A demitasse (; French: "half cup"), demi-tasse, or espresso cup is a small cup used to serve

espresso Espresso (, ) is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is cha ...

. It may also refer to the coffee served in such a cup, though that usage had disappeared in France by the early 20th century. A demitasse typically has a capacity of approximately , half the size of a full

coffee cup A coffee cup is a cup for serving coffee and List of coffee drinks, coffee-based drinks. There are three major types: conventional cups used with saucers, mugs used without saucers, and disposable cups. Cups and mugs generally have a Handle (gri ...

(a '' tasse à café'' is about ). The Italian Espresso National Institute recommends serving

in a white china cup holding 50−100 ml. They are typically

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

and accompanied by matching

saucer A saucer is a type of small dishware. While in the Middle Ages a saucer was used for serving condiments and sauces, currently the term is used to denote a small plate or shallow bowl that supports a cup – usually one used to serve coffee t ...

s, but some

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

s and china companies also produce brightly decorated varieties. Another type of demitasse has a

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

cup set into a metal cup-holder frame, called a zarf in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Demitasse cups are small because they usually serve espresso, which is a stronger, more concentrated coffee, best served in smaller portions. Demitasse cup size is also used for drinking Turkish coffee.

References

Drinkware Coffee preparation Espresso {{drinkware-stub

See also

References