The Melbourne keep cup that made reusable the barista standard
KeepCup Brew Cork glass and KeepCup Thermal stainless steel, stocked in Sydney and shipped Australia-wide.
TL;DR: KeepCup is a Melbourne-designed reusable coffee cup brand. Coffee Parts stocks the 12oz KeepCup Brew Cork (tempered glass, cork band) and 12oz KeepCup Thermal (18/8 stainless steel).
A keep cup only works if you actually reach for it every morning. That is the whole idea behind KeepCup: a reusable coffee cup sized to a real café pour, drafted so the barista can see the fill line, and comfortable enough to carry with a laptop bag. Coffee Parts has been a Keep Cup stockist for years, and we stock the two versions worth knowing: the glass KeepCup Brew Cork and the insulated KeepCup Thermal.
Why KeepCup is on our shelves
KeepCup started in a Melbourne café. Siblings Abigail and Jamie Forsyth opened a café business in 1998, watched disposable cups take over the counter, and in 2007 designed their own reusable cup after a successful trial of a reusable soup mug. Existing thermoses and mugs simply did not suit a café refill: they were the wrong volume, the wrong shape, and awkward for the barista. The KeepCup was drafted as a barista standard cup from the start, which is why cafés took to it so quickly.
That barista-first design is what we care about. A coffee keep cup that holds a genuine 12oz / 340ml serve, pours cleanly, and sits in a car cup holder is a cup that gets used rather than left in a drawer. We have sold and tested plenty of reusable cups since we opened, and the ones that survive are the ones that fit the daily ritual without friction.
Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen make the point in The New Rules of Coffee that the cup you drink from is part of what makes coffee enjoyable. We agree. The KeepCup Brew Cork in Black and the KeepCup Thermal in Latte are in stock now, alongside the rest of our reusable coffee cups range.
Which KeepCup should you choose?
There are two families in our range, and the choice comes down to one question: do you want to see and taste the coffee, or do you want it to stay hot?
KeepCup Brew Cork: the glass keep cup
The Brew Cork is made of durable tempered glass with a sustainably harvested cork band for a comfortable, dry grip. Glass is the honest option for flavour because it does not hold on to the taste of yesterday's coffee. It is a drafted vessel, so it pours easily lid on or off, and the press fit sipper lid keeps things tidy on the walk from the café. Materials, straight from KeepCup:
- Cup: tempered glass
- Band: cork
- Lid: polypropylene alloy #7
- Plug: LDPE #4
- Capacity: 12oz / 340ml
Colours we carry include Black, Filter (Tan), Spruce (Midnight Blue) and Press (Charcoal). Stock rotates, so check the live status on each product page.
KeepCup Thermal: the cup that keeps coffee hot
If your commute is longer than the café-to-desk walk, the Thermal is the one. It uses double-walled, vacuum sealed insulation to keep your drink hot (or cold) for longer, and the body is 18/8 food grade stainless steel. It keeps the same drafted shape and press fit sipper lid as the Brew, so it is still lovely to drink from and still fits your hand and your cup holder. We stock it in Latte (Light Brown) at 12oz / 340ml.
How to decide
- Coffee straight from the café, drunk within minutes: Brew Cork. Lighter, and you can see the pour.
- Coffee that has to survive a train or a school run: Thermal. Insulated stainless steel.
- You want it to fit a car cup holder: both do, at 12oz.
- Lids, plugs and spares: KeepCup lids and plugs are separate components, so if yours goes missing, ask us before buying a whole new cup. Our reusable coffee cups category and cups and glassware range show what is on the shelf today.
How KeepCup compares to the other reusables we stock
We also carry Frank Green, Sttoke and Huskee. Each has its own lid and material approach; KeepCup's edge is the barista-standard geometry and the glass Brew Cork option. If you brew on the road with a portable brewer, a Thermal is the natural partner.
I grew up in the era when every second person at a Sydney café had a KeepCup on the counter, and I still think it is the reusable that cafés like best. Baristas can see the fill line through the glass, the volume matches a real flat white, and it does not fight the person pouring. We've been a Keep Cup stockist long enough to know which colours sell out first. My advice: buy the Thermal if the coffee has to travel, the Brew Cork if you drink it straight away.
— Pedro Lara
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "keep cup" mean? +
It started as the brand name KeepCup, from the Melbourne idea of "keep it and use it again". In Australia the phrase is now used for any reusable coffee cup, but KeepCup is the original brand behind the term.
Is KeepCup an Australian brand? +
Yes. KeepCup was designed in Melbourne by siblings Abigail and Jamie Forsyth, who started a café business in 1998 and released their barista standard reusable cup in 2007.
Is a reusable coffee cup worth it? +
If you buy takeaway coffee regularly, yes. A cup sized to a café pour, like the 12oz KeepCup Brew Cork or Thermal, replaces a disposable every time you use it, and many cafés welcome a reusable at the counter.
How many times do I need to use one to make a difference? +
There is no single number that fits every cup and every café, so we will not quote one. The practical answer is that the benefit builds with daily use, which is why we recommend the model you will actually carry, not the one that looks best in a cupboard.
Where can I buy one in Australia? +
Coffee Parts is a Keep Cup stockist based in Pagewood, Sydney, and we ship Australia-wide. Current stock and lead times are shown on each product page in this category.
Which model keeps coffee hot the longest? +
The KeepCup Thermal. It is double-walled and vacuum sealed, with an 18/8 food grade stainless steel body, and built to keep drinks hot or cold for longer than the glass Brew Cork.
What materials are used in the Brew Cork and Thermal? +
The Brew Cork uses a tempered glass cup, a cork band, a polypropylene alloy #7 lid and an LDPE #4 plug. The Thermal uses 18/8 food grade stainless steel with the same press fit sipper lid design.