Before you have the answer to the question, “are coffee mugs oven safe?”, it is best not to assume that they are. There is a lot you need to know before putting your favorite coffee cup into the oven. We will explain whether you should do so and the safety requirement in this article.
Are Coffee Mugs Oven Safe?
The answer is No. Almost all coffee mugs are not oven-safe, except high-quality white mugs without decor are often oven safe while many others are not. Basically, you should not regard coffee cups to be oven safe except when their well-known manufacturer claims so via a stamp or product warranty. That is the only way you can rest assured.
Why Are Coffee Mugs Not Always Oven Safe?
Coffee mugs come in various styles, decorations, and materials, so they are not always alike. Hot drinks that are often served in cups like tea, chocolate, and coffee should never reach over 212°F.
Because of the rising competition in the industry, many low-quality cups currently available cannot withstand such a high temperature. It is likely that their manufacturer wants to save a bit of money for a market advantage, or there is a large demand for cheap coffee mugs.
Keep in mind that these coffee cup materials should never go into the oven: earthenware, Bone China, and porcelain. If exposed to a high oven temperature, these utensils have a high chance of cracking.
What Happens If You Put A cup In The Oven?
Now that you have been aware of “Can coffee mugs go in the oven?“, it is important to know what will happen if you try to put your cup in this heating device. It might explode when being affected by steam.
You should know that ceramic is a good construction for coffee cups and is highly safe in the oven. Nonetheless, there are still existing risks of explosion if you let it expose to steam, especially for a poorly-made unit.
Moreover, most coffee mugs include a glazed coating to block water absorption during a heating process. You will want to use such cups to decorate the kitchen cabinet rather than put them in the oven.
How To Know If Your Coffee Mug Is Oven Safe?
When it comes to questioning “Are coffee mugs oven-safe?“, material and manufacturer’s guidance are the most important criteria to take into account. They help you know if your cup is safe for use in the oven.
Material
Plastic
Every coffee mug made out of plastic automatically melts when it encounters high temperatures since this material does not resist heat. If your cup has a plastic handle or base, it will not be safe in an oven.
Metal
Metals do great at conducting heat, so pure metal coffee cups are highly oven-safe. Make sure its material is pure metal without any non-stick finishes or plastic parts since they cannot conduct heat well.
Bone China
Bone China is a delicate material to manufacture coffee cups that you should never put in the oven. Mugs made from Bone China are thin and usually have intricate designs with paintings on the outside.
Porcelain
This is another material for safe oven use. Nonetheless, not every type of porcelain for coffee cups is completely oven-safe. It is due to porcelain being a thin material with a reception to thermal shock.
Stoneware
Because stoneware is fully heat-resistant, it means the material is oven safe. Stoneware coffee cups are often thick with opaqueness. They also come in different specifications of shiny and roughly baked texture.
Earthenware
Many kitchen utensils are made of earthenware with nice printings. Earthenware is similar to stoneware in being heavy and thick, but in contrast, not enough safety for oven use due to the risks of chipping.
We advise identifying earthenware coffee mugs by looking out for the plain white part of clay under these cups or the covering paint.
Decorated
Remember that any kitchen utensil having decorations is not meant for oven use. After the mug firing process has been completed, the manufacturer will add the decorations.
These décors make the cups aesthetically pleasing, but they can crack or break easily in high heat.
Glass
People believe that glass is not susceptible to high temperatures. Thanks to recent technological advances, several glass varieties can endure oven heat. Check for the manufacturer’s guidance to be sure.
Manufacturer’s Guidance
You can easily find recommendations from the manufacturer and the material type under the coffee mug. What to look for is a label of “oven, microwave, and dishwasher-safe”.
If there is no printed information on your coffee cup, you should check out its package. A majority of currently available coffee mugs come with a user manual for maintenance, mainly in the form of tiny books.
In addition, most coffee cups include a brand logo for you to identify their manufacturers more easily. Therefore, you can visit their website and confirm if your newly bought coffee mug is oven safe.
What Can You Do To Avoid Thermal Shock For Your Mug?
Although a few listed materials above can handle thermal shock, you still need to learn how to protect your favorite coffee mugs from this risk of shock in high temperatures. Here are the popular precautions:
Know The Maximum Heat Your cup Can Handle
Despite being quite vulnerable to heat shock, some porcelain types do not react to a sudden temperature change. However, be aware of delicate ceramics cracking the minute they go under heat exposure.
Rest Your Coffee Mug On The Counter
You should always leave your coffee cup to rest on a counter for a minimum period of 20 minutes before sending it to a different type of environment. It allows the utensil to adapt to room temperatures.
Avoid Running Hot Mugs Under Cold Water
It is best not to expose your coffee cup to a sudden temperature change. After taking it out from the high heat of an oven, let it cool down for a while before trying to run the mug in cold water.
Limit Mug Exposure To Direct Heat
Since the oven is a closed environment performing high heat, it will heat the content inside evenly. If you place an oven-safe cup on the stove, it only heats a single part of the unit and leads to cracking.
Frequently Asked Questions Of Are Coffee Mugs Oven Safe
1. Can You Put Coffee Mugs In The Microwave?
Yes, some types of coffee cups can be put into the microwave, but others cannot. Still, coffee mugs made from a properly formulated ceramics material with glaze, such as stoneware, are microwave safe.
Fill your coffee cup with half a cup of water for around 30 seconds to see whether it overheats. This is a simple way for you to test its efficiency. It will be fine for microwave use if it does not overheat.
2. How Long Should A Mug Be In An Oven?
Ideally, it would be 30 minutes. Heat your coffee cup to 350°F in a minimum period of half an hour before baking your coffee. We recommend placing it in the oven before heating and taking it out after this oven cools. This is to protect your mug from heat shock.
3. How Much Heat Can A Coffee Mug Handle?
The ideal heat for a regular coffee cup to handle is around 140°F. The coffee starts to cool once being taken out of an oven. Then, the mug material will release the heat back to its lining to provide heat for the coffee.
Moreover, the recommended temperatures for coffee serving are between the range of 185°F and 200°F. It means serving coffee above the ideal temperature of 140°F is likely to result in burning coffee.
4. At Which Temperature Does Ceramic Crack?
The good news for ceramic coffee cup users is that this material can endure a high temperature of more than 3,000°F. Nonetheless, it will crack if you suddenly subject this material to a temperature change.
Conclusion
In general, there are certain types of material for a coffee cup that you can put inside an oven, but many of them will encounter a heat shock. Follow our series of advice above to avoid making such faults.
We hope this article has solved your concern about “Are coffee mugs oven-safe?“ with detailed information and other helpful tips. Be careful before putting your cup into an oven. Thank you for reading!
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Almost 20 years already spent committed to coffee and more than 3 years of experience as a barista at Starbucks. Madelyn Doyle graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Science from the University of California and finished the Coffee Skills Program at the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).