Use And Care Of Pot de Creme Cups

Handling Pot de Creme Cups

The lids are the most fragile part of these sets.  They can be thrown out by accident, or dropped from soapy fingers while washing.  Here are some simple tips for handling the cups.

• Don't use the lids when baking the dessert in a water bath in the oven.  Just cover the pan with foil.  You can avoid handling the little lids when they are hot.
• If you want to serve the dessert with the lids on the cup ,remove the lid from each cup as you serve to avoid extra handling by the guests.
• Always put a plastic basin or bowl in the sink then wash the cups and lids in the basin.  Avoid placing them directly in a sink; they are too easy to break or lose. 
• Wash the cups, lids and saucers separately and place on dry toweling to drain. Make sure all the pieces are accounted for. 
• Pot de creme sets should never be placed in a dishwasher unless the manufacture has specifically stated it is safe.

General Care - Throw Away The Dust Rag

While plain white porcelain cups don't require a lot of care, sets with hand painting and gold trim require some extra care.  Dust is the number one enemy and can eventually destroy your hand painted surfaces and gold trim.

Dust particles are very abrasive.  Simply wiping the surface of the cups with a dry cloth can grind the dust along the surface and leave fine scratches on the cup and eventually remove the gold trim. Dusting can cause more damage than just allowing the dust to remain.  Ideally the cups should be stored behind glass doors where they are somewhat protected from a lot of dust.

When the cups become dusty, rinse them off with warm water and dry with a clean, soft towel.  You can use a fluffy mico-fiber duster but it is very easy to knock the little lids off.