Whether you’re a coffee or tea drinker, mugs are a fun and vital tool to help you enjoy your drink. We did the research to find mugs made in the USA that are known for their excellent level of quality, high attention to detail, and good overall craftsmanship. We did research on American-made coffee makers and American-made coffee grinders as well, so be sure to give those a read too.
Complete List of Coffee and Tea Mugs Made in the USA
These American Mug Pottery ceramic coffee mugs combine thick walls, vibrant colors, and careful sizing for a Bistro-style drinking option. They are a durable drinking solution that’s made in the USA from quality materials. The mugs are thick and solid and offer reliable insulation for hot drinks for this reason. The mugs are in a bright cobalt blue color. These ceramic mugs are sold in a four-pack, and each one is 14 oz. in size to the very top. They hold a single cup of coffee and work well to keep it warm during consumption.
Anchor Hocking, made in Ohio, is a well-known name in dishes. These Anchor Hocking café glass coffee mugs are made from thick glass that’s durable and perfectly clear. They feature a wide base, adding more stability during use. The mugs are slightly oversized and hold a total of 16 oz. which is slightly larger than an average mug. They are microwave and dishwasher safe and have a neutral appearance, designed to go well with any style.
Tervis is a mug and glass company founded in Detroit, Michigan, and based in the USA still to this day. The company offers thousands of different glasses, cups, tumblers, and insulated mugs. Their mugs are designed with a thick and sturdy feel and are able to keep liquids hot or cold. Each of these mugs is made from thick BPA-free plastic, and they are heavily insulated to prevent heat transfer and condensation during use. The cups come in a variety of sizes and colors and are also sold in a clear version too. This mug offers around 12 to 13 oz. of drinking capacity and will keep coffee warm for extended periods. These mugs are designed to be highly durable and are said to make good traveling companions when you get one of the tumbler-style containers without any handles. Check out our full feature on Tervis for more info on the company.
BURNOUT Mugs are a very cool travel mug developed by former NASA engineers that makes your hot coffee drinkable in minutes. You can drink your coffee right away instead of burning your mouth on scalding hot coffee, waiting for it to cool down. It also keeps your drink warm for hours.
East Fork Pottery is an aweseme shop based in Asheville, North Carolina, that has a wide variety of custom mugs for your kitchen cabinets. Check out “The Mug,” a simple, yet elegant option for any home.
Pickard produces high quality American-made china mugs that are made from striking Ivory bone china and are accented with bright gold or silver banding. These mugs have a thin delicate feel to them, but offer a comfortable handle. These mugs are designed to be a balance between decoration and effective performance.
As one of the oldest stoneware companies in the country, Louisville Pottery from Stoneware & Co. offers professional-grade mugs. The Louisville Pottery mugs are thick and solid in the hand, so you can feel secure when you hold them. These mugs insulate well thanks to their thick form-factor, but the handles stay nice and cool during use. The outside of these mugs are glazed, giving them a smooth feel in the hand, and there are a number of different pattern options available too. They are 100% made in the USA and crafted from quality materials designed to last.
Emerson Creek Pottery’s thick weighty mugs are handcrafted near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and are 100% made in America. They have several different designs for they mugs with various different glazes and capacities. Emerson Creek Pottery mugs are made from all-natural ingredients and are chemicals-free. These mugs are also dishwasher, oven, and microwave safe for convenience. Check out our full feature on Emerson Creek.
Stock mugs are just fine for everyday use, but there’s nothing like the personal feel of a hand-crafted custom mug. The mugs and steins produced at American Mug & Stein Co. are tough and weighty and have a substantial feel to them. They come out glazed and finished for maximum durability and hold up well during use. The mugs are also highly customizable. Mugs are available from 10 oz. up to 16 oz. in size, and it’s simple to get just the right capacity that you are searching for. You can get a custom mug created with a specific logo, color, or lettering on them if you wanted to.
Hanselmann Pottery handmakes stunning mugs and drinkware, all using classic hand-turned and firing techniques. Everything they make is very rustic and simplistic which is a perfect fit for the modern kitchen. Check out some of their other stoneware as well.
Check out Franca NYC if you’re looking for some coffee mugs or cups with some real artistry behind them. You certainly won’t want to hide these mugs in your cupboard. Everything is handmade and painted, and they also sell vases, planters, and other ceramic home goods.
Farmhouse Pottery is a great stoneware maker based in Vermont. All of their clay is American-sourced, and everything is wheel-thrown at their Vermont headquarters. They have lots of beautiful mugs that are perfect for any kitchen. Every mug passes through 25 touchpoints from start to finish.
