Cricut Mug Press Alternatives

We are so excited for the Mug Press ! Laura and I were lucky to receive ours about 2 weeks ago and we have been very very busy testing alternatives !

It is available on the 1st October 2021 from 2am in the UK - https://shrsl.com/36lvb

Let me start by saying you will always get the best and most consistent results with Cricut Products. The mug press is intended for use with Infusible Ink sheets and pens although you can use sublimation images as well but be aware that the results can and most probably will vary.

For now, we have tested several sublimation blanks for use with Infusible Ink.

A Couple of things to take note of. The mug press is intended for use with straight walled mugs. It is imperative that you follow this as closely as possible as anything other than a straight walled item within the size parameters could cause serious fault.

The Cricut Mug press will accept some 10oz mugs but really it is suited to 11oz to 16oz mugs.

• Capacity of 11 – 16 oz (350 – 450 ml)

• Diameter between 3.2 in - 3.4 in (82 – 86 mm)

• Maximum height of 4.72 in (120 mm)

Ceramic Straight walled sublimation items are really all you want to be putting in your press. I tried enamel mugs and these did not work well and Cricut do not advise using sublimation glass items either. Mugs or ceramic items from the shop will not work. They must be sublimation suitable in order to work.

The Cricut Mugs are fantastic to work with and the glaze allows for a high shine finish. They are also dishwasher suitable. Don't forget when ordering from Cricut you can get 10% access discount and a further 10% off on purchases over £50 with free shipping (Plugs excluded) using the code - CRIFTY - https://shrsl.com/36lvb

The first alternative we tested is a super glaze 11oz mug as we wanted to see how it compared with the Cricut glaze. Firstly compared with the Cricut 12oz mugs there is not a huge amount in the dimensions. We are talking mm. However we have found that the sublimation mugs are not uniform so you will want to size them when creating your designs and in fact its worth doing this with the Cricut ones to. In terms of the finish and image quality they are very close. I would say the Cricut mugs give a slightly sharper image transfer but in terms of the colours and quality of transfer they are so close, its incredible and they are both very glossy and again, I would say this is well matched. As with the Cricut mugs these are both microwave and dishwasher safe and I've been washing both for over a week now and again they are both as they were the day they were pressed. You can find the alternatives here - https://bit.ly/3CWzNcw

You can see both mugs side here. The mug on the right (your left) is the Cricut 12oz mug and the other one is the super glaze. Both Transferred beautifully and whilst I do think the Cricut mug gives a slightly sharper result, there is really not a lot in it.

This is the Cricut mug.

This is the Super Glaze

Next we tried the Glitter Mugs! Oh my gosh. Now these are available in Silver, Pink and Gold. We highly recommend only using the silver glitter mugs for the best results. Again these are 11oz mugs. These are however only dishwasher save and our not suitable for the microwave. Personally I feel only certain patterns or strong pen colours would work with these so you do need to choose carefully but they do look amazing in the right colours. https://bit.ly/39QvVgH

Next we tested some printed inside mugs. Please note you can not achieve this with the mug press. You will have to purchase them already printed. Again we found these worked really well. The transfer was bright. We have found as you'll see that the paper with pens does need to be really well taped down avoid ghosting but that is across all mugs. These mugs work so well in the press. These are only suitable for hand wash. You can find them here - https://bit.ly/3F4WAoi

Next we have the heart handle mugs. Honestly these are so very very cute! Again they have a nice gloss to them and they hold the colour wonderfully. They come out so bright! These are both Dishwasher and microwave safe however they do come with a microwave warning about heat and time which is a bit ambiguous and so I would avoid the microwave myself - https://bit.ly/3upJQ6O

Next we have the fantabulous colour change heat reactive mug. Oh this is glorious! They are available in 11oz and 15oz sizes and a gloss or matt finish. I have only tried the matt and I absolutely love them. It is worth adding that once the mug is pressed that even when black you can see some of the design when close up or in the right light but this is the same with sublimation images as well. These are not suitable for the dishwasher and should be hand washed only. It should be noted that these do have a very slight inward curve at the base. Because its inward and at the base these can be used safely in the mug press but please note you can not press your design on the curve. Its very slight. https://bit.ly/3onrRgf

We also tried some non mug products. Its so important if you are using items in your press without handles that you wear heat resistant gloves, we got these and they work a treat - https://amzn.to/3AXjbRr

These money pots are so very cute and fit nicely in the press. They are between 10oz and 11oz. Remember to take the plastic plug out before adding to the press ! Both the pens and sheets work so lovely with these little money pots. https://bit.ly/3kRRnIy

There are so many other things we have to test but these will keep you busy to start with. We can't wait to see what you all create.