PRODUCT GUIDE

Two mug forms, many colours — designed around how an everyday mug feels, functions and lives at home.

A Guide to Chips Mugs: Stack Mug 280ml vs Mug 380ml

CHIPS Japan approaches tableware from everyday life rather than ceremony. Founded in Japan in 2016, the company develops vessels around a simple idea: objects should be easy to return to, again and again. Shape, colour, material and practicality are considered together rather than as separate decisions.

This thinking is particularly clear in the CHIPS mug series. At first glance, the appeal is immediate: generous colour, uncomplicated forms and glazes with noticeably different characters. In the hand, however, the mugs reveal another layer. Their proportions, handles, rim and weight have all been considered around the physical experience of drinking.

At JDV, we carry two versions of this idea: the compact Chips Stack Mug 280ml and the more generous Chips Mug 380ml.

They belong to the same family, but they are not simply two sizes of the same mug.

Designed from the mould up

The original CHIPS Mug began with a brief for a generous mug that could hold plenty without becoming visually or physically cumbersome. Rather than adapting an existing form, CHIPS worked from the mould itself. The lower part of the mug was given more visual weight, creating a stable, substantial appearance while allowing the porcelain body to remain controlled in thickness. The inside of the rim was subtly refined so that the mug could retain that substantial character without feeling overly thick at the mouth. Particular attention was also given to the handle. CHIPS considered how many fingers should sit comfortably inside, where the handle should meet the body, and how its inner curve could follow the natural shape of the hand. The resulting handle became distinctive enough to form part of the CHIPS Mug logo itself. These are small decisions, but they become more noticeable with repeated use.

The character of pottery, with the practicality of porcelain

CHIPS wanted the mugs to sit naturally beside materials such as timber, stone and metal — objects with texture and a less polished material presence. The challenge was practicality. An everyday mug should be easy to live with, so CHIPS worked with its kiln partner to create porcelain with a more earthen, pottery-like expression while retaining the practical advantages of porcelain. Made in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture as Mino Ware, the mugs are designed for everyday use and are both microwave and dishwasher safe. This tension between appearance and practicality is part of what makes the mugs interesting: tactile and informal, without becoming objects that need to be treated cautiously.

Chips Japan mugs showing different colours, glazes and handle forms

One form, many finishes

Colour is one of the most recognisable parts of CHIPS, but colour alone does not explain the range.

Different colours are paired with different glaze treatments, meaning the surface itself changes the character of the mug. Solid Colour finishes are glossy and give the colour more clarity and reflection. Matte and Sand finishes are softer and more tactile. Splash finishes introduce a more graphic character, while Drop allows glaze movement to become part of the decoration.

CHIPS developed these surfaces through repeated glaze testing. Even details such as the amount of sand added to a matte glaze or the distribution of a sprayed splash finish can change both appearance and the way the mug feels in use.

The form provides continuity. The finish changes the personality.

Stack Mug 280ml — compact and balanced

The Chips Stack Mug 280ml is the more compact of the two. Its lower form sits comfortably in the hand and, as its name suggests, the mugs can be stacked to reduce the amount of storage space they occupy. At JDV, we have found the 280ml capacity particularly well suited to milk-based coffee. For a flat white or latte, the size gives espresso and milk enough space without making the finished drink unnecessarily large. The result feels balanced both in proportion and in the way the coffee is experienced. It is also a useful size if you prefer a mug that feels contained rather than oversized, or if you are building a group of mugs in several colours and want them to stack neatly in the cupboard. The Stack Mug is compact without feeling small.

SHOP STACK MUG →

Mug 380ml — more room for filter and tea

The Chips Mug 380ml creates a noticeably different drinking experience. The additional volume makes it particularly comfortable for filter coffee, longer black coffee or tea made directly in the mug with a tea bag. At JDV, we find the larger format gives these drinks more room and encourages a more relaxed drinking pace. Filter coffee or tea can settle into a comfortable sipping temperature while there is still enough volume to sit with the drink for longer. The original 380ml Mug was developed around this idea of generosity without unnecessary heaviness. Its proportions create visual substance while the form and handle remain comfortable once the mug is filled. It feels less compact than the Stack Mug, but not simply bigger. It asks for a different rhythm of use.

