The quality of an excellent coffee also depends on the receptacle used to hold it: the cup.
The perfect cup should be made of porcelain, and preferably be white so that every tiniest hue of the crema can be appreciated. It should have a maximum capacity of 70 ml, have a truncated-cone shape and be preheated to a temperature of about 35-40°C (95-104° F). The crema will be so compact and hot as to enhance and capture the coffee’s salient characteristics and aromas.

The first receptacles used for coffee were small glasses, similar to egg cups, the use of which dates back to the time of the Crusades. The Arab name was tassa. The first precious coffee services were of Turkish origin, and appeared in the city of Istanbul around about 1400. The most highly-prized piece of the service was the coffee pot made of tombak, an alloy of zinc and copper. This was accompanied by ceramic cups similar to small glasses. To prevent fingers getting burned, they were supported by zarfs, supports made of copper or silver with a small handle to aid grip.

These items started to spread throughout Europe at the beginning of the XVIII century, when the nobility adopted the custom of drinking coffee out of precious tableware. Louis XV of France roasted the beans in a silver burner and prepared the beverage with coffee pots created especially for him. The jeweller Duvaux also produced on commission a wrought gold coffee mill for the King’s favourite Madame Pompadour.

Round about 1750 a cup and saucer became the most conventional way of serving coffee.