It turns out the iconic Kiwi cup aka Arcoroc mugs come in different colours

If you’ve lived in Aotearoa long enough, you’ve enjoyed a drink from one of these bad boys. 

The marae cup. Or the cups from church. Or the cups at your nana’s. Or the cups at the bach. Or the cups in the break room. 

They’re everywhere. 

With their utilitarian design and translucent glass, we have slurped countless cuppas from these Arcoroc mugs. Or water. Or Raro. Or a sneaky tipple. 

And they all look the same - but what if they didn’t? 

The mugs, made by French firm Arcoroc, are tempered which means they’re hard to break. 

They’re dishwasher-safe, heatproof, mostly drop-proof, almost idiot-proof. 

When journalist John Summers probed their popularity for a 2019 article in The Spinoff he found that a clear glass version is available here but, despite its popularity across the ditch, New Zealanders don’t go for this version. 

Why would you? 

But what if there was another option? 

TikToker Xoe shared a remarkable discovery about the tempered glassware, telling her followers she “might need to call a hui” to discuss her findings. 

Saying she “went down a rabbit hole” in her research, she quickly got to the point: “They come in other colours.” 

Xoe rapturously announced her findings, waxing lyrical on the various hues. 

Emerald green? 

“It’s gorgeous, why didn’t we get these ones?” 

Red?

“Look at that, sexy.” 

And Xoe’s personal favourite, cobalt blue. 

At this point, the TikToker was reduced to moaning in appreciation, before adding: “Why did we stick to brown?” 

In fairness, the coloured versions are not available in New Zealand and seem to appear mostly for sale in small lots as “vintage”, which may explain our enthusiasm for the smoky brown. 

But Xoe wasn’t done, telling her followers they “might need to sit down” for her next revelation. 

They come with saucers. 

“Since when?” she asked, before questioning everything that she knew. 

Cuppas need not ever be the same again. 

Chris Marriner is an Auckland-based journalist covering trending news and social media. He joined the Herald in 2003 and previously worked in the Herald’s visual team. He takes his tea with milk, no sugar. Coffee black, no sugar. Thank you. 

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.