What is a demitasse cup and saucer?
Demitasse in French literally means “half cup”. While it’s not a literal 4oz half cup it is half the size of a tea cup. The demitasse can be used to serve coffee and can include a saucer or not. You will often see a demitasse used to serve an espresso without a saucer. Demitasse (dem-E-tas) is French for half cup. This small coffee cup holds about 2 to 3 fluid ounces (60 to 90 milliliters). They are half the size of a regular coffee cup, hence the name half cup. It is a common misconception that demitasse cups hold (or should hold) one-half of a cup measure (4 ounces).Understanding the Demitasse ‘ Acting as vessels for a selection of unique coffee drinks, these petite cups typically hold between 60 to 90 ml, significantly less than an average coffee cup, which has a capacity of 120 ml.Uses of Demitasse Cups Demitasse cups are most often used to serve Turkish coffee, espresso (single shots or doppio/double shots) and other highly concentrated coffee drinks (such as Greek coffee).Demitasse cups are most often used to serve Turkish coffee, espresso (single shots or doppio/double shots) and other highly concentrated coffee drinks (such as Greek coffee). They may also be used for hot chocolate and other hot drinks in cafes, restaurants, and homes, though this is less common.
What is the use of demitasse?
The French term “demitasse” originated in France and translates to “half cup”. Their original intended use was for drinking strong espresso coffee after a meal. Espresso, although recognized as an integral part of Italian life actually originated in France in 1822. The history of the demitasse cup traces back to 18th century France, where the term demitasse, meaning half-cup in French, was born.
What is the difference between espresso cup and demitasse cup?
An espresso cup, also known as a demitasse cup – the French word for half cup, is the smallest of the coffee cups. The cup, though small, tends to be narrower at the base, and wider at the rim. Although demitasse cups are ideal for little hands, a demitasse cup is half of a regular cup. The typical teacup measures 3-4 inches in diameter depending on the shape and a demitasse would be approximately half of that or 2. The saucer is typically in the vicinity of 4 inches in diameter.
What do you drink out of demitasse cups?
The smaller size facilitates the drinking of strong, after-dinner, specialty coffees, such as espresso, cappuccino, and Turkish coffee. Tea may be served in demitasse cups, but they are really meant for coffee. The 30-second extraction rule suggests that a well-balanced espresso shot should take approximately 25-30 seconds to extract when using 18-20 grams of ground coffee and yielding about 30-40 milliliters of espresso.The serving size for Turkish coffee is actually around 2. Even if the cup size is the same, Turkish coffee cups tend to have higher sides to accommodate that larger serving size.A 1-ounce espresso shot, by comparison, packs roughly 63 milligrams of caffeine; a double shot contains around 126 milligrams, exceeding the buzzy strength of a cup of coffee. So, roughly one-and-a-half espresso shots deliver the caffeine equivalent of an 8-ounce drip coffee.