Best disposable cups

One of the pitfalls of hosting is cleaning up the mess afterward; using recyclable cutlery and paper plates is a great way to make that faster, and to save water in dry climates. The best disposable cups, when added to that mix, are a worthy addition; cold drinks, hot drinks, lidded cups, shot glasses—the possibilities are endless. Our best overall disposable cups are from Ball (yes, THAT Ball), and they're actually made from aluminum rather than paper or plastic. Aluminum can be perpetually reused and recycled, so it's better to use for disposables than plastic. Speaking of plastic cups, many more on this list are made from that, and the best hot cup I found is insulated paper. Check out the cups below, and take the stress out of your soiree's aftermath.

These innovative vessels from Ball, respected glassware company, are a no-brainer for our best overall disposable cup award. Made from aluminum, they're meant for serving cold drinks rather than hot ones. You can buy ten of these 20-ounce cups or go all out and order 600 in bulk. Ball made a wise choice by choosing aluminum. It's infinitely recyclable and plenty strong enough for multiple refills, so you may not need to buy these cups in bulk after all.

Double-walled, insulated, and disposable: what's not to love? You don't need to own a café to benefit from these to-go cups from Harvest Pack; they'll kick your morning coffee experience up a notch at home. The 85 paper cups and matching standard 90-millimeter plastic lids are an excellent value for what you get. These cups are leak-proof, too, thanks to a food-safe polyethylene coating on their interior. Best of all, you won't even need a java jacket, since the cups' rippled exterior is never hot to the touch.

New plant-based products are being designed every day. So I was glad to see that Repurpose had put out a collection of cups, flatware, and dishes derived from natural materials. These 12 or 16-ounce cold cups are BPA-free, and while you can't buy them in bulk, the price is still very reasonable. The surprising part of Repurposes' cups is that you can toss them directly into your compost heap. Over time, their material is 100 percent commercially compostable. Of course, you can only serve cold drinks in these cups, but that makes a lot of sense—compost heaps generate their own heat during the decomposition process, and that likely aids in the breakdown.

Jell-O shots are as famous as they are delicious, and JOLLY CHEF's 500-pack of 1-ounce shot glasses are ideal vessels for the tasty tipple. What if you don't drink or plan to serve shots of any kind at your gathering? Use these disposable cups to hold appetizers like soup shooters or tiny trifles with mousse and fruit. They're also great for keeping crafting items close at hand like beads, glue, paint, gems, and glitter—the possibilities are endless.

Make your next cookout a colorful one with Amazon Basics' quartet of candy-toned plastic cups. They'll hold the usual 16 ounces, and you'll get four bold shades of purple, green, blue, and orange. Each cup's ridged provides a secure grip, just like classic Solo cups. In addition, they're BPA-free, which, thankfully, is beginning to be the norm among plastic products. You can stock up on AmazonCommercial's cups without breaking the bank, either—we highlighted the 120-count pack, but you can buy double that for only a bit more.

Bottom line

The best disposable cups will absolutely make your life easier post-gathering, so it's worth buying ones that are also recyclable. Our staff pick by Ball checks both of those boxes and is sturdy enough to reuse multiple times before throwing them out. They'll last you much longer than a sleeve of Solo cups, but they can only handle cold beverages. 

If you prefer the cozy feel of a warm drink in your hands, consider our best value pick from Harvest Pack. Unfortunately, when your beverage is too hot to handle, it's a lot less pleasant. The double-walled insulation helps avoid this by keeping heat inside the cup so it doesn't travel out to the exterior to burn your hands. These cups also come with lids, so you won't have to worry about spills, either.

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