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

espresso Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and ...

. It may also refer to the contents 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 ''

tasse à café A ''tasse à café'' (, ''coffee cup'') is a cup, generally of white porcelain and of around 120 ml (4 fl oz), in which coffee is served. It is also sometimes used to serve small portions of rich drinks, such as hot chocolate The ...

'' is about ). 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, porcelain ...

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 ...

s, but some

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

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

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

cup set into a metal frame, called a

zarf A zarf (plural: zarfs, zarves; tr, zarflar; Arabic: ) is a holder, usually of ornamental metal, for a coffee cup without a handle (demitasse or fincan). History Although coffee was probably discovered in Ethiopia, it was in Turkey around the ...

. Demitasse cups are small because they usually serve espresso, which is a stronger, more concentrated coffee, best served in smaller portions.

References

Drinkware Coffee preparation Espresso {{drinkware-stub

See also

References