Loveramics “Egg” Espresso Cups in Potters Colors
The hallmark of a true espresso aficionado is an ever-growing collection of espresso cups, with all sorts of shapes, colors, and materials represented across the bunch. I've actually been going down a rabbit hole of espresso cup research lately, and while it's a deep hole I haven't found the bottom of yet, one brand name that comes up over and over is Loveramics.
Their ‘Egg’ collection in particular has been the official competition cup of the World Latte Art Championships since 2015, and it's easy to see why. They have thick walls to maintain beverage temperature and a gently sloped shape that feels great in the hand, and they come in a bunch of great colors to warmly accent the style of any kitchen or café.
While the colors of the standard collection are great on their own, my preference goes to the Potters Colors series, which bring some more intriguing patterns to the table.
In a 2021 blog post, they explain how these colors are achieved:
Potters Colours are basically made out of 2 types of glazes together, or in ceramics terms, we call them reactive glaze. They react in our kiln at 1300c vigorously, forming different types of crystals, glaze runs, and vary a lot from the original colours.
Because glazes have different properties, such as flow rate, melting temperature and colours, mixing 2 of them would create unexpected results, and bring extra excitement to the ceramics.
Since all of our products are hand dipped, they are all slightly varied. From every crystal growth, speckling spots, layering and flow separation, we are proud of the artisanal look we offer. These are effects we highly prized.
Man, that Night Sky variant is something else ?
The Berry is also lovely:
Depending on what size you're after, you can get a single cup + saucer combo for $15–$17 a pop. They also offer sets of 6 cups (without saucers) for $29–$51.