Later Adaptations of The Cup

The Rise and Fall and Rise Again

The dessert and the pots became popular again in our "modern" era during the 1960's and 1970's. U.S. Manufacturers such as Fitz and Floyd produced many patterns (most manufactured in Japan) including the cup we use as our logo. Popularity declined once again in the 1980's. We suspect the reason for this was the trend towards "lower fat" dinning. In fact, in one cookbook that offered pots de creme recipes the writer made a point to say that he did not have the conscience to serve such a fat laden dessert to his dinner guests.
 
A few manufacturers still make the pots today and most of these are produced in Italy, Portugal, Hungary and France. Most of the cups are partially or fully hand painted and edged with real gold which is why many of the prices are so high. The new pieces are certainly the "heirlooms" our of future. These are products which can be used and enjoyed and handed down to the next generations.
 
Pots de Creme cups were frequently sold in sets. We have seen sets for "two" that include a small serving tray as well as sets for eight. Sets with six cups appear to be the most common version. Sometimes a set includes a serving tray while others include individual tiny saucers slightly smaller than a coffee cup saucer. Many "Old Paris" porcelain sets came with an elaborate multi-tiered tray that looked a bit like a cake server.
 
Most of the sets range from $200 - $300 dollars or more (U.S.) for a set of 6. Trays and saucers are sometimes available and frequently sold separately. Antique or "vintage" sets are still found. Depending on age and condition they can be as little as $75.00 for a set of 6 to upwards of $100.00 per cup. We just saw two beautiful cups with saucers (see the museum) by Royal Copenhagen "Flora Danica" that sold for $1300.00 for the pair.
 
If you are a collector, or you just like to cook, pots de creme cups are fun to use and make great gifts. Please visit our Pots de Creme Shop. We offer many styles of cups, sets, saucers and trays.
 

Other Cups with Lids

A ten minute browse through a couple of books on porcelain will show you that there are many style cups with lids that are frequently confused with pot de creme cups. We've devoted a separate page to this topic. Click here to read more.
 

The Right Spoon

One of the many interesting serving pieces that came out of the "chocolate" revolution was the chocolate spoon. Early hot chocolate drinks tended to separate and settle and benefited from frequent stirring. The chocolate spoon was created to aid in this task. Chocolate spoons normally came in two sizes, the shorter version (under 4") and and longer version for tall chocolate cups (over 4"). As it happens the small chocolate spoon works quite well inside the small pot de creme cup. Another good choice is a demitasse spoon which are normally 3" - 4" long.
 

From Pots au Jus to Pots de Creme

European countries adapted the use of the cups with some modifications. England is credited with adding the "lid" to the chocolate cup in order to keep the chocolate warm. The French are said to have added a tray to hold the cups.
 

Use as a Pots de Creme or Custard Cup

This is where we think the pot de creme cup came into the picture. The French refer to custards as "creme". Custards such as creme caramel were thick enough to be turned out onto a plate. The thinner custard (pots de creme) was served in the small pot. The lid was a natural to keep a skin from forming on the top of the dessert. The fact of the matter is once the porcelain industry got going in the 1700's there was no stopping the manufacturers from finding pieces to create for every course of the menu.
  

One Handle, Two Handles, No Handles

The cups that can be most closely identified as pots de creme cups normally sport a single delicate handle. The two-handled versions are more closely related to the original chocolate drinking cup. These are frequently wider and shorter as shown below.
 


Chocolate cup and saucer. Cup is 4" high, saucer 5 3/4" diameter
 
In addition to the single and double handled cups we occasionally find pots with no handle at all. These cups do seem more likely to have been produced for a dessert given the early function of the handle(s) was to keep the users fingers cool while handling a cup with warm ingredients. The cup below is part of a set of 6 with a matching tray