Up until 1992 all espresso coffee cups could only purchased in either white or with a company logo upon them. It was then the decision of Illy Caffe that they would combine art with espresso and they commissioned Matteo Thun to help design their first espresso cup. The design is considered by the owner of Illy Caffe (Francesco Illy) to be the perfect cup even though its design is very simple. Now with many coffee connoisseurs around the world, these types of cups have become collector’s items.

In fact for many when it comes to collecting espresso coffee cups it is almost akin to them collecting some forms of artwork. The cups designed today each have their own artist who will produce his/her own particular design and will contain some of their own personal style within them. Today there are many up and coming artists who have now designed cup collections as a way of getting themselves known and making their artwork available to the general public.

Today all companies that produce such cups will have a particular numbering system in place which allows them to limit the number that are produced. Plus you will also find that they limit the time in which these cups will be available before they remove them from the shelves and bring in a completely new design. You will find that with each of the Illy collector cups and their accompanying saucers has been signed and numbered on the base.

Plus inside the cup itself you will see it says “Illy Collection”. However those cups and saucers which are used in restaurants and are therefore part of a bar set will only say “Illy Espresso” on them and will neither have a number of being signed. Other cups that are now being produced are those by FrancisFrancis! and Saeco. The FrancisFrancis! collections come with both a number and a signature on them just like the Illy collections, whilst the Saeco espresso coffee cups will only signed on the base.

Each set of cups when purchased comes in a display box and in some cases you may find that the manufacturers have also included coffee with them as well.

Today because espresso coffee cups have become extremely popular, getting hold of the older versions can be very difficult and also be very expensive. Certainly as soon as any series of cups is no longer available to be brought through a retail outlet then the only way to obtain this through buying them from another collector. One set of Trazzine espresso coffee cups which a person could have purchased in 1994 for $109 is now up for sale by a collector for $700. So certainly as you can see these cups are not just for drinking your espressos.

There are many reasons I’m a coffeehouse lover. First and foremost, I’m a writer. To me, there is nothing more relaxing and conducive to creative juices flowing than sitting in a comfortable, overstuffed chair with a hot cup of coffee or tea by my side.

The service at coffeehouses is amazing, and the people there are always smiling and cheery (even at the God awful hour of 6 am). Also, I get something at coffeehouses that I can’t get at home: a decent espresso drink. I don’t have time to deal with foaming and frothing milk, nor do I want the hassle of steam burns and a mess in the kitchen.

When I go to a coffeehouse, everything is prepared perfectly and I don’t have to clean anything up. If that’s not worth $3, I don’t know what is!

Plus, the variety found at my local coffeehouse is unlike anything in any home I’ve ever seen. While I like cappuccinos and lattes as much as the next girl, sometimes I like to switch things up a bit. When I feel like a cup of ginger green tea, I can have it. If I change my mind and decide that I want a sweet and blended frozen beverage, I can have that too, all without having to go to a store.

Also, the company found at my local coffeehouse is second to none. There are artsy people, professional men and women in suits, college students and more. It’s a slice of life and something I appreciate sitting in the midst of.

Probably the best out of all of the reasons I’m a coffeehouse lover is the fact that I can get free wireless internet. I don’t have to pay $60 a month for wireless, I can just head down the street to a coffeehouse, something I’d be doing anyway.

In high grade Arabica coffees, peaberries are generally separated from regular “flat” coffee beans.   A coffee labeled as a “peaberry” should contain only peaberry beans.   Peaberry coffees — in contrast  to regular coffee beans — are claimed to provide a superior taste.   One school of throught argues that peaberry beans are superior to regular beans due to the roasting process.   Since the peaberries are oval in shape, they roll easily in the roasting chamber, thereby providing a more evenly roasted bean.

Another argument for the superiority of peaberry coffee is the flavor of the bean itself.   The single peaberry bean is smaller and more dense than the two typical beans.  As only one bean is formed, the sole bean is frequently reported to be more robust in flavor and more acidic (generally good for taste) than regular Arabica coffee beans.   Still others argue that the superiority of peaberry coffee beans comes from the rigorous selection process whereby regular beans are separated out from the peaberries.

Peaberry coffee is also designated by their geographic origin.   For example, one of the most popular peaberry coffees is Tanzanian Peaberry.   Even the most expensive coffees such as Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain come in Peaberry varities.  So the next time you purchase a single origin coffee you may want to try a peaberry variety to see if you can taste the difference.  Though still hard to find at traditional retail establishments, premium peaberry coffees are now readily available through online stores.