# How much do you pay for coffee mugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [October 27, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194 "2023-10-27T20:32:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/21 "2023-10-28T02:50:25Z")
Become a moderator on the Dope. I hear they give them out. Ain’t nuttin’ really free, though. 😏 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/22 "2023-10-28T03:00:07Z")
You used to be able to buy SDMB mugs. I don’t remember how much they cost. I bought mine in the early 2000s. I have a T shirt around here somewhere too. [![](https://i.imgur.com/iMvLbcV.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/iMvLbcV.jpg) The moderator one says STAFF on it. That one costs you your soul and your sanity. Best to avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/23 "2023-10-28T03:02:09Z")
I’m pretty sure that’s done. Also a lot of hours of tough, grueling labor. I didn’t actual get a mug, as I already had bought one years ago. Actually that was the one I pulled out of the cabinet today. Clarification, I left off a bit. I turned down the staff mug as there were so few left and I already had one. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/24 "2023-10-28T03:49:17Z")
Well, I’m gonna have to talk to my friend @Cecil_Adams about this. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/25 "2023-10-28T04:11:10Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This brought me to the realization that I have never actually purchased a coffee mug Has anyone? 😁 I have a bunch of unmatched coffee mugs of miscellaneous origins, none of them purchased. My absolute favourite every-morning coffee mug is a whimsical cow mug given to me a long time ago by my lovely niece. Just a very practical mug with pictures of cows all over it. It’s become so closely associated over so many years with my morning coffee that I’d be devastated if I ever broke it. Others are casual handouts from a former employer with various corporate or departmental logos on them and generic mugs of unknown origin that I’m sure I never bought. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/26 "2023-10-28T04:38:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > 10-12oz is pretty normal for a mug, 6oz is a tea cup, not a mug. My household is opposite. We have 6 oz coffee cups (I think people would call them tea cups) that we inherited with our old dish set. We make coffee in an insulated french press and it makes 6 of those cups. We can each sit and enjoy 3 “cups” of hot coffee while we read the paper. Even preheating a 12 oz mug, I find the coffee gets cold too quickly. That’s why the 6 oz is perfect. Our larger mugs, all gifts, are used for tea. Boiling water poured directly in the mug, then teabag. Hot the whole duration. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/27 "2023-10-28T04:38:29Z")
It is a good idea to check used coffee mugs and dinnerware for lead. The test kits with 60 swabs are under $20. It’s worth it for peace of mind. My favorite mug came from my college bookstore. It has the school name and mascot. I used it for a couple years until the glazing inside cracked. I was worried the bare pottery might leach into my coffee. I retired that mug and it sits on a shelf in my home office. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/28 "2023-10-28T05:01:09Z")
Most of the (innumerable) mugs in our house just kind of migrated in. I think the last one I paid money for was my favorite, a 16 oz dB’s band mug that I bought to replace the one I broke years ago. If I thought I could package and ship a mug to you for less than $20, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/29 "2023-10-28T05:19:34Z")
I still have my staff whiskey mug. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/30 "2023-10-28T05:46:04Z")
Those are nice mugs! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/31 "2023-10-28T06:03:07Z")
I like them! You can find them on Amazon by searching for double-walled glass mugs. The glass also shows off a neat layering effect when making a latte (sometimes): [![](https://i.imgur.com/ZVKF7uy.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/ZVKF7uy.png) I did _not_ specifically create those layers! It’s just foamed milk poured into coffee. The layers form by themselves. There’s a [neat scientific explanation for the layers](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/521310/researchers-pore-over-physics-behind-layered-latte). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/32 "2023-10-28T06:06:06Z")
Oh. Huh. We have a cabinet full of mugs. I’ve got three that were made by a local potter as a fundraiser for my school. They were like $20-$25 apiece, and they’re lovely, decorated with flowers and bees. My older daughter, a gloriously snarky budding ornithologist, has two or three bird-themed ones (“Calm your tits” and “attempted murder”) that we paid $15 or so for. My younger daughter, obsessed with budgies, has a budgie mug or two, and we probably paid the same. My wife has a hand-crafted mug from a local craft guild, and I’d be surprised if it were less than $30. And we have an assortment of others. I had no idea we were weird. At least, not in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/33 "2023-10-28T13:04:29Z")
Since we’re talking about coffee mugs, allow me a brief airing of grievance. If you run an Air BnB or VRBO rental property, please stock the kitchen with a variety of _different_ coffee mugs. Thank you. Carry on. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/34 "2023-10-28T13:22:47Z")
We have some of the Starbucks’ Been There mugs from my home town. According to Amazon they each cost 33 USD. I think I need to stop buying mugs. On the other hand, we have a number of Starbucks’ mugs that my dad picked up from Goodwill for a buck or so. And I have one mug from Prague that probably cost me about 3 USD. Unfortunately the one from Prague has a small chip out of if, and I can’t find another online. Might have to go back to Prague to replace it. Which makes the mug a bit more expensive. 🙂 > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > If you run an Air BnB or VRBO rental property, please stock the kitchen with a variety of _different_ coffee mugs. I would argue that those are the places that **should** be buying up used mugs instead of buying whatever is the latest fashion. We did go to an Air BnB in Amsterdam where he only had the Bodum double-walled glasses (0.45 l, [link](https://www.bodum.com/ch/de/4560-10-pavina)), for both cold and hot drinks. We really liked those. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/35 "2023-10-28T13:48:29Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > ’m at a loss, here in the UK. $22 for a mug? Coffee mugs are something you wanna buy locally, not online. And coffee mugs are like T-shirts. If you just want plain and functional, go cheap. But many people get them as souvenirs or gifts or because they find a particular one to be cute or funny or aesthetically appealing. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/36 "2023-10-28T14:00:51Z")
Haven’t bought a coffee cup in decades. I recently filled a box with old coffee mugs and thrifted it. I kept a few sentimental ones from Ma and Pa, a few with logos from old jobs even my CWA local 3122 made the cut. I kept a few silly ones, gotta keep the naked&baked skier cup! and of course the handmade ones even if chipped or cracked as I find other uses for those. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/37 "2023-10-28T14:25:46Z")
Often Amazon isn’t the best, or even the cheapest, place to buy things. A large chunk of their market share is because of the convenience. Once I decided to buy my BIL a collection of hot sauces for Hanukah. I took a peek on Amazon and they were running upwards of $10 for a small bottle! That was when I decided to walk 2 blocks to my local Mexican grocery, where there was an entire wall of salsas for a tiny fraction of that price, and pick out a bunch and wrap them up in a basket. He was thrilled. Any place that sells kitchenware should have what you are looking for. I am not sure what you mean by straight-sided vs. curved, or just how straight you need it to be, but [here’s one of many examples from Crate & Barrel for under $5.](https://www.crateandbarrel.com/verge-latte-mug/s217379) Or hey, [one with cute reindeer on it for a buck more!](https://www.crateandbarrel.com/arctic-friends-reindeer-christmas-mug/s446234) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/38 "2023-10-28T14:30:47Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Dollar Tree. This. I have three 16oz ceramic mugs (simple cylinders with a bottom and a rounded handle) at work that I bought for $1 each ten years ago. Hundreds of uses and not a single chip. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/39 "2023-10-28T14:33:07Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I am not sure what you mean by straight-sided vs. curved Some mug’s lips curve outward. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/9yivZQG.jpeg "Imgur: The magic of the Internet") ](https://imgur.com/9yivZQG) ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194/40 "2023-10-28T14:36:43Z")
Ah, gotcha. Anyway, you still have lots of options! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-coffee-mugs/992194.md?page=3)