Even though I have a lovely set of china mugs, I also have a wide selection of non-matching mugs, some that I picked up while traveling and others that simply caught my eye because of an unusual or novel design.

I justify my rather large collection by drinking a lot of coffee and tea to keep them all in use, but I try not to buy too many to keep the numbers down. This mug hasn't joined the rest of the collection just yet, although it is definitely a little more unusual than some of the others and so it seemed to warrant a mention here.

The mug features a character called Mr. P, who is positioned perfectly to "catch" drips of coffee on his tongue. You don't need to worry about getting a drip in just the right spot yourself because the fake drip is a permanent part of the cup. The tea mug is a little darker, but if your sense of humor tends to veer past the gray part of the spectrum, you might get a kick out of it, too.

Burning your tongue on a hot drink is no picnic, but burning it while drinking from an insulated commuter mug is worse. Not only does the cup disguise the temperature of the beverage it contains, making you more likely to subject your tongue to overly-hot drinks in the first place, but they do not allow drink not cool down fast enough to prevent repeat burns. Combine that with a morning commute in rush hour traffic and you will probably discover the source of many cases of "road rage."

Fortunately, there is a cup that offers a solution. The Tip and Sip Cup keeps coffee hot at up to 205 degrees, which is the temperature that most coffee is brewed at. When it is tipped (for a sip), the coffee passes into a patented Temperature Control Chamber, which lowers the temperature of the coffee to the "Perfect Zone" of 150-170F, leaving you with a satisfying swig of coffee and no burns. The triple function lid has a spill-proof lock setting and a regular "sip" setting that bypasses the temperature control chamber, in addition to the cooling function.

It is available in raspberry, lime, orange, forest, black, or blue and is priced at $19.95. The cost of never burning your tongue again? Priceless.

[via book of joe]

We have seen a couple of interesting mugs in the past, but the design of this one really strikes a chord with me because I drink quite a bit of tea. This tea bag mug is designed with a pocket built right into it for your tea bag - a convenience when you prefer to use a sturdier mug for hot drinks in the evenings, rather than a cup and saucer. If you're not into tea, or brew yours with loose-leaf tea instead of bagged, you can put the pocket to use in other ways. It can be used to hold packets of sugar or sweeteners when serving to guests and can even hold a small cookie or two. But ultimately, this is a nice, large mug for a tea-lover and probably a must-have for those who really love Lipton or other bagged teas.

Although they are a little bit tacky, these "Undress me" mugs are still a fun idea to get your day started in the morning. No, it doesn't have anything to do with getting undresses. There are his and hers versions of the mugs available and each one has a naked man or woman on the inside which is revealed as you drink down your coffee. It's not going to give quite the same effect if you prefer lighter beverages, like tea, so you might want to stick with coffee, hot chocolate of a similarly dark beverage.

I'm not really sure which demographic they're targeting, but I suspect that there are a lot of college-age men and women who wouldn't mind having one at the breakfast table. And now that Folger's is targeting that demographic but seems to have renounced their claim to being the "best part of waking up," they have to have something to look forward to in the morning.

An alternative lifestyle deserves alternative dinnerware and the Piercing Collection of dinnerware certainly qualifies. Not only do the pieces feature black-and-white tattoo-inspired designs, but the cups and bowls are actually pierced with small metal rings. The overall look is edgy and getting dishes with tattoos or piercings is certainly easier (and probably cheaper) than doing either to your own body. The dishes were designed by Barbara Schmidt, are made in Germany and are dishwasher safe.

Only the mugs and bowls seem to be available right now and both are sold separately. You can buy several and make a matching set, or just use one mug at the office to surprise your coworkers. Just make sure there's a good coffee machine wherever you intended to use the mug because, due to the piercing, it cannot be put into the microwave.

The Lap Mug is a mug designed to nest easily and securely in your lap, so you can use it anywhere without needing a table nearby to set it on. The uniquely shaped base can even be used to wedge the mug in between couch cushions if you need to get up.

While the idea behind these cups is an interesting one, they just don't seem terribly useful for a variety of reasons. First, the mug still needs to be supported as it sits on your lap, so shifting to reposition yourself is out of the question, as is sitting in any way that doesn't keep your thighs close together. Second, the cup must be carried when you get up or move. It can only be set on a table or floor if it is mostly, if not entirely, empty. Finally, the designers seem to have forgotten that an ordinary mug can rest upon your lap quite easily, though it needs support to keep it in place, as well.

The Cupple Cup Holder is a set that includes four ceramic coffee mugs and a wall-mounted ceramic and rubber holder. These cups make me a bit nervous because, at first glance, they appear none too steady. At the same time, however, they seem like a great idea.

The cups have a projection with a round end, rather than a handle, and that end can be inserted into the rubber sockets of the holder, suspending the cups anywhere you might want to use them. For example, the piece could be mounted along the wall next to your coffee maker. Not only will the cups be at hand all the time, but because they can be stored upside down, they will always be dry and drip free.

Besides, the design is no less safe (in terms of the risk of breaking a cup) than more traditional mug racks, which could tip over and do not come with the mugs included.

Many people ask for their coffees to be "double-cupped" or want an extra sleeve when they stop at a coffee shop in the morning, trying not only to protect their hands from the heat, but to insulate the cup and keep their drink warmer, longer. One thing that will help the problem is switching to an insulted cup, which will keep the coffee warm as well as helping to cut back on all that wasted paper. This Programmable Insulated Mug is even better, though. It has all the same advantages as a regular insulated mug, but also has an integrated heating element that is powered by a car lighter adapter to maintain the desired temperature. There are four preset temperatures and an automatic shutoff for safety, so your drink will stay as hot and fresh as can be throughout a long commute.

Since it's summer, it is also worth noting that the cup will help keep cold drinks cool, although it is best if you leave the heating element off in that case.

It's safe to say that everyone who drinks coffee hates it when a drip runs down the side of the cup and leaves a ring on a newspaper/book/table in the morning. Maybe "hate" is too strong of a word, but coffee rings are certainly annoying, especially because they can stain. One company has come up with a solution to unwanted rings by adding stamps to the bottom of the mugs. This way, when the coffee drips down, you can create small patterns on your newspaper. You still won't be able to read it, but it will look a lot prettier than it would with a big, wet ring - not to mention that you can call it "art" instead of an accident. The Stamp Mugs sell in pairs for $59.