Metal containers were unsuitable for hot beverages.
Tea, coffee and chocolate were expensive luxury goods in the Baroque period, and at first, only noble society were able to enjoy this indulgence. The taste was considered bitter and was softened with sugar, which was also expensive. To fully enjoy this indulgence, precious porcelain was preferred over metal or tin-glazed earthenware containers. The porcelain was initially imported from Asia and later manufactured in Europe. The hot beverages were served in expensive containers and became an indispensable way of expressing luxury and prestige in the upper classes.
Even the set tablet is made of porcelain.
At first, the containers resembled their East Asian prototypes. Small drinking bowls, or "koppchen," became fashionable. They were complimented with a larger bowl, or "kumme," for rinsing the coffee grounds and tea leaves out of the smaller bowl. Over time, special sets were designed. Breakfast or lunch sets included a tray, pots for coffee, tea and milk, a sugar bowl and one or two cups. Morning coffee was served in bed or at a small table in the bedroom.
Porcelain was even used on travels.
At the Württemberg court, the luxury beverages were prepared in a special coffee chamber. In 1810, the staff consisted of three servants: a court coffee boiler, a travel coffee boiler, who accompanied the king on his travels, and a coffee maid. The room where the coffee was roasted and ground was located on the ground floor of the theater building. Chocolate was whipped up fresh at the table. The pot required a lid that could accommodate a whisk.
At Ludwigsburg Residential Palace, coffee can be sipped from fine china as part of a special tour.
