Espresso Cup Size Guide: Espresso, Cappuccino and Latte Cups in ml

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The right espresso cup is smaller than most people think. A short shot can go cold fast in a big mug.

This guide gives the coffee cup size for each drink in ml. It also covers cup material, warming the cup and how full to fill it.

What Size Is an Espresso Cup?

A standard espresso cup, also called a demitasse, holds about 60 ml, according to Nescafé. It is small on purpose. Consumer Reports notes that smaller cups help keep coffee hot, and a short shot cools fast in a big mug.

Nescafé lists an espresso cup at about 60 ml (Nescafé). It says another name for it, demitasse, is "the French word for half cup".

The two cup sets we link to below are a bit bigger, at 80 ml and 100 ml. That leaves space for a double shot or a splash of milk.

How much coffee goes in the cup depends on the shot. Our espresso shot guide covers single, double, ristretto and lungo in detail.

If you brew with our 3-in-1 Espresso Coffee Maker, its touch panel has three cup sizes: 25 ml, 40 ml and 110 ml. The cup tray adjusts to the height of your cup.

Coffee Cup Sizes in ml: Drink by Drink

Coffee cup size grows with the milk. Espresso and macchiato use about 60 ml cups, a cortado glass is about 135 ml, and a flat white cup is about 160 ml. Cappuccino and americano cups hold about 150 to 180 ml, and a latte glass about 220 to 260 ml.

The table uses cup and glass sizes from two coffee brands. Where they differ, we show a range instead of one number.

Ristretto and lungo are shot styles, not cup styles. Serve them in an espresso cup, and see our shot guide for the ml.

Want the full story on the smaller milk drinks? Read our cortado guide and our flat white vs latte comparison.

Cappuccino Cups vs Latte Cups

Cappuccino cups are smaller, at about 150 to 180 ml, so the coffee, milk and foam stay in balance. Latte cups or glasses are bigger, at about 220 to 260 ml, because a latte has more steamed milk. Use a saucer with a cappuccino cup.

Cappuccino cups

Nespresso puts it simply: "Cappuccinos are traditionally served in smaller cups, typically around 150-180 mL in size." (Nespresso).

A small cup keeps the coffee, milk and foam in balance. Nescafé adds that cappuccino cups should have matching saucers.

Latte cups and glasses

Nespresso says lattes are served in larger glasses of about 240 to 260 ml. That size is needed for the extra milk.

Nescafé lists a latte glass a little smaller, at about 220 ml. A tall glass also shows off the layers of milk and coffee.

Not sure which drink you like? Our cappuccino vs latte vs mocha guide explains the taste difference.

Ceramic vs Glass vs Double-Wall Espresso Cups

Ceramic and glass cups of the same size and weight keep coffee warm about the same, says Consumer Reports. Thick ceramic holds heat well once warmed. Double-wall glass has an air gap that holds heat and lets you see the crema.

Consumer Reports says that when cups are equal in size, weight and shape, "glass and ceramic should perform similarly" (Consumer Reports). So the thickness and weight of the cup matter more than the material.

One coffee expert in the same report says a thicker ceramic cup would fare better, once it has soaked up some heat. The report also says the space between the two layers in double-wall glass acts as an insulator.

For a daily chai or coffee mug, the choice is a little different. Our glass coffee mug vs ceramic guide covers bigger mugs.

Espresso cups we checked on Amazon.in

We do not sell drinking espresso cups right now, so here are two sets we checked on Amazon.in. We have not tested them ourselves.

For ceramic espresso cups with saucers, see the Shay stoneware espresso cups, a set of 2 cups of 100 ml with saucers. For glass, see the AGARO double-wall glass espresso cups, a pack of 2 cups of 80 ml.

Why You Should Warm the Espresso Cup First

A cold, heavy cup pulls heat out of a small drink. Warm the cup with hot water before you brew, then pour the water out. If you will not warm it, a lighter cup loses less heat to the cup itself.

Consumer Reports says the best way to keep coffee warm in a regular cup is "a preheated heavy one or something with a cover".

Its tester also says: "If the mug is not preheated, then the lighter it is, the better, because the mug itself is heated up by the coffee, which cools the coffee down".

How to warm the cup at home

• Fill the cup with hot water from the kettle.
• Leave it while you set up the brewer.
• Pour the water out and dry the rim.
• Brew or pour the coffee straight in.

How Full Should You Fill Each Cup?

Leave a little space at the top of each cup. Consumer Reports notes this space helps catch the smell of the coffee as you drink, and it also stops spills. Then match the cup size to how much coffee you brew.

Consumer Reports notes that if you leave room above the brew, some of the aroma is caught as you drink.

So a short double shot sits well in an 80 ml or 100 ml cup. A milk drink needs a cup big enough for the coffee, the milk and the foam.

Moka pot coffee

Our InstaCuppa Aluminium Moka Pot is 300 ml and makes 6 moka cups of about 50 ml each. Its product page notes that a moka cup is a small cup, not a regular mug.

So one moka serving fits an espresso cup well. Pour two servings into a cappuccino cup and top it with frothed milk.

Milk drinks at home

For a home cappuccino or latte, our Rechargeable Frother has 4 whisks, 3 speeds and USB-C charging. Froth the milk, then pour it over the coffee.

For bigger batches, our 4-in-1 Electric Milk Frother makes hot and cold foam. Its page says it froths up to 170 ml of milk in thick foam mode, which is enough milk for one cappuccino cup.

InstaCuppa Aluminium Moka Pot 300 ml

6 moka cups of about 50 ml. ₹1,799 on 2 November 2026.

Shop Now

InstaCuppa Rechargeable Frother

4 whisks, 3 speeds, USB-C charging. ₹799 on 2 November 2026.

Shop Now

Building a full coffee spot at home? See our coffee corner ideas for Indian homes.

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Some links here are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point to products we would suggest to our own family.