I drink coffee just about every morning. I never buy coffee from Starbucks or Panera or Dunkin’ but only because it costs so much compared to making it at home. I use a CoffeeMate coffee maker that I’ve had for several years that I picked up from Target for less than $20. It makes great coffee, but what really gets me jazzed up about my morning cup of Joe is the coffee mug that I select.
I realized that the mug makes the difference about 5 years ago when I was living with my parents and I started noticing that my dad and I would always go for the same few coffee mugs. The Harley Davidson mug, the black lab mug, the one w/ the tree that changed colors when something hot (like coffee) was in it. We always grabbed these first and if it wasn’t for my mom, I’m sure the dainty, flower-print mugs would never have been used. I even remember having a conversation about which mug was our favorite. I’m extending that idea onto my humble blog. Enjoy.
Mug #1: SpiderMug
I got this mug as a gift from my old roommate Eric. Spider Man has always been my favorite super heroes, so I always get excited when I grab this mug from the shelf. I just know my morning is going to be a web-slinging good time and the Spider Man Mug always puts me in a good mood. It’s slightly bigger than a standard mug and is a little thicker so the coffee stays hotter longer. This is without a doubt my go-to coffee mug. If it’s clean, it won’t be for much longer.
#2 Tyler Mug from Kenedy Space Center
This is currently the oldest mug in my possession. As you can see the mug was made specifically for me (or any of the other thousands of Tylers that might visit that particular gift shop). I remember that when I first spotted this mug (I was only a kid – maybe 8 years old) I was surprised to see my name on it. At the time, you just didn’t see the name Tyler on mugs and key chains and fake license plates and that kind of thing. It was a souvenir that I never actually used for consuming beverages until about 6 years ago. I keep it around for sentimental value and also it has a ROCKET SHIP on it.
#3 Marvel Comics Mug
This actually isn’t my mug. It’s Lucas’ and he doesn’t ever use it because he doesn’t like coffee. I’ve taken control for now but whenever I move out I will be forced to leave it behind like a sad dog that stays with the farm b/c there’s no room for him in the new city apartment. Lucas got this mug as a gift for being in a wedding party. Even though this isn’t my mug, I still choose it over most of the mugs in our cabinet because it has sketches of tons of cool comic book characters…which you know, totally brings out the flavor of coffee.
#4 The Bulbas Mug (from Starbucks)
The name for this mug was coined by my old roommate Eric and is a parody of the pokemon, Bulbasaur was a stocky little plant/animal. Anyway, I guess he got the idea because the shape of this mug is round and stocky. The best part is that because of its shape it holds way more coffee than a regular mug. This is a great Saturday mug because on Saturdays I’m more likely to lounge around with a cup of coffee than drink it down real fast. More time with the drink = I should just have more drink. The other cool part of this mug is that I actually have 5 of them. That’s right, five bulbas mugs. I bought one several years ago and it flew solo for a good many months until Christmas. I had mentioned to my parents (who are always asking for a wish list for Xmas) that I liked mugs…especially ones from Starbucks. So they went out and bought me 4 of the same kind. Luck would have it that they were the same kind as the mug I already owned. So I have a set! The Bulbas Mug is always my first pick for hot chocolate.
#5 The Travel Mug
I don’t like travel mugs. I especially don’t like plastic travel mugs. I especially especially don’t like plastic travel mugs with sippy-cup tops. Here’ s the problem:most travel mugs are narrow and therefore hard to clean. Plastic travel mugs make your coffee taste like plastic. Sippy-cup tops are a mess and I only work 10 min from home so I don’t actually HAVE to drink the coffee when in the car. All I needed was a non-plastic, wide, non-sippy lidded coffee mug. So that’s what I bought. The mug is slightly wider than a standard mug, so it is easy to fit a dish cloth, or sponge inside for cleaning. It’s made of aluminum so no plastic flavoring. The lid doesn’t screw on (you just press it down) and you can’t drink out of it. The mug is simply for transporting a decent cup of coffee from one location to be drank in another. That’s all I want, to drink my coffee at the office when I don’t have time to drink it at home. It’s perfect.
These People are Crazy 
I think it’s humorous that you have favorite coffee mugs. Dad and I do, too. I have two sets of mugs that are nice and match dishes that I have, but they are rarely used. My favorite is the old fashioned Santa Christmas mug. I use it all year.
remember the original Niner mug? I was sad that it broke…it looked exactly like her.
funny — this was just a topic Chris and I were talking about on our Monday-morning exercise walk today — as we were sweating in 85 degree weather at 9AM, however we were STILL drinking our coffee!