SHOP MUG 380ML →

The difference is not simply 100ml

Both mugs are comfortable to hold, but they do not feel the same.

The Stack Mug has a shorter, more contained proportion. Its handle and body feel closely connected, making it natural for the kind of drink that is prepared, enjoyed and finished within a relatively concentrated moment.

The 380ml Mug has more presence. The larger body and differently proportioned handle create a more open grip and a more generous drinking vessel.

At JDV, our distinction is simple: choose the Stack Mug 280ml if you mainly drink flat whites, lattes or other milk-based coffee, prefer a compact mug, or value stackable storage. Choose the Mug 380ml if you regularly drink filter coffee or tea, prefer more volume, or enjoy keeping a drink beside you for longer.

Neither is the better mug. They solve slightly different everyday needs.

Choosing a colour

There is no correct answer to colour. What is worth noticing with CHIPS, however, is that choosing a colour also means choosing a finish. A glossy Solid Colour has a different presence from a soft matte glaze. A Sand finish brings additional texture. Splash introduces a graphic element, while White Navy Drop allows the glaze itself to become part of the composition. At JDV, we suggest first considering the objects already around you. If your tableware is restrained, a glossy Orange, Mustard or Dark Green can introduce a clear point of colour. If you prefer softer material relationships, Sand Khaki, Sand Tan or other matte finishes can sit easily beside timber, neutral ceramics and glass. If the table already has a simple foundation, a Splash or Drop finish can work as a more graphic accent. These are starting points, not rules. Colour remains personal.

A set does not need to mean identical

One of the strengths of the CHIPS Mug series is that the common form allows different colours and finishes to sit together without feeling unrelated. That is also how we like to approach the mugs at JDV. Rather than buying four identical mugs, consider mixing them. You might keep the finish consistent and change the colours, or keep the palette relatively restrained and introduce one Splash or Drop mug. A White, Sand or Dark Green mug can form a quieter base. Orange or Mustard can bring stronger colour. A Splash finish can interrupt a group in a way that feels deliberate rather than mismatched. The repeated silhouette holds the collection together. A set does not need to mean identical.

Chips Japan Stack Mugs in assorted colours and glaze finishes

Chips mugs and tableware arranged in a lived-in home setting by JDV

Chips tableware and mugs styled in an everyday home setting by JDV

Why CHIPS works at JDV

Our first attraction to CHIPS was colour. The palette felt immediately aligned with JDV — expressive without becoming loud, and distinctive enough to bring character to a table without overwhelming what sits around it.

But colour was only the beginning.

Once we received the mugs and began using them, the appeal became much more physical. The proportions, balance and handles made them noticeably comfortable in a way that was difficult to understand from photographs alone.

That impression has also survived much more demanding use. At JDV Market, CHIPS mugs move through busy service, are handled throughout the day and go through our commercial dishwasher repeatedly. In our own experience, they have remained remarkably robust and continue to present extremely well after repeated use.

For us, that is why the collection has lasted beyond its initial visual appeal.

Colour draws you in. The form makes you want to keep using it. The durability allows you to do exactly that.

Which Chips Mug should you choose?

Start with the way you drink.

If coffee at home usually means a flat white or latte, the Stack Mug 280ml is likely to feel naturally proportioned.

If you reach more often for filter coffee, black coffee or tea, the Mug 380ml gives the drink more space and a longer drinking rhythm.

Then choose colour through both tone and finish.

There is no need to complete a matching set at once. Begin with the mug you are most likely to reach for, then let a second colour or finish join it over time.

That is perhaps the most useful way to understand CHIPS. The mugs are designed as objects for repeated everyday use, but repetition does not have to mean sameness.