Mugs can be printed with a silkscreen print or for more complicated logos,
the logo is applied onto a decal and then fired onto the mug. Mugs can
also have microwavable gold and platinum logos. There are some gold
and silver logos that are not microwave safe, so be careful.
A travel mug is a variation on the traditional mug that is better for
transporting hot liquids. It may or may not be a vacuum flask, but is
usually well insulated and completely enclosed, with an easily closed
opening on the top for drinking and a handle on the side.
A puzzle mug is a novelty mug that is counter-intuitive to drink from. It
will usually have several holes in it, making it impossible to drink from in
the normal way. The solution to drinking from a puzzle mug is often to
cover up all the holes or to discover a hidden method of drinking, such as
drinking through a hollow handle.
Functions
Though at first glance a very simple object, the coffee mug serves a
number of functions which make it especially suited to holding hot,
brewed liquids.
The simplest function is provided by the handle, which provides a cool
area of the mug, insulated from the hot liquid by distance and ideal for
grasping.
The second function is necessitated by the fact that coffee is brewed at
temperatures of 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too hot to be
drunk. The thick walls of a typical coffee mug will absorb much of this
heat when the liquid is first poured into the mug, bringing the
temperature of the coffee down closer to potable levels.
The third function of the mug is to trap the heat of the coffee. Much of
the heat initially absorbed by the mug will eventually return to the coffee
as the coffee cools. The mug also traps heat though insulation. This is
achieved through two design features. First, the thick walls of the mug
separate the coffee from the cool external air. Secondly, an indented
base separates the coffee from the surface upon which the mug is set.
The form of the base is what produces the characteristic ‘O’ shaped
coffee stain, so often seen upon desks and documents.
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