Coffee Mugs

A coffee mug is a specific type of cup. Mugs have handles. The handle keeps you from having to grasp the cup part directly, and keeps your fingers away from the heat as you hold it, and they are bigger than the average coffee or tea cup. They are also a more casual type of cup, the kind you might find in a diner or at the kitchen table.

Most mugs are reasonably priced, and you see them as souvenirs just about everywhere you visit. Coffee mugs emblazoned with the name of a city like New York or Paris, a state or national monument, or tourist attractions show up in everyone’s dishwasher or sink at one time or another. There’s an entire industry that manufactures novelty mugs, including ones that you can customize or personalize. Businesses frequently with slap their logos on mugs as advertisement, and just about everyone has seen a “World’s Greatest…” mug. World’s Greatest Dad, World’s Greatest Boss, World’s Greatest Mug. Okay, you don’t see that last one too often, but you get the idea.

The design of a mug varies, but they are usually sturdy and help to keep your coffee or hot chocolate hot. Thick materials like ceramic keep the cooler outside air away from the liquid, and frequently the base is indented keeping the contents up and away from the table. Of course it’ll give you a wet ring behind if you’re not careful, but that’s why they invented coasters.