Everyone knows that the best coffee comes in a mug. But do you know why?
Coffee is best served piping hot, so it's usually consumed right after brewing. But mugs are designed to keep your hands warm while you drink, which means they keep the coffee warmer too! If you're drinking out of a paper or plastic cup, the liquid cools quickly outside of your body heat. So drink up or lose it!
Probably because they're used to hold liquid, most people don't notice how heavy a mug is. But they can get pretty dang heavy! A good ceramic coffee mug can weigh as much as 700 grams when full. That's probably heavier than you are!
Some mugs are actually made to keep your drink hotter for longer, like ceramic mugs and insulated travel mugs. Both of these can keep your coffee piping hot for hours. But if you really want to do something unique and impress your friends, try using a metal mug! They're sturdier than ceramic, making them less likely to break. They're also lighter than most plastic ones, which makes them easier to carry around and use for other things too! For example, you could use one as a cup holder when you drive.
Ceramic mugs are probably the most popular type of mug, so you might think that they're all the same. But that's not true! Different styles of ceramic mugs usually have different patterns. The patterns are usually molded into a clay-like material before it's fired in a kiln, so if you see a mug that looks unique or interesting, it might be special!
Most people aren't bummed out when they break their coffee mug. But sometimes people don't get over it for the longest time! This is especially true for sentimental value, like if you got a mug as a gift or have a mug with a picture of someone special on it. If you can't find another mug that you like as much, your best option is to try and fix it. If you dropped your mug and broke its handle, try making a new one! It's not impossible; there are plenty of tutorials showing you how to fix broken ceramic mugs online.
You probably don't want to use your clay mug when making art. But it might be the easiest way to keep your colors bright! Artist's clay is made of a natural clay that can hold water and make a fine, smooth line. They're fairly easy to use and you only need some water and paint.
History of Mugs
In China, earthenware mugs were used as early as 1200 B.C., although there is evidence that earlier ceramic mugs also existed. The Chinese also used clay mugs for tea as well as for wine. In Japan, ceramic mugs were very popular and were called chawan. Tea cups used in China and Japan can still be found today.
In America, mugs with handles were first made in this country during the 13th century, although they weren't complete mugs yet. It wasn't until the 1500s that they would become more widespread and commonly used. During this time, mugs were made of pewter or latten, which is a form of brass that was popular in early America. Pewter mugs were also used in other European countries around the same time period.
The idea of a handle on the mug came about so people wouldn't burn their hands when they went to drink. It's thought that the handle was designed in order to prevent harm from coming to people's hands. This also made it a lot easier for one person to carry and serve a drink at once.
Mugs today are usually made of ceramic, stoneware, or some kind of plastic. For the most part, they are used for drinking liquids like tea, coffee, and water.
The History of Coffee
The history of coffee is a long and winding one. There is much debate about exactly when coffee was first brought to Europe. However, it is known that Arab traders introduced coffee seeds to China in the 9th century. From there, they were spread to Turkey, Armenia, and Iran before finally making their way to Ethiopia and Yemen around the year 1000.
It wasn't until trade caravans from Arabia came back from Arabia that Europeans learned about coffee beans for themselves. The first recorded European reference to coffee is in Constantinople in 1554.
The first recorded European coffee was brought to Venice by an Armenian named Pascal who opened the first coffee shop in Europe just a year later. The Venetians, who were already big wine fans, found the new drink quite appealing. They took it with them back to England and Holland, where it spread quickly.
Most Expensive Coffee?
This might shock you, but the world's most expensive coffee is made from elephant dung! If that doesn't sound appealing to you, there's also a number of other exorbitantly priced coffees out there. The Nkor Muger coffee from Tanzania is grown in a very remote area and its beans are collected by local villagers using machetes.
The coffee itself isn't actually that good, with a taste that's compared to rotting fruit. However, the villagers have been taught how to roast and brew the coffee, which makes it seem quite a bit better! And it will also set you back about $500 for a pound of the stuff.
Make sure to check out the amazing mugs that we have on our store, right here, and drink your morning coffee with fun and an awesome feeling!
Thanks for reading! See you on the next one!
