Small Pitchers

Small jugs are an easy way to bring colour and personality to the breakfast table without taking up much space. At Dims Studio you'll find small jugs in ceramic and stoneware, shaped like animals, lemons and other colourful motifs, made for milk, cream, oil or a small bunch of flowers. Here's a guide to types, materials, brands and ways to use them, so you can find the right small jug for your home.

What is a small jug?

A small jug is a compact jug, typically meant for smaller amounts of liquid such as milk, cream or oil, rather than the larger jugs used for water or juice at the table. The size means the small jug can easily stand on the table permanently without taking up too much room, making it just as much a decorative piece as a practical tool.

Milk jugs, cream jugs and oil jugs

The smaller jugs in the range cover several purposes. Milk jugs and cream jugs are typically used at breakfast or the coffee table to serve milk or cream, while oil jugs are designed for olive oil or other cooking oils and often have a narrower spout, making it easy to control the pour. What they share is a compact size that's easy to hold and pour with one hand.

Animal jugs: milk and cream with a smile

A large part of the small jugs in the range is shaped like animals, where the jug's body is the animal's body and the spout is often the mouth or snout. The British brand Quail Ceramics is behind most of the animal jugs, and each jug is hand-painted, so no two figures are ever quite the same.

Animal motifs from Quail

Among the animal jugs from Quail you'll find a cow, a mouse, a goat jug, a tiger, a pumpkin cat, a wild boar, a giraffe, a puffin, a donkey, an owl, a Swaledale sheep and a leopard, all hand-painted in stoneware and food-safe for everyday use. Most of Quail's jugs are dishwasher safe, making them practical for daily use despite their decorative look.

Cow jugs in several versions

The cow motif appears in several versions: a small cow jug in stoneware from Quail, plus a pink and a brown cow milk jug in ceramic from the Danish brand Rice, both holding 125 ml. The cow jugs are a classic among animal jugs, as the motif is naturally associated with milk.

Lemon and fruit jugs

Alongside the animals, the range includes a series of jugs shaped like or decorated with fruit, mainly from the Italian brand Caja Company. Here you'll find an oil jug with an olive motif, an oil jug with a lemon motif, a lemon milk jug in fresh lemon green, and a small jug shaped like the lemon itself. Caja Company's jugs are hand-painted in Italian faience, meaning each jug is unique in its painting.

Other fruit-shaped jugs

Besides the lemon jugs, you'll find a cream jug shaped like a lemon from Creative Collection, which works both for serving and as a small bud vase, as well as a berry-shaped jug in lavender from the Danish brand Rice, well suited for juice or a small bunch of flowers.

Materials: stoneware and ceramic

The small jugs in the range are made from either stoneware or ceramic, and both materials are sturdy enough for everyday use, though they differ slightly in look and finish.

Stoneware

Stoneware is a dense, durable ceramic material often used for the animal jugs from Quail. It withstands regular use well and is usually food-safe, so the jugs can be used confidently for milk and cream at the table.

Ceramic

Ceramic covers a broader group of the smaller jugs, including the fruit jugs from Caja Company and Rice. The ceramic glaze often gives a glossier, more saturated surface, which highlights the bold colours of the lemon, oil and berry jugs.

Material	Typical use	Examples
Stoneware	Animal jugs for milk and cream	Cow, mouse, goat jug, tiger, pumpkin cat, wild boar, giraffe, puffin, donkey, owl, sheep, leopard
Ceramic	Lemon, oil and berry jugs	Oil jug with olive, lemon milk jug, small lemon jug, berry jug

Sizes of small jugs

What the jugs in this category have in common is a compact size. Several of Quail's animal jugs are around 11.5 to 12.5 cm tall, while the smallest ceramic jugs, such as the small lemon jug, hold around 180 ml. Rice's cow milk jugs hold around 125 ml, roughly a good splash of milk or cream for a couple of cups of coffee. The exact size and capacity for each jug is always listed under the variants on the individual product.

