1) Keeps espresso HOT even if the glass is not pre-warmed.  

2) Large enough (3oz) to hold single, double, or even a triple.

3) Lets you see what is going on to evaluate your shot progress

1) Very fragile, thin walled glass

2) Has a sticker applied to it that is almost impossible to remove.  Makes the whole thing look cheap.

I think that reviewing espresso cups shows just how far over the edge that I have gone with espresso, but it is fun.  These cups are cool too, and worth some press.

I had a Williams-Sonoma in store credit that I "needed" to spend from the return on my Kitchen Aid Proline grinder.  I was going to look for some demitasse cups, but they had these awesome looking Bodum espresso cups all over the store. They are labeled as "hand-blown", and are very handsome.  They look like a large clear double walled shot glass.

I bought a couple for the usual highly inflated price that WS charges, $7.50 a piece.

Using them is nice.  I like that I can fit the whole double shot in one cup instead of using the two shot glass method.  The Bodum's hold 3oz so they should work no matter what size shot that you are brewing.  They also have a nice wide mouth that works well collecting the initial streams from a bottomless portafilter.  The clear glass lets you see the beautiful shot progress, or if a poor shot is underway.

The double walled glass keeps the shot surprisingly hot for a long time by working like a thermos. I inadvertently burned my tongue the first time a took a sip, even after the shot had been sitting for a minute.  This rarely if ever happened to me before even with a pre-warmed demitasse from my microwave.  The shot stays warm, even while reading the newspaper.  My longest count so far is 5 minutes before drinking my shot, and it was still very hot at the last sip.

The negatives....

These glasses are very thin walled glass and slippery when trying to clean.  Be careful.  They almost seem like you could crunch them in your hand fairly easily if you are not careful.  Be extra careful if you have children.

Bodum puts a clear plastic sticker on the side of the glass that makes the whole thing look cheap.  I tried to take it off but it was very difficult given the fragility of the glass.  I ended up leaving it on for fear of breaking the glass in the process.

I don't generally like buying at Williams-Sonoma because they are very overpriced, but they do have good customer service most of the time and a good return policy.