Have you discovered the best non-plastic, disposable drinking straw?

January 12, 2020 9:52 AM

I’m looking for the best non-plastic, disposable drinking straw. Ideally, it:

- Doesn’t get soggy quickly (like paper straws) and stays sturdy
- Doesn’t impart a weird taste to the drink
- Is compostable
- Is readily available to buy online or in San Francisco

Paper straws are the worst. For various reasons, I’m not interested in reusable straws, or not using a straw. What’s out there that hits some or all of these points?

posted by jroybal to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

The IKEA paper straws are very sturdy, more like card, and don't go soft. These Bamboo guys, also from IKEA are more durable and would be compostable.
posted by tardigrade at 10:01 AM on January 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

Pasta straws. A restaurant here does it and they are great.
posted by notjustthefish at 10:22 AM on January 12, 2020 [5 favorites]

The best non-plastic disposable straws I've used are made from actual straw. I'm not sure this is the brand I've used before, but they look the same: Hay! straws
posted by Lexica at 10:38 AM on January 12, 2020 [6 favorites]

+1 to straw straws. My local coffee shop uses them and they're great. The ones Lexica linked look exactly right.
posted by (Over) Thinking at 10:55 AM on January 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

My local Safeway in San Francisco sells boxes of compostable straws that are sturdy and don't taste weird, and are honestly fairly indistinguishable from plastic straws except for a slight difference in texture (which I don't find unpleasant, and I have texture issues). I've switched to these for my at-home straw-use needs. I can't recall the brand (just finished my most recent box and recycled the packaging), but they're right there on the shelf with all the other compostable disposable paper goods.The downside, depending on your priorities, is that they may not fully biodegradable.

+1 to straw/grass/hay straws, too. I've had these at a couple coffee shops and other than them being generally a little thinner than most straws, I can't tell a difference in using them vs. standard plastic disposables.

I also like the sturdiness and texture of sugar cane straws, but they're harder to find, and I see mixed reports on whether they're truly biodegradable (which, again, may or may not matter depending on your priorities).

I've had bamboo fiber straws--they're common in boba shops, and Boba Guys specifically uses them in their SF stores--and they are quite sturdy and don't impart a taste, but I personally don't like the texture against my lips. If you don't have texture issues, you may want to check them out, too.
posted by rhiannonstone at 12:59 PM on January 12, 2020

I'm addicted to cocktail straws and HATE the mouthfeel of paper, glass, and steel straws. The hay straws are delightful, and fun to chew after your drink is finished.
posted by redsparkler at 6:10 PM on January 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

I personally like the hay straws too, and I have heard good things about pasta straws (if you check your store, they might even HAVE uncut macaroni/long macaroni, which is essentially a straw!)
posted by euphoria066 at 3:30 PM on January 14, 2020