The origin of 1660 London, and the tea tasting cups, is described as follows in a leaflet later produced to accompany sets of the cups:

"1660 London began as a dialogue between Tim d'Offay, a tea smith, and Peter Ting, a ceramics designer, in which the idea of how the shape of a tea cup actually affected the flavour of the tea being drunk was raised. Fascinated by this idea, the two men, each experts in their own field, set about exploring the concept. The result is an elegant and innovative range of porcelain tea tasting cups, designed to enhance the experience of drinking teas by bringing out their bouquet, appearance and flavour."

Three tea tasting cups were designed: a green tea cup; a black tea cup; and a 'fragrance cup' for highly scented teas. In addition, a version of the black tea cup was produced with a handle and saucer to suit the British tradition of drinking black tea with milk. The original three tea tasting cups were launched at the 2012 World Tea Expo, USA, where the were awarded Best New Product 2012.