Why small cups
Updated 14 October 2026
Most of our cups are smaller than the mug in your cupboard. That surprises people, and the few buyer reviews we read before choosing these pieces said so too: two cups looked bigger in the photos than they were. So here is every size we carry in one place, and what each one is good for.
What the numbers mean
A US fluid ounce is 29.57 ml. A US cup, the kitchen measure, is about 240 ml, or 8 fl oz. For a coffee-shop comparison, Starbucks lists its Short at 8 fl oz, its Tall at 12, its Grande at 16 and its Venti hot drink at 20.
Our capacities are the sellers' own hand measurements, so treat them as close rather than exact. Most people also stop pouring short of the rim, so expect a little less in the cup than the number says.
Every cup, smallest first
| Piece | Holds | |---|---| | Croissant small cup | 130 ml (4.4 fl oz) | | Folded milk pitcher | 170 ml (5.7 fl oz) | | Folded cup, short | 175 ml (5.9 fl oz) | | Folded cup, tall | 190 ml (6.4 fl oz) | | Green apple footed cup | 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) | | Strawberry relief cup | about 210 ml (7.1 fl oz) | | Bakery cat cup | about 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | | Speckled cups with raised motifs (Blossom, Grove, Heart) | 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | | Brush-painted cat cup | 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | | Flower-rim cups with painted animals | 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | | Cornbread cup | 260 ml (8.8 fl oz) | | Painted apple cup | 260 ml (8.8 fl oz) | | Cat relief mug | 280 ml (9.5 fl oz) | | Wild Frost cup | 320 ml (10.8 fl oz) | | Croissant mug | 360 ml (12.2 fl oz) |
The seller has not listed a capacity for the loaf cup or the Lazy Cat cup in the bakery cat range, so we do not give one.
Three sizes, three habits
Under 7 fl oz. The croissant small cup holds about half a Short. It suits a small, strong coffee or a few sips of tea, and it fits in one hand without a handle. The folded cups and the green apple cup sit just above it, and the folded pitcher holds enough milk for two of them.
Around 7 to 9 fl oz. This is where most of our painted cups fall: the strawberry, cat, bunny and apple cups, the bakery cat cup and the cornbread cup. Filled to the brim, most of them hold about one Short, the same as the kitchen cup measure; the strawberry cup holds a little less. It is a size for one coffee or tea made at home, drunk while it is still warm, with the painting close to your eye.
Over 9 fl oz. The cat relief mug, Wild Frost and the croissant mug are for people who want a bigger pour or a milky drink. The croissant mug holds about a Tall when filled to the brim.
Why we choose them small
We did not set out to sell small cups. We chose pieces for how they look and how they are made, and the sizes came with them. A smaller cup also puts the painting, the relief and the glaze closer to you, and it leaves room on the shelf for a second one.
Every product page gives the capacity in ounces and millilitres, the height and width where the seller gives them, and pictures in the hand for scale. If you are choosing a gift for someone who likes a big mug, the croissant mug is the one to pick.
The pieces in this story
- Bakery Relief Cups and Toast Plate: the croissant small cup and the croissant mug
- Folded-Paper Porcelain Cups and Milk Pitcher
- Strawberry Relief Cup
- Brush-Painted Cat Cup
- Cat Relief Mug
- Wild Frost Cup and Saucer