Espresso Cups: Porcelain or Stoneware. What's best for home - Page 2

Want to talk espresso but not sure which forum? If so, this is the right one.
CafeNoir
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 years ago

#11: Post by CafeNoir »

I recently picked up some great ANCAP porcelain cups on ebay. For 18 cups (6 espresso, 6 cappuccino & 6 latte) with matching saucers I paid about $55 including shipping. I really like the thickness and shape of these, especially the latte cups, and the finish is excellent.

If anyone is interested more of these cups are still available. To find 'em go to ebay and search title and description for "crem caffe". If you buy multiple sets don't forget to ask the seller to combine shipping.

Happy sipping.

zin1953
Posts: 2523
Joined: 18 years ago

#12: Post by zin1953 »

Marshall wrote:. . . for espresso I prefer the Illy "Nude" glasses (now out of production)
In my office, I use the Bodum Pavina espresso cups

while at home, I use either Frabosk stainless espresso cups (on the left)

(I also use the Frabosk cappuccino cups on the right)

or, because I now have an Elektra, the Elektra-branded espresso cups

With the Bodum and Frabosk, because of their double-walled construction, heat retention isn't a problem; neither is the feel of stainless on my lip (which I know bothers some people -- then again, so does the thickness and roughness of stoneware). And the Elektra cups, pre-heated on top of the machine, are also excellent.

Just for the sake of completeness, for lattes, I use the 12 oz. Bodums . . .

Cheers,
Jason

EDIT: Let me rephrase -- "Just for the sake of completeness, for lattes, I use the 12 oz. Bodums . . . " at home. At work, I also use the 9 oz. Bodums for capp/latte drinks.
A morning without coffee is sleep. -- Anon.

babola
Posts: 72
Joined: 16 years ago

#13: Post by babola »

Great stuff Jason, although it puzzles me how the heck you manage the Pavinas in office environment without cracking or breaking them. I'm extra careful with mine at home, but still managed to put few dents into two of them in the last 6-7 months of use.
cheers!

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r-gordon-7
Posts: 230
Joined: 16 years ago

#14: Post by r-gordon-7 »

We use the double walled glass Bodum Pavinas too. Only suffered one fatality since we started using them earlier this year...

Though we have several Pavinas in the 2oz "shot" size, we prefer using the 5oz "tea glass" size - big enough for a pour of foam on top, but still fit nicely under the spouts of our Gaggia Factory (and not so big that "straight shots" sans foam can't be enjoyed from them...) The next larger size (9oz) would enable more foam, but wouldn't fit under the spouts and so would require pulling the pour into something smaller and then repouring into the 9oz size - something we prefer to avoid... Seems odd that Bodum calls the 5oz size a "tea glass" - and that so many espresso hardware vendors who carry the Pavinas seem so bound by that designation and only carry the 2oz & 9oz sizes - but not the 5oz...

5oz Pavinas - "Not just for tea anymore..." :wink:

r-gordon-7
r-gordon-7
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zin1953
Posts: 2523
Joined: 18 years ago

#15: Post by zin1953 »

babola wrote:Great stuff Jason, although it puzzles me how the heck you manage the Pavinas in office environment without cracking or breaking them.
Well, I will confess that my wife Lynn has broken her share of Bodum Pavina latte glasses at home, and I broke one -- but only one.

As for the office, however, it's a different story. Not one has been broken. The espresso cups are too small to break, I think, in that they don't slip out of your hands. Besides, in a law office (Lynn is a criminal defense attorney), people are on their best behavior and so are instinctually more careful. After all, they need a lawyer! They don't want to break one of her glass cups and spill coffee all over her desk, do they??? :twisted: :roll: :wink:
A morning without coffee is sleep. -- Anon.

roblumba
Posts: 273
Joined: 18 years ago

#16: Post by roblumba »

I don't know if someone already mentioned it here, but I would say that the Bodum cups actually tend to keep the espresso too hot. I've stopped using them after reading someone else's comment that the espresso is too hot in a Bodum. So I went back to my IPA espresso cup to see which I preferred, and although the eye candy is nice in the Bodum, I would have to agree that the Bodum keeps it too hot and the Porcelain is more ideal for espresso. Now my Bodum's sit on the shelf.

Spresso_Bean
Posts: 210
Joined: 17 years ago

#17: Post by Spresso_Bean »

I agree about the Bodum double walls keeping the espresso and drinks too hot, and I haven't used mine too often after getting some other non-glass cups. They definitely insulate well and don't have to be preheated, and look great, but it's always hotter than I expect when I go to drink.
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PJDiez
Posts: 14
Joined: 17 years ago

#18: Post by PJDiez »

zin1953 wrote:All I can say is that Japanese tea cups are often raku.
Raku us a glazing/firing process. You can raku porcelain or stoneware.

zin1953
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#19: Post by zin1953 »

roblumba wrote: . . .I would say that the Bodum cups actually tend to keep the espresso too hot. I've stopped using them after reading someone else's comment that the espresso is too hot in a Bodum.
Spresso_Bean wrote:I agree about the Bodum double walls keeping the espresso and drinks too hot.
Different strokes. I find the espresso not to be too hot at all, and in fact, can cool down quite nicely. Lattes are, however, a different issue. Those do stay hot, and if the milk is too hot, it will be some time before the drink cools down . . . but espresso? Never a problem for me.
A morning without coffee is sleep. -- Anon.

Spresso_Bean
Posts: 210
Joined: 17 years ago

#20: Post by Spresso_Bean »

I find the espresso not to be too hot at all, and in fact, can cool down quite nicely. Lattes are, however, a different issue. Those do stay hot, and if the milk is too hot, it will be some time before the drink cools down . . . but espresso? Never a problem for me.
I thought the espresso was also really hot but I haven't used them in so long that I'd have to try it again, but definitely the milk drinks were very hot.
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