Though saucers were invented during the medieval times, it became popular to serve them with a cup of hot beverages during the colonial America period in an effort to allow those drinking the tea or coffee to not burn their mouth — the person being served the saucer and coffee cup would separate the two and pour small amounts of the beverage into the saucer plate. The thin layer of steamy drink would then cool considerably faster than the beverage contained in the cup, allowing the person drinking to enjoy warm but not scalding coffee.
