Do Ceramic Travel Mugs Break Easily?

ByLouis Reading Time: 5 minutes

Nothing warms the soul like a satisfying mug of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate when you’re traveling somewhere. I often find myself traveling for business, so it is crucial that my ceramic travel mug is sturdy, reliable, and keeps my beverages warm and delicious. Ceramic is indeed brittle, so do ceramic travel mugs break easily?

Ceramic mugs do not easily break if they are correctly made and are not continuously exposed to rapidly changing hot and cold temperatures. When first exposed to hot liquid, they will experience crazing. Crazing is typical of the glaze and clay body; it does not affect durability until years later.

Whether you’re considering a ceramic mug for your next trip abroad, you’ll find all the information you need right here to make an informed decision regarding the durability of ceramic travel mugs.

Do Ceramic Travel Mugs Break Easily?

Although the insulation of ceramic mugs is crucial, they do an excellent job of keeping your drink warm. They can be considered a type of glass since the quartz inversion process creates a crystalline structure that does not disintegrate into mud when soaked in water. Put another way, if you drop it, there’s a good chance it’ll break.

Due to their delicate composition, Ceramic mugs can ultimately break if their temperature fluctuates drastically over a short period. If you have a wonderful mug of hot tea or coffee and then put it in the freezer without allowing it to cool down, the mug may crack due to the sudden temperature change.

Despite the frigid air in the freezer, the hot liquid in the cup will do an excellent job of keeping the mug warm. However, dumping the hot beverage and quickly filling it with freezing water may cause the container to fracture. As a result, it’s best to let a hot cup cool before filling it with a cold beverage or putting it in the freezer.

Ceramic mugs should tolerate the temperature differences without cracking if they are correctly made. Whether they handle ice forming inside them, expanding as it does, depends on their shape.

If the cup narrows towards the top and an ice lid forms, the cover may prevent additional ice from developing below from growing upwards, cracking the mug. Typically, this does not occur but choose a mug with a straight side that expands towards the top if you are concerned.

Are Ceramic Travel Mugs Safe?

Ceramic travel mugs are relatively safe to use for a couple of years, although there are tell-tale signs that may suggest it’s time to purchase a new travel mug. Typically, cracks in any dish or object used to consume food or beverages hold bacteria. Thus, they are always unsafe.

Chips on the borders of ceramic travel mugs aren’t always a concern, but any tiny cracks are dangerous to your health. Bacteria and other things can seep into cracks and molds, permanently staining them. If they have any damages, even minor crazing, you should consider them unfit for food and consumption, even dry foods.

Equally, keep in mind that what is hazardous for people is also dangerous for your pets. Bacteria that you are unaware of can be fatal, which is why it is critical for humans, animals, and pets to consume prepared meals.

There’s considerable controversy about whether or not eating off of crazed glazes is a health issue when it comes to crazing. Most restaurants are barred from doing so in nations with strict sanitary requirements. However, it’s hardly a concern for residential usage since, honestly, you take up more bacteria from your kitchen counter!

There is one exception to utilizing ceramic mugs that look to be crazed. If the cup is composed of low-fire earthenware or clay that has not been fully vitrified, the fissures may enable liquid to soak into the underlying clay. Such absorbed drinks might cause the dish to explode in the microwave, in addition to being a microbial threat.

Most health rules demand that mad dishware be tossed, but you can choose your risk tolerance. If the piece is old, the glaze might contain lead, which could seep into the cup due to crazing. In that situation, it’s preferable to toss the component out for your safety.

What Causes Ceramic Mugs To Crack?

Ceramic mugs can crack, break, or chip if not handled carefully. Ceramic travel mugs generally last for a good couple of years, but human error and treatment can cause the mug to wear out much quicker. When packing them into a bag, ensure they are well-protected from all around and that they won’t be thrown around ceaselessly in your bag.

It is also important to note the phenomenon of “crazing.” If you were or rinse a ceramic mug with cold water while it’s hot, you may see what looks like “veins” or cracks running on the surface of the ceramic mug. It may appear internally damaged, but what you are seeing is called “crazing.”

Crazing is caused by a minor misalignment between the glaze and the clay body of the ceramic cup, usually due to too much silica in the glaze. Because the glaze is one percent smaller than the clay body, it crackles when it warms and cools for the first time. It is relatively common when you use a hot liquid or microwave it for the first time.

Because of the craze in the glaze, your travel mug is unlikely to break entirely. On the other hand, the portable cup will discolor with time and become difficult to clean. As a result, crazing is a fracture or fissure in the cup’s enamel layer, not a sign of severe structural faults.

Conclusion

Take care not to douse your ceramic travel mug with cold water after recently finishing a hot beverage. Additionally, avoid placing it in the freezer before using it for a hot drink, and pack it in a secure container or wrap it in a protective cloth when it’s in your bag to prevent it from flailing around.

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