Where To Find A Safe
Lead-Free Coffee Mug

There are NO affiliate links on this page. Neither I or any family or friends have any connection
to or any financial or other interest in any product or company mentioned on this page.

I wrote this page because when I went hunting for a safe coffee mug all of the "recommendations" I found were affiliate links where the person doing the recommending was getting paid to do so. Here you will get an honest opinion not influenced by money.

The Problem

If you're concerned about getting lead-poisoning from your trusty coffee mug you should be. There are no restrictions on the amount of lead that can be in the glazing of glazed ceramic china and other dishware in the US. While you may not think that the amount of lead in a coffee mug is grounds for concern, think again. A coffee mug is an item that you typically use every day, often several times a day. Being that coffee is acidic, each cup you pour will leach more lead out of the glazing that coats the mug and gives it its shiny appearance. Many teas, including some otherwise healthy herbal teas, are also acidic. Given that you can't flush out the lead that's in your body, that daily dose of lead just keeps building up over the years.

Almost all mugs sold in the US come from China and Mexico and both places have non-existent regulations when it comes to consumer safety. These mugs are easy to spot because they have no markings on the underside of the mug. Any reputable producer of mugs or other dishware puts their mark on the underside of each piece.

While lead is the most talked-about problem with glazed ceramics, there are other issues as well. Cadmium is another dangerous chemical that is found in many coffee mugs and cermaic dishware. And as mentioned above, some mugs and dishware contain arsenic. These, and probably other poisons, are accumulating in your body every day, day after day, simply because you're using a cheap coffee mug.

The Solution

When I started looking for a lead-free, arsenic-free, cadmium-free coffee mug I was disappointed to see that most were clear glass. While that may be OK for some people, I just can't bring myself to drink coffee out of a clear cup. Luckily my long search paid off big time. I not only found a company that produces lead-free, arsenic-free, cadmium-free coffe mugs and other dishware, they are a US company located in Tuscon, Arizona so I thought I'd share my find.

Because their dishware is 100% produced in America where labor costs are higher, their mugs and dishware do cost more than the foreign-made crap you find at chain retailers. However, they're mugs cost the same as most souvenir and photo mugs. And while they may cost more than the cheap stuff, they're not as expensive as a hospital visit or the ongoing costs to tread a chronic health condition caused by the build up of poisonous chemicals in your body which are adversely affecting your organs.

The name of the company is HF Coors and yes, there is a connection. HF Coors is owned by the son of the beer-brewing Coors. Their primary business is making dishware for restaurants and the dishware you can buy is made the same way. If their dishware can withstand the rigors of daily use in busy restarants you know it'll last a long time in your home. They're mugs and other dishware are worth every penny you pay for them because they're:

They can go from freezer to room temperature to microwave or oven or even broiler. (Just don't take them from the freezer and put them directly into an oven or microwave. They need to warm up to room temperature first.) You'd be hard-pressed to find mugs and dishware in chain stores that can measure up to what HF Coors offers.

Here is a picture of the mugs I received. You can see the variations in the patterns due to the fact that each mug is hand-painted.

Not all HF Coors patterns are hand-painted. Some patterns are decals. Check the description for each design and if it's not clearly stated, contact them for clarification.