Traditionally, espressos are served in a little cup called a demitasse, a French word meaning “half cup.” With such a small drink, you want to make sure that it tastes the best it can.
Well did you know that your espresso cup choice actually affects how it tastes? When you choose the right cup, you’ll notice the difference in how your coffee tastes – especially the crema. Don’t believe us? Try out some of the cups we introduce in our best espresso cups guide below and see if you can taste the difference!
Top 7 Espresso Cups For The Ultimate Taste
Let’s take a look at some of the best espresso cups around:
Glastal Double Walled Espresso Cups
These Glastal cups are made from the most durable borosilicate glass. This high-quality material won’t shatter or crack even when it’s at a high temperature. This means you can pour hot coffee straight into the cup without risking it shattering. What’s more, they can be placed in a freezer (should you want to use them for making desserts) and are safe to use in a microwave too.
These Glastal cups are also double walled so you can enjoy your drink when it’s piping hot without burning your fingers. The insulating double wall also means that your coffee won’t cool down too quickly either.
If you choose to use this glass for a cold drink, you’ll be pleased to know that this double wall helps to keep things cool too – and you won’t get that annoying condensation thanks to the insulating double wall.
In terms of capacity, these glasses hold 120ml of liquid at full capacity, though it’s recommended only to fill them to 100 ml. This makes them ideal for espressos as well as tea and desserts. They measure 6.8cm in diameter and weigh 240g and each pack comes with two glasses.
Quality-wise, these are a high-quality product made by experienced glassblowers. Each glass is hand-blown and is smooth, light and clear.
Finally, the cups are guaranteed and come with an 18-month warranty. Glastal has a friendly customer care team for all queries too.
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back to menu ↑Ravenhead Entertain Espresso Cups
Ravenhead has been making glass products since 1842 so this is certainly a brand you can trust when it comes to buying espresso cups. Unlike the Glastal cups, these aren’t double walled and so won’t have that insulating property. However, they’re also not as big and so it’s likely you won’t need to worry about your drink cooling down too quickly. These also 
have a handle to protect your fingers too.
As well as the glass cups, you get saucers too. These are more of an oval shape and are ideal for holding your spoon, sugar or maybe a biscuit or two.
The cups are made from a durable, strong, high-quality glass and can be washed in the dishwasher without shattering or losing their shine.
As well as being stylish in their own right, they come packaged in a modern gift box and so would make an ideal gift for a coffee lover. If you don’t just want two, you can buy a four-piece set or an eight-piece set.
These transparent espresso cups each hold 80ml and weigh 450g. They measure 10.1 centimetres in diameter.
For anyone creating a collection of different coffee cups and mugs, Ravenhead have a huge variety you can stock up on.
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back to menu ↑ionEgg Porcelain Espresso Cups
If glass isn’t your thing, how about these cute ionEgg porcelain espresso cups? They come in four different colours (yellow, orange, green and cyan) – they can brighten up your morning while the caffeine kicks in. The cups come with a matching-coloured saucer, which are perfect for 
your spoon and biscuit. The interior of the cups is a sparkling white.
The porcelain is professional grade and lead-free. The cups are extremely durable and can be used safely in a microwave, dishwasher, freezer and oven. They’re also resistant to chips and have more thermal insulation than a glass cup. Being easy to clean and look after, these cups will retain their newness for a long time.
Each cup holds 80ml and so these are perfect for your morning espresso. They also make an ideal gift for coffee lovers as a house-warming gift, birthday or wedding present. These are the sorts of espresso cups that you’ll want to have on display in your kitchen. If you have a bean-to-cup espresso machine with storage space, these will certainly be a colourful addition.
As a brand, ionEgg can certainly be trusted. They have lots of different kitchen and home products for sale and generate excellent reviews. If you like your espresso cups, there are lots of other branded products you can purchase too.
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back to menu ↑Miamio Stoneware Espresso Cups
If you like a splash of colour but find the ionEgg espresso cups too bright, then meet these Miamio stoneware espresso cups. These have an eye-catching yet sophisticated design. The cups come as a set of six and stack in a metal cup holder that comes with them. They all have a matte black exterior and black saucer, yet their interiors are all different colours.
These Miamio cups are part of the brand’s Le Papillon Collection (Le Papillon means ‘the butterfly’ in French). The interiors are the colours of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, 
green, blue and purple. As well as these espresso cups, you can get the same style in large mugs and bowls too.
The matte-black gives these cups a high-quality, modern look that contrasts with their glossy, coloured interiors. It’s thanks to their excellent manufacturing that these stoneware cups are highly resistant to wear and tear and are made to last.
These are among the smallest cups in our Best Espresso Cups Guide as they have a capacity of 75ml. This makes them perfect for espressos.
Their uniqueness also makes these cups an ideal gift for a housewarming, wedding, birthday or Christmas.
Miamio (despite sounding Italian!) is a German company that produces high-quality products and provides excellent customer service. Their range is built around attention to detail and romantic products – you’ll find lots of their products in their Amazon store.
Finally, these mugs are robust and can be used in a dishwasher, refrigerator or microwave. The packaging has also been drop tested so you know they’ll be safe on arrival.
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back to menu ↑Sara Miller Espresso Cups and Saucers
If you want some espresso cups for a special occasion or just fancy drinking out of a luxurious set, the Sara Miller espresso cup and saucer set is a wonder to behold. These ceramic, fine China cups are a real indulgence and would make an ideal gift. The cups are designed with birds and come as a set of four. They are superbly presented in a beautiful gift box.
The Sara Miller is an award-winning British designer based in London. The brand was launched in 2016 and is known for its exquisite colour use, vibrant patterns and playful 
prints. The cups feature embellished gold details in 22-carrat gold along with rich colours and textures.
