To have a hierarchy of drinking vessels?

[mediumbrownmug]

So up until I married, I genuinely thought that certain cups being for tea and others for coffee, etc. was a common practice. I myself have an (admittedly extensive) hierarchy of mugs/cups to be used for each drink. The breakdown is as follows:

Tea should be made in Particular Brown Mug (I have two).
If brown mugs are not available, tea may be made in either of two thin-walled Floral Mugs.
If these aren't available, tea can then AND ONLY THEN be made in one of the Taller White Mugs (we have eight).
If none of the above is available, an emergency dishwasher run needs to take place immediately, and in the meantime one of the bone china tea cups will come out with much fanfare (bone china not being toddler-compatible, they come out but rarely nowadays).

There's a similar hierarchy of coffee mugs. Juice and water also have particular cups, but they're not quite as stringently enforced. DH knows this and accepts it.

The problem is that DH has no Special Mugs. None. He has no issue whatsoever with my hierarchy of tumblers and has even painstakingly learned which ones to grab in various scenarios when he makes the drinks- but he doesn't have a mug that HE prefers. When I ask if he wants tea/coffee I have no idea what to give it to him in.

Wondering if he just hadn't "found the right one yet", I went ahead and purchased a Potential Special Mug for him as a present (he had been dropping hints that he wanted it) and he does like and use it, but refuses to insist that it, or any other drinking vessel, only be used for one particular beverage to the exclusion of all other mugs. I, coming from a long line of Special Mug lovers, find this lack of commitment odd.

By way of comparison, my DF still uses the same Special Mug that he's been drinking from for the past two decades. Even my DGPs each had their own Special Mug marked with nail polish in an inconspicuous spot to differentiate between the two identical mugs so they could tell whose was whose. AIBU to have a Special Mug, and provisions for when the said mug is unavailable?

Every mug should be white on the inside and every mug for tea should be bone china

THIS

It should be the LAW!

I thought at first that this was a zombie thread -- MN was enthusing about mug hierarchies in 2011, too:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/1176389-Is-it-just-me-or-do-you-have-a-hierarchy-of-mugs?pg=1

I bought a tumbler specifically for gin

Quite right. is special . . . . .

Do I need to LTB?

Do you really need to ask?

It is a timeless question Alpha

Indeed.

YADNBU!
Coffee mugs:
V large starbucks Wuhan (PRC) mug
V large starbucks Chengdu (PRC) mug
Large starbucks Philippines mug
V large mug with a cow
If none of above then dishwasher is run.

So glad there are so many other people who feel as strongly about mugs as I do.

It's so sad when you get given a mug as a gift and you have to look the person in the eye and say thank you when all you're thinking inside is 'Never gonna happen.'

When my sister moved in with her boyfriend she sent me a picture of his mug collection, which to our great dismay was appalling. Funny slogans, oversized monstrosities, thick chunky ceramics- a total fucking mess. I would have told her to LTB but it was a bit late by that point. Fortunately the worst ones immediately found their way to the charity shop.

For me morning tea has to be in one of three, smaller sized mugs, very fine porcelain. Late morning or afternoon tea can be in a larger mug. I'm usually a strictly cylindrical mug user, but I have a couple that taper towards the base and on the odd day if I'm feeling perverse, I may use one of them. No one can read my mug preferences expect for my sister.

I don't really like coffee but when in a cafe I'll usually have coffee to avoid the trauma of being served tea in an unacceptable vessel.

when in a cafe I'll usually have coffee to avoid the trauma of being served tea in an unacceptable vessel.

We've all been there . . .

Yes! Milky rooibos teas must be in either one of my two spotty pink mugs (that I bought on sale in Sainsbo's) hot chocolate in my red and black Disneyland mug (which I stole from someone else, but they weren't going to use it and it's enormous!) Herbal teas go in any one of my big teacup shaped floral/butterfly mugs from Sainsbo's, Lemsip goes in my little white mug with black, red and silver dots that I got from Poundland. I also have outdoor mugs that are tin, my favourite is the pale green one with a white stag on it I got from Poundland last Christmas. (HP reference there, that's why I bought it!) I also have numerous mugs that I bought cos I liked them but are too pretty to use.

Brilliant find, @AlphaNumericalSequence. There is a lemsip mug. I have a lemsip mug. Picture of a lemon adorning it, naturally.

