ISSIKI JAPAN Japanese Minoyaki Aoshino, Chisuji, Yunomi Tea Cups, Set of 2

I've been using these for a while, both with tea and coffee (they work very well if drinking coffee from a thermos, since you can pour smaller than usual quantities per serving), and I have no complaints. I've been treating them delicately and after a few dozen uses the paint hasn't suffered (though I avoid scrubbing, only soaking and rising). Both cups have different textures, one gloss, and one matte, and it's been nice to alternate between the two.One particularly useful thing I've found with them is if you have a small teapot with a removable strainer, if drinking by yourself, you can use the second cup to remove the strainer and balance on top of, catching any drips, meaning you can brew the tea at your desk rather than wait for it in the kitchen.There's not much else to say - they're just cups. I don't understand the complaints about them being hot to touch - they're cups without handles, you're sacrificing comfort for style, that is the point of them. I've not found them to be as uncomfortably warm as some larger cups where the thermal mass of the liquid keeps it hot to touch for longer: actually the thick wall and low capacity of these cups causes whatever is poured in it to cool fairly quickly, and consequently also the cup itself cools to manageable levels after a few minutes. There are double walled glass cups with no handles available for those who are more sensitive to heat, but really it's not a problem if you are willing to adjust your habits to fit the item, which for something as expensive as these, I would suggest doing.

Love the look of these two. Now looking for a matching tea pot. Beautiful to look at.

They are absolutely gorgeous, very very happy with this.Swift delivery, and incredibly safely wrapped, arrived pristine.