Collection: Cups, Mugs & Teaware

The cup you reach for every morning, the saucer that welcomes every guest - tea cups and mugs worth slowing down for.

Tea Cups, Cup & Saucer Sets and Coffee Mugs

In Indian homes, the tea cup is one of the most-used objects in the house. It greets guests, starts the morning and punctuates every conversation. At Whites & Pastels, our Cups, Mugs & Teaware collection brings together porcelain tea cups and cup and saucer sets, gold-handle coffee mugs, glass cups, gold tea spoons, tea infusers, creamer jars and coasters - everything that surrounds the teapot. For teapots and glass tea sets themselves, visit Teaware.

What Is the Size of a Standard Tea Cup?

A standard tea cup holds around 150-250 ml. A typical Indian chai cup is on the smaller side, about 150-180 ml, because chai is strong and sweet and served often. English-style tea cups with saucers usually hold 200-250 ml, and coffee mugs are larger still - 300 ml and above. Here's how our cups compare:

What Is the Best Material for a Tea Cup?

In short: choose plain porcelain or glass for daily chai that goes in and out of the microwave, and gold-trimmed porcelain for guests, high tea and gifting.

Porcelain Cup and Saucer Sets

The Victorian Embossed Tea Cup & Saucer Set is ivory porcelain with Victorian-inspired embossing. Each cup holds about 240 ml and is dishwasher, microwave, oven and refrigerator safe - the easiest luxury cup to live with. It's available singly or in gift-boxed sets of 2 and 6, and matches the Victorian Embossed Ceramic Teapot.

The European Embossed Tea Cup & Saucer is off-white with a delicate embossed design and is sold as one cup and saucer. It pairs with the European Embossed Snack Plate - a 20 cm porcelain plate - with one snack plate for every two cup sets, so you can build a matching tea service for two, four or more.

For a statement look, the French Cup & Saucer is a white porcelain cup with black stripes, a gold handle and a gold base, and the Flower-Shaped Tea Cup & Saucer is high-grade porcelain with a gold rim on the cup, handle and saucer. Because both have gold details, keep them out of the microwave and wash them gently by hand.

Coffee Mugs with Gold Handles

For your morning coffee, the Nordic Style Porcelain Coffee Mug holds a generous 380 ml and has a gold rim and handle, in pastel pink or pastel green, each with a choice of stripes or white dots - designed to be picture-perfect. The Coffee Mug with Gold Handle is a 330 ml ceramic mug measuring 9 × 8 × 8 cm, in a geometric or yellow design, and comes presented in a colourful box - ready to gift.

Glass Cups

The Borosilicate Glass Cup in Brown is lightly tinted and holds 250 ml - a versatile cup for tea, coffee, juice, water or mocktails. For a single cup of loose-leaf tea, the Glass Cup with Strainer holds 400 ml, has an in-built glass filter and pouring spout, and is safe on a gas flame and in the microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher - brew, strain and sip from one cup.

Tea Spoons, Infusers & Creamers

Small spoons make a big difference to a tea tray. The Sunflower Tea Spoons and Chrysanthemum Tea Spoons are sets of six in food-grade stainless steel with a gold PVD finish. The Heart Tea Spoons come as six, and the Gold Flower Tea & Coffee Spoons as four different flower shapes. For pastries and fruit, the Leaf Dessert Spoons & Fruit Forks mix gold and rose gold in sets of 4 or 8.

The Teapot-Shaped Tea Infuser is a stainless steel strainer for loose-leaf tea, in gold or silver. Serve milk in the 180 ml White Porcelain Creamer Jar, with blue or pink floral prints, or warm it in the 380 ml Glass Milk Carton Jar, which is microwave safe, dishwasher safe and suitable for induction heating.

Coasters & Cup Stands

Protect your table with the Floral Ceramic Coasters Set of 7: six round ceramic coasters in three floral designs on a beige base, with a metal frame in black or gold. Display cups between servings on the Golden Tea Cup & Saucer Stand, a sturdy metal stand in gold PVD finish that holds six cups and six saucers.

How Many Tea Cups Do You Need?

For daily use, keep one cup per family member plus two for guests. If you entertain often, a set of six cups and saucers covers most gatherings - which is why our Victorian set comes in a gift-boxed six. Many Indian homes keep two sets: sturdy microwave-safe cups for everyday chai, and a gold-trimmed set for guests and festivals.

Which Cup Is Best for Tea?

It depends on how you drink it. For kadak masala chai, a smaller porcelain cup of about 150-200 ml keeps the tea hot to the last sip. For English breakfast or afternoon tea with milk, a 200-250 ml cup and saucer like our Victorian set is the classic choice. For green, herbal and flower teas, glass lets you enjoy the colour - and a cup with a built-in strainer saves you a teapot. For coffee, a 330-380 ml mug gives room for milk and foam.

Tea Cups for Every Occasion

• Daily chai: sturdy, microwave-safe cups like the Victorian Embossed set, so reheating is never a worry.
• Guests and festivals: gold-trimmed porcelain - the French or Flower-Shaped cup and saucer - on a tray with flower tea spoons.
• High tea: a matching cup and saucer for every guest, a teapot, a creamer jar and snack plates.
• Work-from-home desk: the Glass Cup with Strainer for loose-leaf tea, or a 380 ml Nordic mug for coffee.
• Gifting: gift-boxed cup and saucer sets or a boxed gold-handle mug.

Why Use a Cup and Saucer?

A saucer catches drips, gives you somewhere to rest the spoon and keeps hot cups off wooden tables. It also changes how tea feels - serving chai on a cup and saucer instantly makes a visit feel like an occasion. For everyday mugs, a coaster does the same job.

How to Set a Tea Tray for Guests

• Cups on saucers: one per guest, handles facing the same way.
• Spoons on saucers: a flower tea spoon beside each cup.
• Milk and sugar: a creamer jar and a small sugar pot.
• Something to nibble: biscuits or namkeen on an embossed snack plate.
• Coasters: for anyone who takes their cup to the sofa.

Caring for Tea Cups & Mugs

• Victorian Embossed cups: dishwasher, microwave, oven and refrigerator safe.
• Gold-trimmed cups and mugs: keep out of the microwave and wash gently by hand to protect the gold.
• Glass Cup with Strainer: safe on a gas flame and in the microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher.
• Glass Milk Carton Jar: microwave and dishwasher safe, suitable for induction heating.
• Always check the product page for each item's care details.

Tea Cups & Mugs as Gifts

A cup and saucer set is a gift that is used every day. The Victorian Tea Cup & Saucer Set comes in gift-boxed sets of 2 and 6, and the Coffee Mug with Gold Handle comes presented in a colourful box - thoughtful for housewarmings, weddings, birthdays and Diwali. See more in our gifting collection.

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