Paper Tea Cups With Handles

Tea Is Served Differently From Coffee

Tea brings its own habits to the cup. It is often poured with water close to boiling, served in smaller portions, steeped with a bag that hangs over the rim, and sipped slowly in one place rather than carried down the street. A paper tea cup with a handle fits that style of drinking. The handle keeps fingers off a very hot wall, the smaller size suits a proper cup of tea, and the cup feels closer to the china it replaces.

The buyers are tea houses, chai stalls, cafes with a long tea menu, hotel breakfast rooms, afternoon tea events, corporate meetings, trade show booths, hospitals, and caterers serving tea after a funeral, a wedding or a church service. Anyone setting out tea for a crowd without washing a hundred cups afterward.

We make these cups in capacities from 4 oz to 20 oz, plus custom sizes, from food-grade virgin paper in white SBS, kraft or PE-coated board between 250 and 380 gsm. Single and double wall options are both available.

Sizes That Match How Tea Is Served

A traditional teacup holds much less than a coffee mug, and tea is often refilled from a pot. Smaller handled cups suit that style. Larger sizes suit takeaway tea and tea lattes.

Double wall makes sense for any tea brewed with boiling water, since tea is usually hotter than a coffee drink that has been mixed with milk. The insulated wall and the handle together make the cup comfortable for the whole time it is held.

If your menu is mostly coffee and soup and you only serve tea now and then, take a look at our paper cups with handles for coffee, which focus on larger sizes and soup service.

Designing a Tea Cup

Tea service tends to suit a calmer, more refined look than a coffee to-go cup. Some ideas:

• Use a simple pattern, such as a floral border, a tea leaf motif or a thin band of color near the rim.
• Place your logo opposite the handle, so guests across the table see it.
• For chai stalls and tea bars, go bold with bright colors and a large mark. These cups are seen across a busy market.
• Print a custom rim design for afternoon tea events, such as a scalloped border or the event's name.
• Choose matte or soft-touch for a premium feel. Gloss suits a bright, casual look.

Both CMYK and PMS printing are available, along with spot UV, embossing and foil for special events. Kraft board gives a rustic look that suits herbal teas and farm cafes. White board is closest to traditional china.

Serving Tea With Paper Cups

Tea bags hang over the rim by their string, so leave a little space at the top of the cup and keep the handle on the opposite side from the tag. That way the tag does not tangle with the guest's fingers. At a tea station, set out cups with the handles facing the same way, next to the hot water urn, with milk, lemon and sugar to the side.

For events, a tray of handled cups and a sugar bowl looks much more inviting than a stack of plain cups. If you want to brand the whole tea service, add custom printed tea bags so the tag that hangs over the rim carries your name too.

Milk tea and chai bring one more consideration. They are often poured straight from a pot or kettle that has been simmering, so the first few sips are very hot. A double wall cup with a handle is the safest pairing for that kind of service, especially when cups are passed across a stall counter to people standing in line.

Store cups dry and keep cartons sealed until the event. Handled cups take more room than plain cups, so plan your storage space when you order larger quantities.

Lids can be added for takeaway tea, though most handled tea cups are used without them. For a long walk, a lid also stops the tea bag string from swinging out of the cup.

Ordering Paper Tea Cups With Handles

1. Decide on sizes, starting with how big a cup of tea is on your menu or at your event.
2. Choose single or double wall, and white or kraft board.
3. Send your logo or event design, or ask our team for free design help.
4. Approve the digital proof and request a free sample to check the handle with a full cup of hot tea.
5. After approval, production takes 4 to 6 business days. Rush options are available for event dates.

The minimum order is 100 cups, so a single tea party or meeting is easy to cover. Larger promotional runs get volume discounts. Shipping is free to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. If takeaway tea is a growing part of your menu, our custom tea cup sleeves fit standard cups and can carry the same design.