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Best Glass Coffee Mugs
It takes a coffee lover to appreciate the beauty and benefit of glass coffee mugs. The best coffee mugs are chosen because they suit the type and temperature of the coffee being served.
Published February 3, 2022
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Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If there is anything a coffee lover absolutely hates it would be sitting down to a delightful, fresh cup of coffee served in a disposable cup. However, as terrible as that may seem, trying to drink coffee from a cracked or chipped mug is even worse. Any true coffee aficionado understands the main benefits of glass coffee mugs and if you are among their number, you just might be in the market for the best glass coffee mugs. If you are wondering why glass instead of ceramic, there are several reasons why many people prefer glass. Before looking at some of the best glass coffee mugs, let’s take a moment to discuss why you should consider glass above all other materials from which mugs can be made.
Glass Coffee Mugs vs. Ceramic Coffee Mugs
You will often hear it said that ceramic coffee mugs are superior to glass because they hold the heat better. While that is true, it really isn’t as important as other factors when choosing coffee mugs made from glass. Yes, ceramic does tend to keep the coffee warm longer, but no one really wants to keep coffee in a mug that is lined and cracked on the inside. Ceramic coffee mugs tend to chip easily around the lip, and they will also crack on the inside after repeated use for hot beverages.
Also, a glass coffee set is dishwasher safe. Some ceramic mugs can be washed on the top shelf of the dishwasher, but it is usually advisable to wash ceramic coffee cups by hand. As mentioned, continued exposure to heat can result in cracks on the inside surface or the lip. Yes, coffee is served hot but not as hot as the drying element gets inside the dishwasher. It can get rather costly replacing cracked mugs and that is if you can find mugs like the ones you own.
Glass Coffee Mugs vs. Stainless Steel Travel Type Mugs
Here, we are getting to another point altogether. While insulated coffee mugs with a stainless-steel interior will also keep coffee warm longer, they aren’t very attractive and have limited uses because of that. Also, insulated coffee mugs may hold the coffee temperature nice and warm, but that leaves another issue to be contended with.
One of the reasons gourmet coffee retailers suggest that you either brew single cups like the Keurig K-cup pods or smaller pots more often is because there is something about coffee that results in flavor loss if kept warm or hot for too long. When you see “fresh hot coffee served here” on digital signage at fine dining establishments, that’s because they know coffee. It is also why many coffeemaker manufacturers give the option to keep the heat plate on for 1, 2 or 4 hours. They understand that a true coffee lover knows not to let the coffee stay heated too long because it becomes bitter and acidic.
Coffee Mugs, Coffee Cups and Coffee Glasses
Here’s another point to consider when choosing the best glass mugs for hot drinks. Do you really want a mug or perhaps tall coffee glasses would better serve your purpose? From a big glass cup to smaller tea sized cups with saucers, your choices are almost limitless. Even though they are shaped differently and vary in size, they have one thing in common. With see-through coffee cups, you can always spot the color of the coffee which is indicative of its roast and age. No one wants a cup of coffee that has been sitting on the hotplate for several hours and so beautiful glass mugs are absolutely perfect.
This brings up another very important point when choosing what style glass coffee mug you want to buy. For example, let’s say you want glass coffee mugs for your RV when going on vacation or weekend getaways. For this purpose, you might want to look for bottom heavy coffee mugs. On the other hand, if you entertain often and serve cappuccinos or after dinner coffee drinks, glass latte cups would best meet your needs. From thin coffee mugs to wide coffee mugs, there is a coffee mug for every occasion and every budget.
Then, in all of this, there are tall coffee glasses that are most often used for iced coffee drinks. While some people will serve their iced coffee in regular tableware glasses, serving it in special tall coffee glasses adds that extra bit of elegance. If you shop wisely, you can find a glass coffee set that includes all of the above. From heavy mugs to smaller coffee cups to tall coffee glasses, if you can get a matching set, all the better.
The Most Valuable Coffee Mugs
There are coffee mugs out there worth more than $1,000, but let’s be realistic here. Who is going to sit at the table drinking coffee in a cup worth over a grand? However, these do make nice collectors’ pieces, but few are made out of glass anyway, so you really wouldn’t want to ruin your coffee in a priceless ceramic mug. It may sound funny, but to a coffee lover, they’d rather ruin the cup than the coffee!
All joking aside, the most valuable coffee mugs are often those made of glass and personalized with etchings. Sometimes these are given as wedding or anniversary gifts and other times families like to have something beautiful etched into the glass coffee set. These are most often found online unless you live in a big city with a craftsman who can etch/engrave on glass.
Why Beautiful Glass Mugs Are So Important
If there is one thing which can be said about today’s culture, it would be that most people actually love a good cup of coffee. In fact, more than 500 million cups of coffee are served every day in the United States alone and when you consider the rest of the world, that’s a lot of coffee lovers.
Yes, glass coffee mugs have several benefits over other types of mugs such as ceramic or thermal mugs with stainless-steel interiors. They are dishwasher safe and are not prone to cracks, scratches and chips as are ceramic or even stoneware. What many people don’t understand is that ceramic is porous, but stoneware is non-porous ceramic. Even so, both are prone to cracking whereas glass is not.
Another thing to consider is the fact that glass coffee mugs do not endanger the environment quite as much as other types of mugs that break easier and are more often disposed of. With so much focus on sustainability, there is a growing segment of the population that prefers glass to almost any other substance when it comes to coffee mugs or drinking glasses. You will find that ceramic should not be brought to recycling centers with glass, so disposing of that does add to already overloaded landfills.
Where to Buy Glass Coffee Mugs
Now that you are convinced that glass coffee mugs are perfect for your needs, you may want to know where you can buy them. There may be department stores that carry glass mugs, but typically you will find the best deals online. This is most often because online merchants have lower operating costs, so you can get the most beautiful glass coffee mugs at a reasonable price.
Also, there are thousands of importers online and so you may find an assortment of glass coffee mugs crafted in Europe, for example. There are many artisans and craftsmen still in business in Europe and some of them have been hand blowing glass for literally centuries as a family tradition. It only takes a short Google search to bring up dozens of specialty merchants where you might find the glass coffee mugs you have been looking for.
A Final Note – It’s All About the Coffee
Perhaps the most important factor when choosing coffee cups or mugs would be how your coffee will taste when served in that cup. Remember that ceramic does keep beverages warm longer but that also allows the flavor to become bitter and acidic if it sits too long.
Glass coffee mugs don’t generally have chips or cracks when well cared for, so you also won’t need to worry about bacteria or other microbes infiltrating the cracks. Not only can that make you ill, but any bit of food or beverage caught in those cracks can have an adverse effect on the flavor of your coffee.
It can’t be said enough that when choosing coffee mugs, the type of cup you choose will have an effect on the coffee in some way or another. Take your time choosing the right glass coffee mugs and if you want something a little special, find glass mugs that can be personalized with etchings. It really is all about the coffee and, once you understand that, you will know how to shop for the perfect coffee mugs.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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