These cups come from the London Chelsea Collection and are in a set of four. In the set, you have four different colour cups and matching saucers. There is a hot pink, teal, black and brown cup. The colour and pattern are on the exterior of the cup, but the interior and handle are both white. The saucers are also white with a coloured edge to match each cup. The rim of each cup and saucer is finished with 22-carrat gold.
Each cup weighs 113 grams and is conical in shape. They hold 110ml of fluids, which makes these suitable for espresso, double espresso and tea.
Due to their delicate nature, these fine China espresso cups are not suitable for dishwasher use and must be hand-washed. They also can’t be used in the microwave, oven or freezer.
If you love the look of these cups as much as we do, you might be inclined to go for other items in the same collection too. There are cake plates, a teapot, and a 12-piece dinner set as well as larger mugs and a cake stand.
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back to menu ↑Sweejar White Stackable Espresso Cups
There’s a reason most coffee shops use white cups – coffee tastes better! So why not get that perfect coffee taste at home. These Sweejar cups come in a stackable set of six. The cups are perfect for standing alongside your coffee machine for neat and handy storage that saves cupboard space.
Each cup holds 70ml, making them ideal for an espresso at home. The cups are made from break-resistant, high-quality porcelain that is resistant to heat. This means that you can use them in your dishwasher, microwave oven and freezer. The handles are insulated to protect your fingers from the hot liquid.
As a set of six, these cups stack neatly for easy storage around your home. They also make an ideal gift for a coffee aficionado too. The cups each have a saucer that’s the perfect size for sugar, a spoon and a small biscuit – why not make your friends feel like they’re in a real coffee shop when they visit? Unlike some of the sets in this guide, you’ll never run out of cups with the Sweejar set – unless you invite lots of friends over for coffee that is!
Material-wise, these are made from high-quality ceramic, which is thick enough to preserve the heat of the drink inside. Sweejar uses professional ceramic techniques, which means that there is no surface debris. They’re also lead-free and non-toxic.
As a brand, Sweejar are known for their high-quality ceramic products for around the home. They make all sorts of tea and coffee ware, baking ware, oil bottles and even pet bowls.
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back to menu ↑Nespresso View
If you have a Nespresso machine (and even if you don’t), these Nespresso glass cups make the perfect addition to your coffee-making equipment. These glass cups hold 80ml and are conical in shape, which makes them ideal for your morning espresso or afternoon pick-me-up. They measure 60mm in diameter while the saucers measure 118mm in diameter.
The set comes with two cups and saucers. What makes these particularly special is that besides the tempered glass cups, each one is paired with a stainless-steel saucer. The 
saucer is shiny with a brushed finish.
The cups have a useful handle as they are not double-walled glass and so you can protect your fingers from the heat of the coffee. This is why the saucers are also useful too!
The glass itself is dense meaning that these feel robust in your hands. They can be used in a microwave, freezer, dishwasher and oven.
The black saucers are dishwasher-safe, durable and scratch-resistant. Though you can’t put these in the oven or microwave, they can be washed in a dishwasher. When washed by hand, you should avoid using anything abrasive so that they keep their scratch-free, shiny look. It’s also a good idea to dry the saucers by hand until they’re completely dry. This way you avoid any unsightly water stains on the metal.
The type of stainless steel used in their manufacture is 18/10. This is a special stainless steel that is made with 18% chrome and 10% nickel – hence the name 18/10. This combination of metals means that 18/10 has specific beneficial properties for uses in the kitchen and with food and drink. It is durable, resistant to friction and temperature changes, and won’t release substances into food and drink.
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Verdict
Just like choosing coffee, there are also a lot of options when it comes to choosing how it’s served. When it comes to espresso, the cup you choose can make all of the difference in how it tastes. Whether you prefer a white, porcelain cup, a glass cup and saucer, or a colourful feast for the eyes, we’ve covered it all in this Best Espresso Cups review and guide. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying for your home or choosing a gift for a loved one, all of these cups will make your coffee a real espresso experience. Which ones are your favourite?
Want to learn more about espressp cups? Read on before you make your decision on the best espresso cup for you…
What Makes An Espresso Cup?
Choosing the right cup comes down to science. There have been studies on how a person’s choice of cup affects how they perceive the taste. In the experiments, it was found that the colour of the cup greatly influenced the taste perception of the participants. For example, when the coffee was served in a white cup, it was deemed to not be as sweet as the coffee served in a blue or transparent cup. Our guide will take you through a selection of what we believe to be the best espresso cups in terms of look, functionality and, of course, taste.
Materials & Style
Espresso cups are commonly produced in a variety of materials. This includes glass, ceramic, porcelain and stainless steel. The choice of material is entirely personal.
If you want something durable, stainless steel is the best choice – especially for people who like travelling and still like their morning caffeine hit. If you choose to go for stainless steel, make sure you choose a style that is double walled. This is because the metal is a good conductor of heat so your coffee will cool down a lot quicker and you also risk getting your fingers burned! Avoid cheap stainless steel espresso cups too as these can sometimes give your coffee a metallic taste, which isn’t pleasant.
For a classic cup, go for porcelain or ceramic. These are a barista’s favourite for good reason. Porcelain and ceramic won’t leach flavours into your drink, nor will they absorb flavours either.
Ceramic cups are typically less expensive too. This is because fired clay is automatically more insulating than stainless steel, so they don’t require a double wall. Being ceramic means they will break if dropped, so they’re best for using at home.
If you like to see what you’re drinking, glass espresso cups are a good choice. You really get to see that crema in its full glory. Like steel, glass doesn’t insulate well, and so double-walled cups are recommended.
The most durable type of glass is borosilicate and it’s worth looking out for this if you’re worrying about breakages. Like porcelain and ceramic, glass won’t disturb the flavour of your drink.