How to use a small jug

• Serve milk or cream with your morning coffee in an animal jug as a small, cheerful eye-catcher on the table.
• Use an oil jug with a lemon or olive motif for olive oil next to the bread basket.
• Place a single wildflower or twig in an empty jug so it works as a small bud vase.
• Collect several animal jugs on an open kitchen shelf as a colourful, personal collection.
• Use a small jug as a cream server for the dessert table when you have guests.

Brands behind the small jugs

Quail Ceramics

Quail Ceramics is a British brand known for hand-painted animal figures in stoneware, including jugs, mugs and bowls alike. What Quail's products share is that each figure is painted individually by hand, so no two jugs are identical, even within the same motif.

Caja Company

Caja Company is an Italian brand working with hand-painted faience, often in fresh colours with fruit and olive motifs. Their jugs are meant both for serving and as a decorative touch in the kitchen.

Rice

Rice is a Danish brand known for colourful, playful home design. Their cow and berry jugs in ceramic come in soft, cheerful colours and fit well with the rest of Rice's world of tableware and storage.

Creative Collection and Kersten

Creative Collection and Kersten also contribute to the range, including a lemon-shaped cream jug in hand-glazed stoneware and an aubergine-coloured jug that works both as a jug and as a vase.

Small jugs for the breakfast table

The breakfast table is where the small jugs really come into their own. Because they're compact, they can stay on the table day after day without taking up too much space, and because many of them are shaped like animals or fruit, they add a small touch of good humour to breakfast. An animal jug with milk next to the porridge is an easy way to make breakfast a bit more fun for both children and adults, while an oil jug with a lemon or olive motif works well for a Sunday brunch with eggs, toast and fresh ingredients.

Combine several jugs on the table

You don't have to choose just one small jug for the table. Several animal jugs in different motifs can easily sit side by side, for example a cow jug for milk and a giraffe jug for cream, without looking cluttered, because they share the same handcrafted, colourful look. Feel free to mix stoneware and ceramic across the table for some variation in surface and shine.

Colours and finish of the small jugs

Even though the jugs are primarily defined by their shape and motif, colour also plays a big role. Quail's animal jugs are hand-painted in lifelike yet playful colours to suit the animal, while Caja Company's fruit jugs stick to fresh, saturated colours like lemon yellow and olive green. Rice's cow jugs come in both a classic brown and a more surprising pink version, letting you choose a more muted or a more colourful option depending on the rest of your kitchen style.

Single colour or mixed display

For a calmer look, you can stick to jugs in related earthy tones, such as the aubergine-coloured jug from Kersten together with a brown cow jug from Quail. For a more playful and colourful corner, you can mix several motifs and colours, such as a pink cow jug, a yellow lemon jug and a green oil jug, so together they form a small, cheerful display on the shelf or table.

Small jugs in kitchen decor

Beyond the table itself, the small jugs can also be a permanent part of your kitchen decor. Place one or more jugs on an open shelf alongside cookbooks, spices or other ceramic pieces, so they become part of the everyday look of the kitchen rather than only appearing at mealtimes. If there are windows in the kitchen, a jug with a small bunch of flowers or a few twigs can sit on the windowsill as a mix of everyday object and decoration.

Season and occasion

In winter and the darker months, a jug in warm colours like orange, yellow or reddish brown can help give the kitchen a cosy feel, while the lighter, fresher colours like mint, pink and lemon yellow work well in spring and summer. For birthdays or smaller gatherings, a collection of several animal jugs can work as an informal yet personal part of the table setting.

Small jugs as a gift

Because the small jugs are compact and affordable, they make an easy gift that doesn't take up much space yet still feels personal. An animal jug from Quail suits an animal lover well, while a lemon jug from Caja Company is a nice detail for someone who loves cooking and the kitchen. Find more ideas under hostess gifts and birthday gift for her.

