Holds the heat extremely well because of the vacuum, when preheated.  Great aesthetics.  Should last a lifetime, unless run over by a bulldozer or used as a hammer.  An heirloom?

Light weight, thin saucer will stick to the bottom of a wet cup because of capillary action.  Work-around is a napkin underneath the cup, that certainly distracts from its aesthetics.  Expensive.

The Inox Stainless Steel latte cups from Baratza are available from Sweet Maria's for $26.50 each, including the saucer.  High grade 18/10 stainless steel of food grade quality.  Mirror like external finish with a brushed internal. 12 oz capacity.  Cleans up very easily.  The internal of the cup is rounded, as in bowl, semi-circular, half-dome shaped, unlike the exterior which appears to be more angular.  The cup is surprisingly light at 11.3 oz because on looks alone it would appear that one could use it as a lethal weapon.  A large coffee mug would be in the same ball park, weight wise.  Too bad that the saucer is not comparable in quality, but that might make the price too high. The thin saucer weighs in at a lightweight 3.3 oz that pales in comparison to a typical porcelain saucer that tips the scales around 6 oz.  At least the saucer has the same mirror like finish on its up side.   Because of the large size of the cup, it might be difficult to find a saucer with an indentation that fits this cup.  Still, they make a stunning visual pair.  Art Deco anyone?  If you like to dawdle with your cup of coffee, this insulated cup is great, latte or not.  Needs to be Urnex'ed (cleaner for espresso machines and air pots) or its equivalent, occasionally.  Although designated as a latte cup, it maybe the ultimate double cappuccino cup with its classy killer looks.

last revised 1/28/02

Still available as of 1/02.  Expensive but difficult to find this kind of quality product.  If the saucer is unavailable, it is no big loss.