This might be the kind of thing that’s a little more widespread than anyone would really like to admit, but collecting and using coffee mugs is something of an obsession around the world.
Personally, we adore collecting mugs. Every time we go to a new city or holiday destination, we always get a mug with that destination on it! On top of that, we almost always get a mug from someone for any kind of event – there’s nothing quite like a cool mug.
If the internet is anything to go by, then we’re certainly not alone in this school of thought. There are a great many people around the world that love unique mugs, as is evidenced by a quick scroll through Amazon, Etsy, or any other online selling platform. Not only are there mugs on those sites, but very often, there’s a huge range of great mugs on those sites.
In this article, we’re going to run through some common categories of mugs, and talk about some features that we adore in a great mug. Without further ado, let’s talk about mugs!
Ceramic Mugs
Ceramic mugs are probably our favorite mugs to drink from. The feeling of the smooth, delicate, yet sturdy ceramic is quite pleasant. On top of that, the heat from a drink just seems to radiate throughout the mug itself a little better than it does with other materials. The greatest mugs, in our mind, have to be a little interestingly shaped. There’s no real reason for this other than the general sense of fun that accompanies a uniquely shaped mug, including this slightly graduated mug on Amazon.
Aside from the simple design and color that’s inoffensive and pleasant, we really like the shape of this mug. The ergonomics of a great ceramic mug can be a little tricky to consider, but in this case, it’s clearly been well-considered by the manufacturer. The idea is simple – your fingers easily loop through the handle, either sitting around the mug or just next to it. This makes it very easy to drink from, and quite difficult to drop.
Also, this mug in particular is one that looks quite exceptionally good for use in a home environment – it’s dishwasher and microwave safe. This might not be a dealbreaker for everyone out there, but it’s certainly a big deal for us.
Travel Mugs
Travel mugs are another subject of collecting for a wide range of people around thew world, with this writer being no exception. In truth, we would argue that there is something intensely important about the visual prettiness of a good travel mug, on top of any level of functionality that it has.
This leads to a wide range of mugs that tend to be style over substance for a lower cost, with a pretty mug being seen as enough of a trade-off for a functioning o-ring seal that the functionality can be damaged. Something that we would have to point out on this front is a simple thing: look for a lid that can be secured in the open position. Generally, mugs with this functionality have ensured that they’re leakproof, to a degree, making them much easier to work with.
Speaking of that functionality, this mug from Amazon can be a great choice. Aside from the functionality of the lid, the mug also has a very pretty design and a capacity of 16oz! This means that the mug itself is plenty big enough to hold a large coffee or other hot drink, allowing you to get the perfect amount of sipping into your day.
Insulated Mugs
While a number of travel mug options are insulated, not all of them are. Personally, we prefer insulated mugs to have a more intensive drive to keep things warm. Double-wall vacuum insulation is the ideal element that will make sure that the hot drink inside the container is as warm as possible for as long as possible.
We really adore this option on Amazon – from aesthetic to execution, it’s really great! Having a handle on an insulated mug isn’t always the kind of thing that people would prefer to have, but we really adore it. The reason for this is that it’s so much more ergonomically pleasing to drink coffee in this way, meaning that you can simply scoop up your mug of coffee and go when you’re in a rush in the mornings.
Something that we love above this option, too, is the transparent lid. This might sound a little absurd, but the use of opaque plastic or metal for a lid can feel a little frustrating, especially when you don’t know how much of the drink there is left, or even what’s in the mug at that point in time. This is overcome effortlessly with the use of transparent plastic, and we really like it!
Novelty Mugs
There’s nothing in the world quite as sweet and entertaining as a novelty mug. It can be a little strange to drink from on a day-to-day basis, but it’s also something sweet to experience every now and then – a small spark of joy in a hectic day.
This mug from Amazon is absolutely spectacular! It’s built with Lego bricks in mind, allowing you to grab a small pack from your nearest toy shop and build the mid-day blues away. We would strongly recommend this mug for the office, or even the WFH office, as it allows you to effortlessly stave off boredom, creating a funny, engaging thing that can brighten up a tricky day.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has given you a few great ideas and pointers for selecting a mug that will work well for your home. If you like this article, please make sure to share it, or comment and let us know – there are a heck of a lot of mugs out there, and we’d love to write a few more articles about them.