I like the Crate and Barrel "Essential" mugs. They are sturdy and feel good in your hand. They are plain white.

I recently purchased some white, nicely shaped, medium size coffee mugs at Pier One. Anthro also has a nice selection with cute patterns.

This post was edited by deee on Tue, Feb 25, 14 at 6:59

We're also looking for new mugs.................and a set of dishes to go with them. What has slowed the decision is my personal need to actually hold it in my hand to feel the weight and most importantly the comfort of the handle. We prefer handles that will accommodate 4 fingers rather than those dainty, 'good china' affairs that barely permit 2.

Over the years we've amassed lots of mugs - different sizes, shapes, stoneware, porcelain, souvenirs from trips, mugs that mysteriously materialized in the cupboard, and of course the ubiquitous collection of college mugs. Most will go to Goodwill as soon as I select new dishes and mugs. At one time I had 10 Denby which were my favorites but they've dwindled down to 3.

Denby has a wide variety of shapes and colors.

Are you interested in mugs that can nestle or stack? Stoneware or porcelain?

Here is a link that might be useful: Denby mugs

Check out Ikea.

FYI: the Sally Fosteter wrapping paper that schools sell for fundraising is fantastic too.

I like glass ones.

Art museum gift shops are a great place to look.

I also have some artisanal pottery ones i will post.

We have these (Anthro) with different initials, you could just go with your last name.

In the past couple of weeks I've done exactly the same thing. I wanted a large mug, but not oversized, with a substantial weight and a large handle. We also like them to accommodate multiple fingers. I looked everywhere, from Pier One, World Market, to Anthropology. I ended up with these from Target. I had to go to multiple stores to find enough, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Target Threshold coffee mugs

Crate and Barrel has a cute red and white polka dot mugs, on sale!

Here is a link that might be useful: Crate and Barrel Polka dot mug

I am very picky about my mugs. They have to feel just right in my hand, and they can't be too small because I add a lot of milk to my 10 oz cup of coffee. So, if you're picky at all about how a mug "feels," I suggest buying them in person as opposed to online. For instance, I love the look of the Anthro mugs above, but I don't think I'd like that little handle. Yeah, I'm a little OCD about certain things.

This wouldn't work for you, but I discovered my perfect mug at Starbucks several years ago. Just the right size and "feel" for me. So I started buying a mug at any city/state we visited -- they all have a souvenir mug with a picture of the city and they are all the same size and shape. I have Chicago, New York, Ohio, Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, etc. Unfortunately, a year or so ago they changed the design of the mug -- it's now shorter and wider -- but I still like them enough to continue my collection. Also, unlike some other souvenir mugs, the design doesn't disappear over time in the dishwasher!

I have some red and white polka dot mugs from Crate and Barrel at our beach house that are holding up well. I'm sure they don't have the same mug any more, but they may have others you'd like?

Thanks for all these suggestions!! I love the travel mug idea, Sue, because while those are not exact matches they are still all part of a set. Will start on that going forward. Also, easy to replace.

LOVE that CB mug, it is the reverse of what we have now! Checking that out ASAP, thank you sue and fishymom, you posted about the same mug I think!

Like Target mug size and ribbed/stripe effect, not sure how plain white will look with off white dishes. Same problem with any all white mug, which are very popular and open stock-- maybe I should ditch the dishes instead.

Now considering clear glass mugs, thank you mtn, would not have thought to that. DD bought DH and me two of those initial anthropologie mugs last year, handle a bit tight and don't love shape, they take up twice as much room as straight sided mugs, no room for 12 in existing mug home (rubbermaid three tier shelf sitting in a cupboard).

Thank you for these suggestions, I have internet search /shopping burnout from all the brick shopping of previous months. Was feeling like I should just go to local grocery store and buy whatever they have but the truth is I would sooner drink my morning coffee out of cupped hands than buy something I didn't at least like....seems there are a lot of us here who are that picky about the small things. Who was it who said don't sweat the small stuff? But.... I use a coffee mug every day of my life, while the great questions of the universe just don't seem that pressing to me. Give me a good cup of coffee and leave the meaning of life to others, lol, I am shallow that way!

Hmm, i never noticed the puny handle before. I am not a coffee drinker though, just occasional tea.

I love these, which we picked up in Quebec last summer, but they are pricey.

{{!gwi}}

For some reason, I think everyone always ends up with assorted mugs. My DH has a few he has received, kids have made some, etc. We keep the ones that are not part of a set in what I dubbed "the ugly cup drawer". When the kids empty the d/w they know where that stuff goes!

These come in lots of sizes but as a tea drinker who likes her tea very, very lightly steeped, the clear glass is a positive.

{{!gwi}}

We too have some assorted mugs, but lately I have been buying from a local potter, Miracle Pottery, which is actually near Mentone AL in Valley Head. Wonderful stuff she sells in a variety of colors/patterns and I absolutely LOVE the mugs. I have the 'Belly' mugs, which are nice and rounded. They all have a little place for your thumb on top of the handle. She does mail order.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miracle Pottery

For Christmas my daughter bought me a set of four double-layered glass mugs that are supposed to be insulated to keep your drink warmer longer. (I don't know if it actually works, because I drink my warm drinks right away!) They are large and have plenty of finger room. You may want to consider something like this if you like uniformity. They are by Bodum of Switzerland and she bought them on Amazon.

