mugs. It's important to clean your coffee cup regularly. When the coffee stains start to built up to the point where they can't be cleaned with soap and water, filling the mug with vinegar will often do the trick. Vinegar's non-toxic, so it's much better to use than chlorine based cleansers.
The type of coffee cup or mug you use may not be the most critical component of a great cup of coffee, but if you're trying to brew the perfect cup of coffee, it's worth considering.
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