How to look after your small jugs

Cleaning

Most of Quail's animal jugs are dishwasher safe, but always check the product description for the individual jug, as hand-painted details sometimes last longest when hand washed. Rinse the jug thoroughly after using it for oil, so residue doesn't build up in the glaze.

Storage

Store the small jugs standing up with enough space between them, so neither the handle nor the spout gets knocked or chipped while rearranging the shelf.

Which small jug should you choose?

Situation	Our recommendation
Milk and cream for morning coffee	An animal jug from Quail or a cow milk jug from Rice
Olive oil on the dining table	An oil jug with an olive or lemon motif from Caja Company
Small bud vase	A lemon-shaped jug or a berry jug with a single flower
Gift for an animal lover	A hand-painted animal jug from Quail, such as a giraffe, owl or leopard
Collected display on the kitchen shelf	Several animal jugs in different motifs from Quail

How to choose between stoneware and ceramic

If you're choosing between an animal jug in stoneware from Quail and a fruit jug in ceramic from Caja Company or Rice, it can help to think about where the jug will mainly be used. Stoneware is generally a bit denser and sturdier, making Quail's animal jugs a safe choice for everyday use and the dishwasher. The ceramic glaze, on the other hand, often gives a glossier and more saturated finish, which really shows in the bold lemon and olive motifs from Caja Company, where the hand-painting itself is a big part of the look.

If you're unsure, it can be a good idea to start with a single jug in the material you're most drawn to visually, and then add jugs in the other material over time if you want more variety on the shelf or table.

Small jugs compared to larger jugs

While the small jugs are mainly meant for milk, cream and oil in smaller amounts, the larger jugs in the range are designed for water, juice or other drinks served to several people at once. The small jugs therefore work best as a fixed, everyday feature on the breakfast table or as a small decorative detail, while the larger jugs are typically brought out for meals with guests. See the full range of large jugs if you need a jug for bigger amounts.

Build a collection of small jugs

Because the jugs are compact and relatively affordable, this is an easy category to collect over time. Start with a single jug in a motif you especially love, and add new animal or fruit motifs as the range grows. A growing collection of hand-painted animal jugs from Quail becomes, over time, a personal and recognisable feature in the kitchen, where each jug has its own story and its own look.

Frequently asked questions about small jugs

What is a small jug used for?

A small jug is typically used to serve milk, cream or oil in smaller amounts, and can also work as a small vase for a single flower or twig.

What material are the small jugs made from?

The range spans stoneware, mainly used for the animal jugs from Quail, and ceramic, used for the fruit jugs from Caja Company and Rice.

Are Quail's animal jugs dishwasher safe?

Yes, most of Quail's animal jugs in stoneware are food-safe and dishwasher safe, but always check the individual product description.

How big is a typical small jug?

Most are around 11.5 to 12.5 cm tall with a capacity of 125 to 180 ml, depending on the model and brand.

Who makes the animal jugs in the range?

Most of the animal jugs come from the British brand Quail Ceramics, which hand-paints each figure individually, so no two jugs are the same.

Can a small jug be used as a vase?

Yes, several of the jugs, including the lemon and berry jugs, work well as a small bud vase for a single flower or twig.

What motifs are the small jugs available in?

The motifs range from animals such as cow, mouse, goat jug, tiger, pumpkin cat, wild boar, giraffe, puffin, donkey, owl and sheep to fruit such as lemon, olive and berry.

Are the small jugs a good gift?

Yes, they're compact, affordable and come in many different motifs, making them easy to tailor to the recipient's taste.

What's the difference between a milk jug and an oil jug?

A milk jug is designed for milk or cream, while an oil jug often has a narrower spout to dose olive oil or other cooking oil more precisely.

Which brand is behind the lemon jugs?

The lemon jugs mainly come from the Italian brand Caja Company, which hand-paints faience with fruit and olive motifs.

Can the small jugs be used daily?

Yes, most are food-safe and sturdy enough for everyday use, both for serving and as a fixed part of the table setting.