The Under-$100 Le Creuset Gift That’s Lasted for Over a Decade

My parents are fairly impossible to buy for. Every year, come the holidays, they insist they have everything they need, and I insist on getting them something. I like to think everything I’ve given them has been well-loved, but one gift is in a class of its own: espresso cups from Le Creuset.

Le Creuset London Mugs

$80 at Amazon $15 at Sur La Table

Why I Love Le Creuset’s Espresso Cups

I gave my parents these cups for Christmas over a decade ago, and they still use them every day. (My dad makes my mom a cappuccino each morning and brings it to her in bed, which is goals.) And there’s not a scratch, a chip, or even a stain in sight on any of them.

Le Creuset calls these cups “mugs,” despite their capacity of just three ounces each.  While this is on the large side for an espresso cup, it’s ideal for single and double shots. Their wide opening captures every drip of espresso, and I love their looped handles. It’s easy to thread a finger through one and tilt the cup’s contents into a mug.

Le Creuset Espresso Mug

$15 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $15 at Sur La Table

My favorite part about these espresso cups, though, has to be their price. At $85 for six, they’re about $14 per cup. And should you want to add a cup to your collection—or, gasp, if one were to break—you can also buy singles in a variety of hues. I only wish they came in even more colors so I had an excuse to gift them to my parents again.

Other Perfect Gifts for Hard-to-Shop-for Parents

• Anyone would appreciate a nice box of chocolates.
• A coffee subscription is the gift that’ll keep on giving.
• Every cook can use these cute, $30 pinch bowls.
• Who wouldn’t like nice olive oil?

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is an associate editorial director at Serious Eats. 
• She’s worked at SE for four years and has tested kitchen gear for seven.
• She’s tried far too many espresso machines.