Drinking a steaming cup of coffee in the morning is a ritual most Australians enjoy. Of course, nothing makes the experience better than drinking your favourite hot beverage from your favourite coffee mug. As you inhale the rich aroma of your coffee, you might want to look at what unique characteristics your coffee mugs, and other coffee mugs for that matter, possess.

For starters, check out the thickness. You will notice that, unlike teacups, coffee mugs possess thick walls. This is to add more insulation so that your coffee will stay hot longer. No one wants a lukewarm coffee, right.

Another thing you will notice is that coffee mugs have concave bottoms (meaning not flat) or additional rims. The reason for this is to reduce the thermal contact of the bottom of the mug with the surface of the table. Remember that your coffee is really hot. Because of this feature, you will notice your coffee mugs will leave an O-shaped stain. Lastly, coffee mugs feature handles which protect your hands from being scalded.

Coffee mugs are usually made with materials which possess low conductivity such as glass, porcelain or earthenware. They are a favourite as promotional merchandise for they have a huge print space where the brand name or logo can be put on display.