Haha this makes me laugh as it’s kind of true here. I only drink tea. I have a cupboard full of mugs, many sentimental value and are never or rarely used. I have a set 5-6 mugs which I will use, they go in the dishwasher and are refused on emptying. Just me and kids here. Kids have their own hot drink mugs and cold drink beakers. My mum will only drink from bone China and refuses mugs that are too thick or complains of she is given one is a cafe. She even bought me a bone China mug saying daughter, just so she had one to use at mine.

I bought DH and I matching monopoly mugs but he didn't seem to like his so now they are both mine for my tea. He's a mug heathen - he'd drink out of a sports direct mug if left to his own devices.

My favourite "1st cuppa in the morning" mug got smashed. Did it get replaced by the f*** who broke it... no. It was I ❤NY. Looks like I need to go back alone... for cocktails and mug buying

I have a mug tree of my current favourite mugs and it is a serious business deciding which to use of a morning. Massive Cattuccino mug for first coffee is always used then go with my mod for the rest of the day.

What really gives me the rage is people using my best mugs for cuppa soups, takes ages to get the smell out of them.

@Devillanelle Sports Direct mug??? 😱Those belong in office kitchens ONLY, to gather dust and be shunned by all, whilst everyone wonders which barbarian brought it in.

Devillanelle - He's a mug heathen - he'd drink out of a sports direct mug if left to his own devices

I've never said this on here before but you really need to consider LTB over this. A friggin Sports Direct mug? Possibly the worst mug ever made 😉😁😅

Ex dp had a small brown glass mug that he always drank his coffee out of. Never anything else. I hated it and very glad to see the back of it along with a load of chipped Simpsons mugs. I don't drink coffee but now have a v nice collection of appropriate tea drinking mugs. Beautiful items with their own heirarchy. So many benefits to being single.

I have a PA mug. It's black on the inside. DP gets it when I'm displeased.

I have my morning tea mug that he is not allowed to touch. If that is in the dishwasher, there are four more that will do.
My evening tea mug has to be either the green rabbit or the unicorn mug. No others will do.
When I'm ill I have hot chocolate ONLY from my Santa mug I got when I was 5.
I have a special teaspoon too and a special knife which DP has now learned to leave out for me.
Cold drinks should NEVER be drunk from a mug, only a glass of which I have many depending on the drink. DP has still to master the glass system.

I have favourite mugs (giant Californian mug, stripey rainbow mug, whit and blue spotty mug). All solid, large, comforting. I didn’t think my dh cared about mugs until, coincidentally, a startling outburst yesterday on a London Underground mug that we’ve had for years. Never heard such naked contempt from him about anything before. I’m going to get rid of it on the sly.

To be honest I have this affliction too. I have some Emma bridgewater rose and bee mugs which I drink out of. I'm not particularly happy with coffee in another mug, I don't drink tea, and I feel slightly annoyed if my husband drinks out of one of them, I immediately look to see if there are any clean ones left for me.

I also do the same with wine, cocktails or long drinks, they have their own glasses, and it annoys me he will drink anything out of anything as long as it holds it suitably. I find it peculiar and irritating, 😳

he'd drink out of a sports direct mug if left to his own devices

Jesus wept!

Has he no pride?

We got one of these ugly buggers free when we ordered some random sports stuff for DD online. They put the bloody thing in the parcel where children or old ladies could open it !

It was as thick as bulls' lugs and had a capacity of about a litre - I could barely lift it empty, God alone knows what it would weigh when full.

I sent it to a charity shop, and have never bought anything else from Sports Direct in case we get another one.

My in-laws have special cups and it drives me up the wall.
They ask each other which one they want before making it and it can take a few minutes to decide.

JUST MAKE THE FUCKING TEA

I just googled the Sports Direct mug, as I've been fortunate enough not to have encountered it before.

It's hideous.

I only drink black tea but woe betide anyone who touches my Sea World mug that I have had for 17 years. I have a 2nd choice in case it’s in the dishwasher (there’s a reason I run the dishwasher overnight) but I’m not happy.
As a teacher I get at least 2 mugs a year so I have a varied collection.

NB: I thought Sports Direct mugs where only for holding pens

I categorise my tea cups / mugs depending on

1. Where i’m going to drink it
2. Who is going to watch me

DH thinks i’m potty but has learned to adhere to the rules.

Eg. Gardening in front garden - tea is drunk in Royal Dalton tea cup and saucer with attractive chintzy flower decoration. We live in a “naice” London neighbourhood.
Gardening in the rear - any old chipped mug or unwanted motif mug received as gift.
Third floor study - large Le Cruset mug for either tea or coffee, volume is the essence as three floors is a pain to climb too frequently.
Etc etc