Monday, May 18, 2009

Espresso Cups - The Diversity Of A Cup

By Pamela Martin

Espressos are usually made using a special machine and once made, is usually consumed from a ceramic cup that is exclusively made for drinking espresso from. Espresso is an Italian drink made by colluding hot water and steam with finely ground coffee at high pressure. It is much thicker and has a high caffeine content compared to ordinarily brewed coffee and hence often forms the base liquid for other popular coffee preparations like latte and cappuccinos.

The caffeine contained in espresso is almost three times as high as that in normal coffee. It is often used as the base for other coffee based concoctions like latte and cappuccino. Special machines are used to prepare this fine drink and the general preference is to sip it from an espresso cup, made from ceramic and often unique in design.

The range of choices that one can make when it comes to espresso cups is phenomenal. There are cups of different shapes, textures and colors. Usually these cups are made from ceramic and are thick enough to withstand a fall or two but are breakable. There are some which are made from synthetic materials and are unbreakable but lack the same kind of popularity that ceramic cups enjoy.

There are also cups that can be customized or personalized as per the user's needs. You could have your name etched on the cup in striking fonts and colors or have it display your favorite world monument, the leaning tower of pizza or the Eiffel tower, both reminiscent of the place of origin of this drink.

There are hand crafted cups that offer unique designs and non replicable patterns. They are usually made to last a long time and are quite durable. There are some that are unbreakable and made out of artificial material but are not as popular as the ceramic ones. There are people who believe that coffee cups were meant to break.

Espresso cups come in different shapes, sizes and colors and the cost of these cups have direct bearing to these attributes. A hand crafted cup that is of a unique design would be more costly than a mass produced mug. The cost also bears a direct relation to the durability and costlier cups tend to last longer.

The cost of an espresso cup can range from a few dollars to hundreds depending on the aesthetics and design of the cup. Customization or personalization of a cup might end up costing more. Theme based cups that are based on movies or cartoons are popular and are relatively cheaper.

Traditional cups replete with saucers are also popular but have a more formal air than stand alone ceramic cups that tend to be sporty in appearance and infuse fun. A complete set of traditional coffee cups could be very costly too compared to a single mug. Ultimately it is what the drinker wants that matters.

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