How much does a teacup hold?

As tea lovers, we all love to have a good time enjoying a delicious tea in our favorite teacup. But there are a wide variety of cups that come in different sizes. Which one to buy? Let's decipher these famous cups together.

Mug

A mug, that is to say a large cup with a handle, without a saucer, generally has a capacity between 25cl and 50cl. As surprising as it may seem, the mug would also have a French origin. Formerly called a "moque" in the West of France, it is sometimes the synonym of "bolée".

Tea format used : Direct infusion with tea bags or with a tea ball, because it is difficult to remove the tea leaves in the cup directly. The teapot could also be used.

Usage situation : Personal consumption at any time of the day.

Our recommendation : Our large "Tenmoku" mug with its reactive enamel has a capacity of 40cl. Each cup is unique thanks to the reactive enameling technique, which means that the patterns are formed naturally in the ceramic oven. Its wall is thus thick in order to keep the heat of the tea.

Teacup or mug without handle

A teacup without a handle, just like the mug, it generally has a capacity of 25cl to 50cl. For an optimal grip without burning yourself, it is generally thick in the wall. This shape of cup is very common in Japan for daily and personal use.

Tea format used: Just like for the mug, tea bags, tea balls or teapots are possible for infusing.

Usage situation: For personal consumption, but since the capacity is smaller, it is also possible to use it as a serving cup, after brewing the tea in a teapot.

Teacup with handle

A teacup with handle is a classic and traditional English tea service. With a relatively small capacity, between 20 and 30 cl , a teapot is generally recommended.

Japanese or Chinese teacup

Focused on conviviality and the sense of sharing, Asian tea cups have a very small capacity between 8cl and 25cl. Considered a social event, Asian tea lovers attach great importance to the utensils used. We find both small cups nicknamed "a sip" with a capacity of 8cl and cups nicknamed "the host cup" with a capacity of 25cl.

Tea format used: A teapot or a "Gaiwan" cup is generally used to brew the tea. (The "Gaiwan" cup is a cup with a lid and a saucer. The tea is poured by filtering it using the lid). Tea leaves are used to brew without a tea bag or tea ball.

Our recommendation:

Documentary reference: https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/moque/substantif