Porcelain Mugs VS Ceramic Mugs

Porcelain Mugs VS Ceramic Mugs

When in the market for promotional mugs or cups, you will certainly have to make a decision whether to choose porcelain or ceramic as they are the most popular material. Of course, you need to base your decision on some facts to make an informed choice. 

To help you choose between porcelain and ceramic mugs, consider the following facts:

Porcelain is actually a member of the ceramic family along with pottery, earthenware and stoneware. The term “ceramic” actually refers to any product resulting from the firing of a non-metallic mineral such as clay at a high temperature. But as time passed, the term porcelain became synonymous with any product which was made with kaolin clay and heated at temperatures as high as 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. The resulting product is distinctly white and can even be very thin walled. Some are so thin that they appear translucent when held up to light. They also possess a characteristic lustre and smooth texture.

The process involved was originally developed in China which led to porcelain being calls as “fine china” or china ware” for many years. The Europeans attempted to duplicate the process of creating porcelain but were only mildly successful after 200 years. It was not surprising that porcelain became much coveted during those times and was deemed exclusive and of high quality.

Now, ceramic mugs are usually bigger and thicker, which is perhaps why they are also much durable. The process involved in making ceramic is not as complicated so they can be expected to be a lot cheaper. Common characteristics include being heavier, opaque and are able to retain heat longer. For these reasons, these mugs are preferred by the working world as well as family households.

Which to Choose

When making a choice between the two, you need to make certain considerations including:

  • Budget – porcelain mugs are relatively pricier than ceramic mugs
  • Recipient – you have to keep in mind who your target market is; the porcelain mugs can be gifted to top clients or a reward to your employees for exceptional work
  • Design – porcelain mugs are usually more elegant-looking so you might want to consider the artwork that will be printed when personalising these mugs. On the other hand, you can go all out with ceramic mugs as they are more casual looking.
  • Capacity – you can expect ceramic mugs to be have a bigger capacity which makes them a better choice for coffee drinkers as compared to porcelain mugs which are usually more dainty and are usually used for tea.

            Ceramic Mug

Check out the images below.  The porcelain mug is on the left.  Notice the walls are thinner as well as the colour is a lot more creamier.  Although you cannot tell from the image this is actually a lighter but more stronger mug too.

The right hand side shows the cerramic mug.  It has a thicker wall and the white does not have quite the same sheen.

porcelain mugscerramic mugs