PSA: Don't microwave a mug with a hairline crack

Had my favorite mug from a pottery class I took in Portland back in 2018. It had this tiny hairline crack near the handle. Looked cool, like a little imperfection. Microwaved my coffee yesterday and it literally split in half. Hot coffee all over my counter. Lesson learned - cracks aren't just cosmetic. Anyone else have a mug break in a weird way?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda62611d ago

Did you make that mug in Portland yourself? I had a similar thing happen with a stoneware bowl my daughter gave me from her college ceramics class. The crack was barely visible until I poured hot soup in it and it just split clean in two. It's something about the moisture getting into the crack and expanding when it heats up in the microwave. I read that even tiny cracks can trap water and the steam pressure makes them spread fast.

brookebailey11d ago

Oh FOR SURE, that's exactly what happened! I thought I was being all fancy with my handmade mug and then BAM, hot coffee and it's like the thing just gave up on life. Now I've got a two-piece mug set - a handle with half a cup and a separate little puddle-catcher at the bottom. Real artsy.