The enameled steel mug, a traveling companion

An enamel steel mug serves morning coffee at home, then tea during a hiking break, and looks just as good in both cases. It's an item you can take anywhere: to a holiday breakfast, by the stove in winter, on a night train, or by a lake early in the morning.

Here is where it comes from, what its material really offers, and how to make it last a long time.

An everyday object that has traveled a lot

Enamel steel is a sheet of steel covered with a layer of molten glass, fired at high temperature. This technique spread through European kitchens in the 19th century, and it remained very present in Eastern Europe, from the Caucasus to Central Asia.

Enamel mugs, pots, and teapots have long followed families everywhere: in the garden, in the fields, at work, on trips. Today, they are found in mountain refuges, converted vans, and kitchens that love simple objects.

Its bold colors, its often dark rim, and its sober patterns give it a familiar look. You recognize it at first glance.

What enamel steel offers

• It is lightweight. An enamel mug weighs significantly less than a ceramic mug of the same capacity. It slips into a backpack or picnic basket without weighing it down.
• It does not break. Steel does not break if it falls. Enamel, on the other hand, can chip under a hard impact, especially on the rim: that is the trade-off of the material.
• It does not retain flavors. Vitrified enamel is a smooth and non-porous surface: it retains neither the smell of coffee nor that of yesterday's soup.
• It is used for everything. Coffee, tea, chocolate, soup, morning porridge at a bivouac.

One detail: steel conducts heat. The mug heats up quickly with a hot drink, and the handle too. Hold it with care for the first few minutes.

A few uses, from the table to the backpack

• At home: the morning coffee mug, or the one you keep at the office.
• Camping, in a van, or hiking: it goes from breakfast to evening soup without worrying about breaking it in the bag.
• As decoration: pencil holder, cutlery holder, small vase for dried flowers, toothbrush holder in the bathroom.
• As a gift: filled with homemade cookies, loose tea, or chocolates, it makes a simple gift that will serve for a long time.

Discover our enamel steel mugs

Care

A well-treated enamel mug will follow you for years. A few steps are enough:

• Wash it by hand, with hot water and dish soap, with a non-abrasive sponge. Repeated dishwasher cycles can dull the enamel over time.
• Never put it in the microwave: it is a metal object.
• Avoid impacts against a sink or a stone, which can cause a chip of enamel to fly off.
• If a chip appears, dry the mug thoroughly after each wash: exposed steel can rust at that spot if it remains damp.

Over time, small signs of use become part of its history.

Frequently asked questions

What is enamel steel? It is a sheet of steel covered with a layer of glass fired at high temperature. This vitrified layer gives a smooth, colored, and non-porous surface.

Is an enamel mug unbreakable? Steel does not break, but enamel can chip under impact, especially on the rim.

Can it be put in the microwave? No, never: it is a metal object.

Is it dishwasher safe? We recommend hand washing, which better preserves the shine of the enamel.

Does the mug heat up in the hand? Yes, steel conducts heat: with a hot drink, the mug and its handle become hot. Let it cool for a few moments.

Why take it camping? It is lightweight, does not break in the bag, and works just as well for coffee as for soup.