The Tiny Spoons That Bring Me an Enormous Amount of Joy

So often when we’re in the kitchen, bigger is better. Bigger bowls for mixing salads.

Bigger cutting boards

These little spoons are named for demitasse cups (French for “half-cup”), which is what espresso is usually served in at coffee shops and restaurants. Demitasse spoons come with the cups at these establishments, and are typically used for removing froth from espresso, or for stirring in calculated amounts of sugar to your coffee. But once I realized there was a gorgeous, affordable array of vintage demitasse spoons available online, I decided I needed to come up with more ways to use them. Because, look at them!

Buy: Caesna Mirror Coffee Spoon, $4 at Crate & Barrel

The demitasse spoon I use most frequently is from a thrift store in Toronto. It’s dainty, silver-plated, and has a little crab topping its handle. It’s amusing to look at and, much to my boyfriend’s displeasure, I have been eating all sorts of scoopable foods with it. I tend to be an, um, enthusiastic eater, so using my little spoon encourages me to slow down and savor — especially when I’m using it for an amazing cake or ice cream. (In my experience, the best alternate uses for demitasse spoons are always dessert-related.)

Similarly, using demitasse spoons for sauces helps me avoid overdoing it and ruining a perfectly good plating. I also like to use it as a tasting spoon sometimes when I’m cooking. And of course, its classic use as a stirrer is also a good one: It won’t crowd your coffee mug and encourages you to be gentle with your sugar portioning. 

You might feel silly about purchasing an item as seemingly frivolous as these cute, little spoons, but you shouldn’t. Not only are they tiny reminders that it’s a good idea to slow down and savor what you have, but they also remind me of eating out at nice restaurants (something we’ve all been missing these last few months). So there you go: Bigger is not always better.

Do you have a tiny version of something you love in the kitchen? A tiny whisk, perhaps? Tell us in the comments below.