Tea service
The Moroccan Tea Set: What You Actually Need
Moroccan mint tea is as much about the ritual as the drink, and the tea set is the stage for it. A full set is a handful of pieces — a teapot, a set of glasses, a tray and a few small tools — each with a clear job. You can buy a boxed set or assemble your own; either way, knowing what each piece does helps you choose ones that work rather than only shine.
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- 8 min
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- Tea service
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- The core set is a teapot (berrad), small glasses, and a tray (siniya) to serve on.
- The teapot must handle direct heat if you brew in it — many decorative pots are for pouring only.
- Glasses are small, heatproof and traditionally poured from a height to build foam.
- A sugar hammer, strainer and small caddy round out a working set but are optional.
The essential three pieces
At its simplest a tea set is a teapot, glasses and a tray. The teapot, or berrad, is usually stainless steel or silver-plated metal with a curved spout and a hinged lid; in Morocco tea is often simmered directly in it, so a genuine brewing pot must tolerate a flame or hotplate. The glasses are small, straight-sided and heatproof, decorated with gold or coloured enamel. The tray, or siniya, is a wide round metal platter that carries the whole service and catches drips as tea is poured from a height.
Those three pieces are all you truly need to serve tea properly. Everything else is refinement, and much of what is sold as a matching set is designed to look beautiful on a shelf. If you plan to actually brew and pour every day, prioritise function — a sturdy pot, glasses that resist thermal shock, a stable tray — over the most ornate finish.
The supporting tools
Beyond the core three, a few small accessories make the ritual smoother, though none are essential to a good glass of tea.
- Sugar hammer: a small metal mallet for breaking chunks off a sugar cone.
- Strainer: catches mint leaves and tea dust when pouring, if the pot lacks an internal filter.
- Sugar caddy or box: stores broken sugar or loose gunpowder green tea.
- Small tongs: for handling hot glasses and adding sugar lumps.
- Fresh mint and a tea caddy: not hardware, but the two ingredients the set exists to serve.
Buying a set that lasts
Boxed tourist sets can be lovely but are sometimes made for display: thin metal that dents, painted glasses that are not truly heatproof, and pots not meant for a flame. If you want a daily set, choose a heavier stainless-steel or genuine silver-plated berrad, glasses described as heatproof, and a solid tray. Expect a wide price range from inexpensive market sets to substantial hand-chased silver-plate services.
Assembling your own set piece by piece often gives better results than a matched box, letting you pair a working teapot with glasses you like and a tray that fits your table. For the pieces in depth, see the berrad teapot guide, the tea glasses guide and the siniya tray guide. To taste the ritual in context, browse our guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Moroccan tea set?
The core set is a teapot (berrad), a set of small heatproof glasses, and a wide metal tray (siniya). Fuller sets add a sugar hammer, a strainer, a sugar caddy and small tongs, but those three pieces are all you need to serve tea properly.
Are Moroccan tea sets just decorative?
Some are made mainly for display, with thin metal and painted glasses that are not truly heatproof. If you want to brew and pour daily, choose a sturdy teapot rated for heat and glasses described as heatproof rather than the most ornate boxed set.
Can you brew tea directly in a Moroccan teapot?
In Morocco tea is usually simmered right in the berrad on a flame or hotplate, so a genuine brewing pot must tolerate direct heat. Many decorative or silver-plated pots are meant only for steeping and pouring, so check before putting one on the stove.
How many glasses come in a Moroccan tea set?
Sets are commonly sold in sixes, since tea is a shared, sociable drink and guests often take several small glasses. Buy a few extra beyond your usual number, as the thin glasses can crack over time and hospitality tends to fill the tray.