Types of Hot Beverage Cups
According to Coffee-Statistics.com, Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day. That alone, along with the consumption of teas, hot chocolates and even soup, explains why there are many options of hot beverage containers from which to choose for our drinks. Different containers serve different purposes, as a traveler may need insulation and an at-home coffee mug is perfect for lounging on the couch with hot chocolate.
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Mug
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Photo by Refracted Moments: Flickr.com
A mug is a thick and sturdy cup with a handle. Without a handle, a cup is not considered a mug. Usually, mugs hold more than 8 ounces, but some mugs are larger than others and big soup mugs can hold more. Mugs date back to 10,000 BC, as ancient pottery with handles were found in Asia. Mugs are usually made out of ceramic, although they can also be made out of wood, metal, thick glass or even plastic.
Thermos
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Jason Sherwin: Flickr.com
A Thermos (also called vacuum flask) is a container using thermal insulation to help keep whatever is inside its current temperature. A Thermos can be used for hot and cold items, but is often used for hot chocolate or coffee. This container type is made with either metal, plastic or glass and contains an inner layer with a small space in between each layer. The air passage helps insulate the liquid kept inside. A Thermos is kept closed with a stopper and opened only for drinking to ensure heat loss is minimal. A Thermos often includes a lid that can double as a cup or soup bowl.
Insulated Paper Cup
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Coffee cups with sleeves. Photo by brownbeatle: Flickr.com
An insulated paper cup is the type of cup you'd see next to your office coffee pot or the type of cup you receive with coffee from a take-out restaurant or Starbucks. Some of these cups include paper handles, some do not. These cups are made with thick paper material, usually multiple layers. Some cups are made with a similar technique as a Thermos, with a layer of air in between two layers of paper. Other paper cups may have a thin layer of wax to help the cup remain steady with liquid inside as well as to help insulate the drink. Some paper cups also come with a "sleeve" to help with insulation and to allow consumers to hold the hot drink comfortably.
Teacup
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Wikimedia Commons
A teacup is a type of mug, as it is often made with ceramic material and usually has a handle. However, teacups are much smaller and usually are not as thick as mugs. They also do not always have a handle. A teacup is shaped more elegantly than a mug, with some curvature. The handle of these hot drink containers are made for one or two fingers only, while a mug handle should fit four fingers. Teacups are made specifically for tea, but can hold other hot drinks and cold drinks as well. They're usually accompanied with a saucer for teabags, spoons or some type of tea-time snack.
Glass
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Wikimedia Commons
While a thick glass can be used to hold hot beverages, your normal drinking glass is not generally used. Although it can be used without problems, temperature conditions make using glass for hot drinks a risk. If a thin glass material is cold, for instance, and hot coffee is poured into it, it may crack. This could also happen with thin, hard plastic cups. If the glass is already warm or has just been rinsed with warm water without cracking, a hot drink can be safe inside a thin glass cup.
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