" Who was it who said don't sweat the small stuff? But.... I use a coffee mug every day of my life, while the great questions of the universe just don't seem that pressing to me. Give me a good cup of coffee and leave the meaning of life to others, lol, I am shallow that way!"

Funny, but I can totally relate! I'm not at all a 'morning person' so the only thing that gets me up is the thought of a good cup of coffee in my Denby mug. I've used Denby mugs for 4 decades and prefer the Craftman style which is somewhat ornate but solid and not easy to tip over and with a good handle. I'm picky about both coffee mugs and quality of coffee! I prefer a mug made somewhere other than China after that scare of toxic pottery from there.

My second choices in mugs are handmade pottery ones from local potters and I have 2 different sets. You might search to see what local potters are making as that type of mug is usually sturdy and often with good handles as well as being more interesting looking. A local art gallery or gift shop might have some.

A few years ago I edited our 'collection' of mugs and gave away a few dozen. Funny how they seem to multiply in the cupboard when one is not looking! LOL

mtnrdredux, where did you find the clear mug?

I went through the same search several years ago - wanted larger than teacup, had to have a handle that dh's baseball mitt hands could grip, matching, pretty, AND had to be easy to drink from.

Some mugs are so thick that they aren't comfortable to drink from, iykwim. But the kids got a couple of mugs one Christmas and they were shaped like the clear mug, and that little tapered curve at the rim was perfect. We all loved those mugs, and try as I might, I couldn't find ANY with that curve.

I settled on some from Pier One that fit all the criteria, but they aren't as great as those Christmas mugs.

Jeepers, after seeing the price at replacements.com, maybe I should sell mine. $69.95 per mug! Half that on ebay of course.

Sur La Table has some nice ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: coffee mugs

You can find these clear mugs, made in USA, for $2 at WalMart. They are by Anchor Hocking. I bought 6 of them and enjoy how much coffee they hold. I have the exact same ones.

This post was edited by upa_lazy_river on Tue, Feb 25, 14 at 15:32

I got mine at a place called Chef Central but there are tons of choices!

I use the same clear mugs that Mtrd posted and I love them. I have a few other mugs in my cupboard, but always use the clear glass. I bought mine at World Market. I make my coffee using a moka pot and frothed milk, and I like to see how much coffee I am adding!

I bought plates, saucers and mugs by the crate at a restaurant supply store a few years ago. Cheaper than buying 8 place settings from pottery barn and I have enough for parties and enough to match for a lifetime even if a bunch break or go missing.

I did nearly the same with glasses about twelve years ago. I got sick of mismatched glasses and sets dwindling down due to breakage so I went to the WS outlet and bought forty matching glasses. Still have about 35 of them and I figure I have enough to have matching glasses for the rest of my life.

We love our Longaberger mugs. DH loves the generous handle and I love their weight. Come in many different colors. I've replaced all my freebie mugs with these and love them!

Here is a link that might be useful: Longaberger Woven Traditions Mug

My favorites are always Lenox. I have to have a pretty mug that feels well balanced. I brought several of my Lenox mugs to my business to use here because the taste of any coffee is dependent on the mug it is served in. Lenox isn't very pricey and many lovely patterns.

If you put creamer in your coffee or serve homemade spice tea, a glass mug will show off all the dirty little secrets that did not integrate into the hot liquid.

I had same problem a few months ago. I went to several stores which sell everyday china, at BBB I found a cup by a different manufacturer which has the exact colors of my set. This time I bought 20 of them. I think my new mug adds interest to my set....hope your able to find something that your happy with.

Crate and Barrel also carries the clear glass mugs. We bought some for lattes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass mugs from Crate and Barrel

crlâ¦so smart! I get my stainless steel flatware from restaurant sites. Much better quality, selection, pricing, and quantity!

Funny this came up, I've just been thinking about getting some stackable mugs for a tight space, but then I started to consider that everything seems to be made in China and am concerned about lead in the glazes, so I have been thinking about getting some tempered glass mugs.

I may be in the minority but to me glass mugs don't retain heat like ceramic. Has anyone else noticed this?

Katrina, I avoid ceramics from China too, at least for anything I use daily. My mugs are all polish pottery or handcrafted American pottery, so no help there. There are kits available to test for various chemicals in ceramics, however.

Have you tried flea markets? We have great flea markets in our bedroom community. People inherit estates and things they do not want. They take them to flea markets. They belonged to older people whose shopping was mostly of European, Japanese and American, not Chinese dinnerware.

DH has used glass beer mugs for his coffee for years. He likes the large handles and the large capacity, and we hand test them before buying for good balance. We have had no issues with the glass and hot liquids. They do double duty as cold drink mugs as needed.

I mostly use local hand thrown mugs, but with a similar capacity and similar handle shape.