Great Bay Pottery is a very cool handmade pottery shop in New Hampshire that makes a wide variety of kitchen and home goods, including wonderful coffee mugs. They have a very earthy feel with a lot of different engraved designs.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Coffee Mugs
How to Find Coffee Mugs Made in the USA
It can be hard to find the perfect mug for your specific needs that is also made in the USA. Here are all the factors that we consider in our research and more information about glassware and ceramics manufacturing industry that produces the mugs that fill your cabinet.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
There are guidelines that companies must fall under in order to achieve the “made in the USA” sticker. These guidelines were put into place by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a protective measure against companies using false claims about their products being made in the USA.
These guidelines can be a bit challenging to understand and are also relatively easy for companies to get around. In order to have a “made in the USA” sticker, the company has to claim that “all or virtually all” of its products were made in the USA. This means that a product must be assembled in America and most of the manufacturing costs must come from the USA.
For more information on what it means for something to be “made in the USA”, you can view our full guide on the topic.
Materials
Coffee mugs can be made from many different materials. By looking at the materials used, you can get a good idea of whether or not a product is “made in the USA”. Here is a guide to the most popular materials used to make mugs.
Ceramics
The most popular coffee mug material is ceramic. Ceramics are used because they are sturdy, can withstand high temperatures, are microwave-safe, and have a neutral flavor. Two types of popular ceramics include stoneware and porcelain. Both of these are fired at a higher temperature, making them more durable than typical ceramics.
China is the biggest producer of ceramics, producing around 47% of the world’s ceramics. The United States has a much smaller market for this material, but this doesn’t mean American-made ceramics are impossible to find. To ensure you have a coffee mug that is truly “made in the USA,” make sure to research the company to learn the country of origin.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel mugs are lightweight and great for traveling. These mugs are used especially for hiking and camping as they are exceptionally durable.
When looking for a stainless steel mug, make sure to find one that is BPA and lead-free. China, by far, produces the most steel in the world. The USA is fourth on the list, which means that there is still an industry for steel here, but much less than in China. For mugs of this material, it is safest to double-check the country of origin.
Glass
When using a glass mug, it is best to find one with tempered glass for better temperature tolerance. Glass is aesthetic, and like ceramics, does not have any flavor.
China is the biggest glass producer in the world, but the USA follows closely behind at third in glass manufacturing by country. This means that there are plenty of “made in the USA” options for this material. Check out our research on glassware made in America as well.
Labeling
The FTC is meant to protect customers from companies using false claims about their products being “made in the USA”. The FTC Act of 1914 allows the American consumer to take legal action against companies that promote their products by falsely labeling them as “made in the USA.”
However, be wary of the wording of the labeling as companies will often try to mislead you. For example, the label “made in America” does not necessarily mean the product is made in the USA but could be made in Canada or Mexico.
It is also important to keep an eye out for which verbs are used in the labels. The claim a product is “made” rather than “assembled” is more all-encompassing and therefore more likely that this is truly a product of the USA. Using the label “assembled in the USA” can mean that the company gets its materials from overseas. Therefore, this product cannot truly claim that it’s an all-American-made product.
Many people will see an American flag sticker on a product and assume that means that the product was “made in the USA”. However, companies can put this sticker on their products to mislead customers. These stickers are not government-regulated, and therefore companies can use them as a deceiving sales tactic.
It is also worth mentioning that the “made in the USA” claim does not need to be pre-approved by the FTC before being used. The FTC only investigates companies and false claims if a customer makes a complaint.
To ensure the product you are looking at is actually “made in the USA,” make sure to take a look at the manufacturer’s website as well. Often, if the product is actually “made in the USA,” the manufacturer will use this as a selling point and a significant part of their advertisement. When looking at the company’s website, look for things like pictures of American production sites and any other content that might suggest where their products are produced.
As a side note, keep in mind that companies are not required to state where their products are made on their website or other promotional materials. So, be aware that if they are not upfront about where their products are made, it is very likely that their products are not “made in the USA.”
Coffee and Tea Mugs Not Made in the USA
These are the coffee and tea mug brands we came across when doing our research that are not making their mugs in the USA. We’ve included more information about where they’re being manufactured and will update this list as we find more.
- W&P Porter Mugs – Made in China.
- La Creuset – Made in Thailand and China.
- Ember Mug – Made in China.
- Bodum Mugs – Made in China, Portugal, Germany, and Poland.
- Williams Sonoma – Mostly made in China, but also in Portugal and France.
- Yeti Rambler Mugs – Made in China.
- Threshold (Target) – “Imported” – we’ll dig in more to find out where.
- Kinto USA – Made in Japan.
- Hawkins New York – Made in Japan, Portugal, China, and the USA (states where in product description).
- Crate & Barrel – Made in Portugal, Thailand, and Indonesia (states where in each product description).
