finally bit the big one after years of use. Got a crack in the bottom, probably from years of sitting on a coffee warmer all the time.
I immediately set out to replace it. One does not simply "just go on" after losing a favorite coffee cup.
Ebay was helpful in this regard, and I bought a set of 4, so as to prevent future states of cuplessness.
These came with a note that said "THE GLASS FACTORY RECOMMENDS PLACING SPOON IN CUP BEFORE POURING HOT LIQUID INTO MUGS!!!"
No, I didn't put a spoon in, first.
Neither did I put a spoon in the old cup that lasted for I don't know how many years getting hot coffee poured directly into it.
I say the spoon thing is just a cover for either A) shoddy workmanship or B) the piss-ignorant notion of using non-tempered glass in a COFFEE cup in the first place.
Now, having Googled this, I know that there are plenty of smug fucks out there who say "I always use a spoon and my cups don't crack". Well, since cups hardly every crack in the first place, that doesn't mean much. I'd like to hear from someone who DID use a spoon and their cup cracked anyway, thus falsifying this suspiciously unscientific wives tale once and for all.
And please don't talk to me about how "the spoon acts as a heat sink". That would only help cool the coffee and "protect" the cup if you poured all the coffee down along the length of the spoon to cool it. Why not just recommend putting an ice cube in the coffee pot to cool it off instead? It'd be even more effective, since the specific heat capacity of ice is 5 times that of iron.
1
I have NEVER heard about the whole "spoon in the coffee cup" phenomenon - but then I don't drink coffee. Probably just me...
And you have 3 more to experiment with! Yay!
Posted by: Richmond at February 02, 2008 08:34 PM (VbTiz)
2
Do you drink your coffee black, Harvey?
'cause I'm just wondering, if you're gonna stir cream or sugar in anyway, how difficult is it to put the spoon in the cup first?
But, like Richmond, I don't drink coffee either.
Posted by: Roses at February 02, 2008 09:09 PM (pZ9hq)
3
I don't drink coffee (I'm a Postum man, myself). But of all the Postum and hot chocolate and other hot drinks I've poured into mugs I've never had one crack on me.
However, as a college student I have a high amount of ramen in my diet, and once, I was pouring hot ramen into a bowl and my bowl broke.
I did, in fact, have a spoon in the bowl.
I don't think it was a heat-tempered bowl, though.
Posted by: Joey at February 02, 2008 10:31 PM (4wcQq)
4
My brother's friend knew this guy who's sister's friend's third cousin was married to a guy who's great uncle broke a glass with a spoon in it. I think. Maybe I've got it wrong.
My brother's friend. This guy who's sister's friend. Third cousin married. Great uncle. Yeah. I was right.
What the hell were you asking?
Posted by: That 1 Guy at February 02, 2008 10:57 PM (O6lVU)
5
Also, this morning I found a beer bottle my roommate had left in the freezer all night (the cap had blown off, but the whole bottle was still intact) so I set it in the sink and boiled some water to pour over it to try and break it.
Nothing happened. I was furious.
Posted by: Joey at February 03, 2008 01:29 AM (4wcQq)
6
For shits sake....
At first, I Couldn't see who it was that left the comment about their sister's cousin's friend's dad...and after reading the first line....I knew. I just flat out knew....flippin' freak! ;-)
OK, now, Harvey. You KNOW I drink coffee, and tea, and yeah....I have NEVER heard of this thing you say with the spoon and breaking. Ever. And I go either way. (sorry couldn't resist) Coffee? No spoon. Tea? Spoon....
just sayin'......
Posted by: tammi at February 03, 2008 06:53 AM (SM1LR)
7
i'm just so freaking jolly to hear tammi say "I go either way" i can't remember what i was going to say about coffee anymore.
and wives tales, like marriages, prolly only have a 50% success rate, if that. good luck on your research.
Posted by: SuperGurl at February 03, 2008 09:16 AM (9YQ1m)
8
I drink tea and coffee never put a spoon in either and never heard the spoon theory. I pour boiling hot water into my tea mug. Only time I broke a mug in hot water was while washing dishes. (to preface, I don't use cold water). Put the mug in went to swipe around it with a sponge, it broke and went through my hand. At least you just had coffee on the counter, LOL.
Posted by: Tink at February 04, 2008 12:22 AM (ZW8U5)
9
Goodness... never heard of that ol' wives tale. And doubt it is true for all the reasons you stated. I break cups all the time. But only because I'm likely to sit them down to hard on the counter (which causes a small crack that causes problems later) or I drop them. A spoon wouldn't have helped in either case. ;-)
Posted by: vw bug at February 04, 2008 05:27 AM (FPOeI)
10
Harv, if you'd take the spoon out of your...
oh, you didn't want people to know about that, did you? Sorry.
Posted by: Ogre at February 04, 2008 06:50 AM (oifEm)
11
So, did you put a spoon in the next cup?
And just so you know, the spoon isn't about heat displacement. Rather, it's to break the pointed end of the liquid, keeping it from driving through the cup's material and possibly beyond.
You didn't split your counter or table, too, did you?
Posted by: That 1 Guy at February 04, 2008 06:50 AM (O6lVU)
12
You are talking about a pure glass coffee "mug" correct?
Are the others?
Glass should not crack upon hot water being added to it.
Unless there is a minute crack or scratch, or the glass was make poorly to begin with.
I speak with authority as I use to work at Ford Glass Division and know glass pretty intimately and how it's made.
Posted by: Quality Weenie at February 04, 2008 08:44 AM (R6yie)
13
You are talking about a pure glass coffee "mug" correct?
Are the others?
Glass should not crack upon hot water being added to it.
Unless there is a minute crack or scratch, or the glass was make poorly to begin with.
I speak with authority as I use to work at Ford Glass Division and know glass pretty intimately and how it's made.
Posted by: Quality Weenie at February 04, 2008 08:45 AM (R6yie)
14
I've never put a spoon in a cup before pouring coffee, never had a cup crack either.
Not even the crappy WalMart coffee cups I seem to always get for Christmas.
Someone needs to order another cup, test this, and take this company to task!
Just not me.
Posted by: Uber at February 04, 2008 02:13 PM (GU97P)
15
Specific heat of water: 4.184 J/dl
Specific heat of many common metals: 0.80+/-
Strangley, BOTH the above numbers (yeah, I'm such a nerd) are still higher than the IQ of any idiot that designs a coffee mug lacking, oh, I don't know, HEAT RESISTANCE!
Another thing, IF the company recommends the spoon treatment, you'd think they'd 1) offer a damn spoon with the shoddy mug they were selling you; or 2) figure out better materials to use than the obviously sub-standard crap that's also used to make Christmas lights.
Posted by: Hapkido at February 04, 2008 02:13 PM (+cC9w)
16
Nope, never heard the spoon in the mug thing either. I've used many a mugs, have never put a spoon in first and have never had one break when pouring coffee into it either.
With my luck, if I did put a spoon in the mug would break.
Posted by: Dawn at February 08, 2008 12:02 PM (Kk+Kv)
17
Before I pour my first cup of coffee in the morning, I usually go take a leak. That must be the secret to not breaking mugs.
The closest I've ever seen to that color in real life was the middle of Lake Michigan while taking a ride on a Navy Frigate. That was cool.
Posted by: ChrisA at February 09, 2008 09:51 AM (TnrKn)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