I just purchased a lovely ceramic travel mug from Walgreens that states, “Saving the plant one mug at a time”….yes, I am saving the planet with my solo purchase of a ceramic coffee mug– doesn’t that make you proud?
But, I purchased that travel mug because I dont’ work 10 minutes from home and I need to drink my coffee in the car on the way to work. I had a stainless steel mug, but it had a plastic liner, and like you said — it made the coffee taste odd.
I LOVE going to Starbucks — I don’t mind the extra price for a special occasion or on a weekend — because, you know what — I deserve a $2 cup of coffee after what I go through in the typical week 🙂
Anyway, the ceramic mug I purchased looks just like a paper Starbucks cup and I think that’s why my coffee tastes so darn good in my new mug — because if I just close my eyes for a little while I can believe that the coffee I’m drinking on any given day was actually purchased at Starbucks — and you know a cup of coffee from Starbucks just makes my day a whole lot better!
Yeah Sue, I had wanted a ceramic travel mug for some time, but I settled for the aluminum one. Actually a funny story about it: I bought it at Barnes & Noble in Naperville in the Starbucks that is in there. A few months later I saw the same exact mug on clearance at Jewel and I couldn’t figure out how they could be selling Starbucks mugs so cheap (or how they got them in the first place). Then it dawned on me that I hadn’t actually bought a Starbucks mug, B&N had simply placed a generic mug in the Starbucks coffee area, jacked up the price and tricked me. The mug doesn’t say Starbucks on it anywhere…that should’ve been my first clue.
Great discussion.
And I totally understand. I have a couple favorites that are all from the goodwill.
My first one, and may it rest in peace, was a white mug that had a big R on it. It was plain, but it was awesome. A white mug with a big black R. But I dropped it a while back and the handle broke off. Dang
The second one, may it also rest in peace, was another white mug that had pink lettering that said: “Classy Lady” on it. I liked that one. You didn’t know if I was calling myself a classy lady or that I was making an announcement that i was looking for a class lady. Unfortunately that mug was left at a friends church and disappeared. Probably in a classy ladies hand right now.
The third one is an all black mug that says “living the retired life” on it in white lettering. No explanation there.
The fourth one is a white mug that has elephants on it. It looks pretty cool and well illustrated. Not over the top but just enough to look at.
Great ones Kyle! I really appreciate the irony of the classy lady mug (I mean that it was one of your favorites).
I loved that thing. And honestly only had it for a month or so. Bummer.
Does it make me weird that I have used the same mug for 6 years? I have a stainless steel Chevy mug that I use every morning. I think that it is perfectly weighted.
If I had a stainless steel mug I would drink out of it every day and bask in the glory of manliness radiating from such a mug.
Pretty cool mugs.
The most important characteristics of the Walgreen’s mug were not mentioned. It is a double-walled (insulated) ceramic mug that is microwave safe that sports a nice silicone lid and silicone sleeve. I have looked for a mug with these features for years. I just bought one last night for less than $4. I’m going back tomorrow and buy several more for replacements and gifts.
I went back to Walgreen’s today and bought the last 4 mugs they had in stock for $15 and change. I would happily pay that much for one double-walled ceramic, microwave-safe cup with a silicone sleeve and silicone cap. It’s a great design.
that sounds like an awesome mug. I wanted a ceramic travel mug, but didn’t really see one when I was obsessing over it.
well, my ceramic, Walgreens, double-walled, microwave-safe cup is now in the cupboard, working on earning it’s way back into my hand. I have found that for some reason mine leaks — I don’t know if the silicone cap is loose (I have repositioned it several times), but it’s not working and I’m extremely sad…….so, for now, I have settled for a Dick’s Sporting Goods clearance travel mug that I purchased for $1.75 and it seems to be working…..but, that double-walled ceramic, microwave-safe mug is still calling my name.
Sue; check to see if there any defects or damage to the rim of the cup or to the lid. If not, place a rubber band in the groove on the lid. That will help insure the integrity of the seal between the lid and the cup. I would also store the cup with the lid in place while not in use. I have noticed the lid will take a set if deformed for any period of time.
I also noted that the manufacturer recommended that the lid not go into the microwave.