Caribe coffee cups without handle
April 28, 2013 3:09 PM Subscribe
Help me replace my mother's beloved Puerto Rican coffee cups.
For decades, my mother has had a set of these white coffee cups without handle, made by a pottery called Caribe in Puerto Rico: picture 1, picture 2, picture 3.
Over time, cups have been lost or broken and now only a couple of cups remain. I want to help my mother replace the lost cups, but trawling eBay and also Etsy every once in a while for the last few months has been without result. Is there any other way I might find these cups?
Or if I can't find identical cups, something very similar would do. We have actually been searching for similar cups for years with little result. Our cups are small but thick, and the handle-less white cups we find are usually bigger or more square-shaped. But something similar must exist somewhere out there?
For decades, my mother has had a set of these white coffee cups without handle, made by a pottery called Caribe in Puerto Rico: picture 1, picture 2, picture 3.
Over time, cups have been lost or broken and now only a couple of cups remain. I want to help my mother replace the lost cups, but trawling eBay and also Etsy every once in a while for the last few months has been without result. Is there any other way I might find these cups?
Or if I can't find identical cups, something very similar would do. We have actually been searching for similar cups for years with little result. Our cups are small but thick, and the handle-less white cups we find are usually bigger or more square-shaped. But something similar must exist somewhere out there?
Best answer: You are looking for "cupping bowls" or bouillon cups. They are common in the coffee industry for doing controlled tastings.
posted by furnace.heart at 3:31 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by furnace.heart at 3:31 PM on April 28, 2013
This look exactly like the teacups of many a (US-)Chinese restaurant to me. If your town has a Chinese or other Asian supermarket, you might look there for a substitute.
posted by Rash at 3:36 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by Rash at 3:36 PM on April 28, 2013
Ack, the link didn't post. Bouillon cups on amazon.
posted by furnace.heart at 3:36 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by furnace.heart at 3:36 PM on April 28, 2013
Those look to be shaped like the custard cups I have in my diner china collection. If you can't find better replacements, not only would restaurant-ware custard cups be visually similar - they'd be affordable and damn near indestructible. Here are some incredibly similar Buffalo China Custard Cups. These are what I have. These are also similar, and called ramekins, but ramekins usually have flatter bottoms though that can be a good search term.
posted by peagood at 3:46 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by peagood at 3:46 PM on April 28, 2013
Maybe size matters? There's no reference in the photos. How big are these cups?
posted by Rash at 3:47 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by Rash at 3:47 PM on April 28, 2013
Caribe was made by Iroquois/Sterling. Here's a collector site (not for only this pattern)--you might also try various antique/collectible dealers in San Juan.
posted by Ideefixe at 4:05 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by Ideefixe at 4:05 PM on April 28, 2013
Rash, unless that lighter is some bizarre size, there is a pretty good reference.
posted by miles1972 at 4:30 PM on April 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by miles1972 at 4:30 PM on April 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
Maybe too silly, but I find my thick-walled, handle-less Anthora cup very satisfying.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 6:05 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 6:05 PM on April 28, 2013
This looks identical, but there's only one: Caribe Bouillon Cup.
posted by Houstonian at 8:59 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by Houstonian at 8:59 PM on April 28, 2013
Here are a couple of Caribe cups from a seller on Etsy (these are pink and grey but look really similar).
posted by belau at 9:05 PM on April 28, 2013
posted by belau at 9:05 PM on April 28, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for all the help! Armed with the term "bouillon cup" I have found several almost-identical cups (unfortunately all in restaurant supply wholesale stores. I don't think my mother needs three dozen new cups). But this helps a lot!
posted by Bektashi at 9:15 AM on April 29, 2013
posted by Bektashi at 9:15 AM on April 29, 2013
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:24 PM on April 28, 2013