The History of the Coffee Cup: From Ottoman Fincan to Paper Cups
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Coffee cup history runs from small handleless porcelain cups in the Ottoman world, held in ornate metal holders called zarfs, to European porcelain cups with handles and saucers, and finally to the disposable paper cup and plastic lid of the 20th century. Each step reflects how people drank coffee at the time: slowly and socially, then at home, then on the go.
Here is how the vessel in your hand evolved, with the key inventions and the names behind them.
The Ottoman Fincan and the Zarf
Coffee spread through the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, and it was served the way Turkish coffee still is today: strong, unfiltered and in small portions. The cup was a fincan, the Turkish word for a small coffee cup, typically made of ceramic or porcelain and often without a handle.
A handleless cup full of very hot coffee is hard to hold, so a clever accessory appeared: the zarf. A zarf is a decorative holder, usually metal, into which the cup fits, a bit like an egg cup. Zarfs came into use around the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. Luxury versions used silver, gold, enamel and even jewels. By the 19th century, goldsmiths in Geneva were making them for export.
The zarf was both practical and a status symbol: the cup protected the coffee's flavor, the holder protected your fingers and displayed your wealth. Coffee in this world was social, served in coffeehouses and homes. Learn more in our article on Ottoman coffee houses, or try brewing it yourself with our guide to making Turkish coffee.
Porcelain, Handles and Saucers in Europe
When coffee, tea and chocolate reached Europe in the 17th century, the best drinking vessels came from China: fine porcelain shipped by trading companies. Early European cups often copied the small, handleless Chinese tea bowl.
Europe wanted its own porcelain, and the breakthrough came in Saxony, where the Meissen manufactory began producing hard-paste porcelain in the early 18th century. Other factories followed across the continent. As European potters designed cups specifically for hot drinks, handles became common, solving the same problem the zarf had solved in a different way. Matching saucers kept drips off fine tablecloths and furniture.
Over time, cup shapes started to match the drinks:
- Demitasse: a small “half cup” for strong coffee and, later, espresso.
- The breakfast cup: wider and larger, for coffee with milk.
- The mug: a sturdy, everyday vessel with thick walls that hold heat, eventually the standard American coffee cup.
Sizes still follow this logic. Our guide to latte vs cappuccino vs flat white shows how cup size shapes the drink itself.
The Invention of the Paper Cup
The disposable cup was not invented for coffee at all. It was invented for water and public health.
In the early 1900s, it was common in American schools, train stations and public buildings to share a single tin dipper or cup at a water barrel. Health reformers began warning about the spread of disease through these shared cups; one 1908 article had the alarming title “Death in School Drinking Cups.”
Boston inventor Lawrence Luellen developed a paper cup and joined forces with Hugh Moore, whose company sold individual servings of water for a penny. Their business became the Individual Drinking Cup Company, and its product was named the Health Kup. Moore later borrowed a new name from the Dixie Doll Company, and the Dixie Cup was born. Paper cups soon moved from water coolers to ice cream and, eventually, hot drinks.
Lids, Sleeves and Coffee on the Go
Hot coffee in a paper cup needed two more inventions to become the take-out ritual we know.
The sip-through lid
Drinking through a plain flat cover meant peeling it back or tearing it, so designers worked on lids you could sip through directly. The most famous is the Solo Traveler lid, designed by Jack Clements and produced by the Solo Cup Company in 1986. Made of polystyrene, it has a raised rim and a sip hole, and it became so iconic that it is part of the Museum of Modern Art's collection.
The cardboard sleeve
In the early 1990s, Jay Sorensen of Portland, Oregon, created the Java Jacket, a corrugated cardboard band that slides around a hot cup. He was the first to widely market this type of sleeve in the US. Some people call it a modern zarf, although language experts argue about whether that name fits.
Coffee Cup History Timeline
| Period | Development |
|---|---|
| 16th century | Coffee spreads through the Ottoman Empire, served in small fincan cups |
| Late 17th to early 18th century | Zarf holders come into use for handleless cups |
| Early 18th century | Meissen begins making European hard-paste porcelain |
| 18th and 19th centuries | Handles and saucers become standard on European cups |
| Early 1900s | Lawrence Luellen and Hugh Moore launch the paper Health Kup, later the Dixie Cup |
| 1986 | Jack Clements designs the Solo Traveler sip-through lid |
| Early 1990s | Jay Sorensen creates the Java Jacket cup sleeve |
The Coffee Cup Today
Today's choices reflect the same tension that has always shaped the coffee cup: comfort versus convenience. Ceramic mugs and glass cups dominate at home. Insulated stainless steel tumblers and reusable cups have become popular for commuting, partly in response to concerns about disposable cup waste. Many paper cups are lined with plastic to hold liquid, which makes them hard to recycle in many places. If you are curious about another single-use item, read are coffee pods recyclable.
The material also affects taste. Ceramic and glass are neutral, while thin paper cools quickly and some plastic lids can add their own smell. For a slow weekend cup, a pre-warmed ceramic mug is still hard to beat.
Coffee Cup History FAQ
Why did old coffee cups have no handles?
Early coffee cups in the Ottoman world and in Europe followed the shape of Asian tea bowls, which had no handles. In the Ottoman world, metal zarf holders solved the heat problem, while European potters later added handles.
Who invented the paper cup?
Lawrence Luellen, a Boston inventor, developed the paper cup and partnered with Hugh Moore. Their Health Kup, later renamed the Dixie Cup, was created to replace shared public drinking cups.
Who invented the plastic coffee lid?
Many people refined lid designs, but the best-known is the Solo Traveler lid, designed by Jack Clements and produced by Solo Cup Company in 1986.
What is a zarf?
A zarf is a decorative holder, usually metal, for a small handleless coffee cup. It was widely used in the Ottoman era, and the finest examples were made of silver or gold, sometimes with enamel or jewels.
Fill Your Cup With Something Fresh
From jeweled zarfs to cardboard sleeves, the coffee cup has always adapted to how we drink. Whatever cup you reach for, the coffee inside matters most. At Feel Espresso, every order is roasted 1 to 5 days before delivery. Try our House Blend for an everyday mug, or explore our single origin coffees for a slower, more attentive cup.