80ml, 150ml or 250ml? A Size Guide to the Brewers Embossed Tasting Cup
Short answer: 80ml for espresso, 150ml for a flat white or a small filter, 250ml for cappuccino, drip coffee and anything you want to do latte art in. The Loveramics Brewers Embossed Tasting Cup comes in those three sizes and eleven pastel colours, and the shape is identical across all of them — a flared opening with a pinstripe embossment that the translucent glaze breaks over.
Which size do I need?
| Size | Best For | Why |
| 80ml | Espresso, ristretto, cortado base | Small enough that a double shot fills it properly. A 25–40ml shot in a big cup goes cold and looks lost. |
| 150ml | Flat white, small filter, a single tasting pour |
The standard specialty flat white size in the UK. Also the right volume for tasting a filter coffee without it going cold halfway down. |
| 250ml | Cappuccino, drip coffee, latte art |
The flared opening gives you a wide canvas — room for a rosetta rather than a dot. Also the size for a full mug of filter. |
- 80ml Embossed Espresso Tasting Cup
- 150ml Embossed Cappuccino Tasting Cup
- 250ml Embossed Cappuccino / Drip Coffee Tasting Cup
All three sizes, in every colour, sit on the Brewers Embossed Tasting Cups page.
Why is the opening flared?
Aroma. A cup that narrows at the top traps volatiles; one that flares releases them towards you as you drink. Most of what you experience as "flavour" in coffee is retronasal aroma, so the shape of the opening is doing real work rather than just looking good.
The wide opening has a second benefit if you steam milk: it gives you surface area to pour into. A 250ml cup with a flared rim is far more forgiving for latte art than a straight-sided mug of the same volume.
Where do the colours come from?
The eleven pastels were drawn from the colour palette of Hong Kong's Rainbow Housing Estate — the blocks of chalky pink, mint, butter and blue that show up in every photograph of that part of the city. It is a specific reference rather than a generic pastel range, which is why the colours sit together well even when you mix them.
The glaze is translucent, so it pools in the recesses of the pinstripe embossment and thins over the raised lines. That is what gives each cup its depth — the colour is visibly deeper in the grooves than on the ridges. Because it is a glaze effect rather than a print, no two cups are precisely the same.
Do the colours mix well together?
Yes, and that is rather the point. Three ways people usually buy them:
- One colour, three sizes. The tidiest option for a home set-up — espresso, flat white and cappuccino in a single shade, stacked on the machine.
- One size, several colours. Popular in cafés and for households where everyone wants their own cup. Because the palette is drawn from one source, a shelf of mixed colours reads as deliberate rather than chaotic.
- Two tones. A darker shade for espresso and a pale one for milk drinks, which also makes it obvious at a glance which is which during service.
Specifications
- Material: porcelain, restaurant grade and food safe
- Care: dishwasher and microwave safe
- 250ml dimensions: 9cm long × 9cm wide × 7.5cm high
- Finish: translucent glaze over pinstripe embossment
- Range: 11 colours across 3 sizes
Embossed Tasting Cups vs. the original Brewers tasting cups
They are different families with different jobs. The original Brewers tasting cups — Nutty, Sweet and Floral — use three different shapes to change how a coffee reads in the cup. The Embossed range uses one shape in three sizes, and varies colour instead.
So: buy the original Brewers cups if you want to taste the same coffee three ways. Buy the Embossed range if you want a coherent set of everyday cups that look good on the shelf. Plenty of people own both.
Frequently asked questions
What size cup is right for a flat white?
150ml. That is the standard specialty flat white volume in the UK — a double shot with textured milk, served small enough that the drink stays hot and the milk-to-coffee ratio stays right.
Which Loveramics cup is best for latte art?
The 250ml Embossed Cappuccino / Drip Coffee Tasting Cup. The flared opening gives the widest surface to pour into, which makes patterns easier to place and easier to see.
Are the Embossed Tasting Cups dishwasher safe?
Yes — dishwasher and microwave safe, and restaurant grade, so they are built for the volume of a working café as well as a home kitchen.
Do the cups come with saucers?
The Embossed Tasting Cups are sold as cups. If you want a matched cup-and-saucer set, look at the Egg range, where cups and saucers are available in matching colours and as sets.
How many colours are there?
Eleven pastel colours, inspired by the palette of Hong Kong's Rainbow Housing Estate. Availability of individual colours varies by size.
Pick your size and your colour on the Brewers Embossed Tasting Cups page. Not sure what size anything should be? Read coffee cup sizes explained.