Paula Stoneware Cups 275ml Set of 4 - Grey

These are four round stoneware cups, each holding 275ml, which makes them a generous size for a proper cup of tea or coffee without the bulk of a large mug. Each one is 9cm across and 8cm tall, with a full, almost ball-like body that sits comfortably in cupped hands and a neat ring handle on one side. The finish is a reactive glaze in grey, paler and mottled from the rim downwards, where it gathers and runs in soft drips over a darker, speckled lower half.

Made for drinks, they earn their place from breakfast onwards: morning coffee at the kitchen table, a pot of tea shared at the weekend, hot chocolate on a cold evening. A set of four covers a small household, or lays the table for friends who drop in for coffee. The rounded shape and soft grey glaze suit a relaxed farmhouse kitchen as readily as a simple, pared-back dining room, and they look at home beside wooden boards, linen napkins and plain white plates. They also make a thoughtful housewarming gift for someone who likes their tea in something with a little character.

Stoneware is fired at a high temperature, which makes it dense and hard-wearing, and it holds heat well. A reactive glaze shifts in tone as it fires, so each cup can differ slightly from its neighbours in how the grey pools and runs; that small variation is part of the appeal. Everyday care is simple, because the maker states that these cups go in the dishwasher, the microwave and the oven. For styling, we like all four grouped on a wooden tray by the kettle, or hung by their ring handles from a row of hooks beneath a kitchen shelf, where the glaze catches the light.

How much does each cup hold?

Each cup holds 275ml, a generous size for a full cup of tea or coffee without the bulk of a large mug.

Can these cups go in the dishwasher and microwave?

Yes. The maker states that they are dishwasher safe and microwave safe, and they can go in the oven too.

What size is each cup?

Each cup is 9cm across and 8cm tall, with a rounded body slightly wider than its height and a ring handle on one side.

How many cups are in the set?

The set has four cups, all in the same grey reactive glaze, though each can vary slightly in how the glaze has run.

What material are the cups?

They are 100% stoneware, a dense, hard-wearing ceramic that holds heat well, finished in a grey reactive glaze with a mottled, softly running surface.