Single wall cup

A paper coffee cup with one layer of board. Lighter and cheaper than double wall; usually needs a separate sleeve for hot drinks.

A single wall cup is exactly that — one layer of paperboard with a thin liner to hold liquid. It's the lower-cost, lighter option and stacks compactly, which is why high-volume and cost-sensitive venues favour it for everything from water and juice to takeaway coffee.

The catch with hot drinks is heat transfer: with only one wall, a fresh cup of coffee can be uncomfortable to hold, so many cafés add a separate clip-on sleeve. Factor the sleeve into both the cost and the counter workflow when comparing single wall against double wall.

Single wall is a strong choice for cold drinks, short blacks, and any setting where a sleeve or a second cup is already in play. For long hot drinks that customers carry, double wall often wins on comfort even though it costs more per unit.