You've seen them everywhere. They're at weddings holding spiked lemonade, on Pinterest filled with overnight oats, and likely sitting in your own kitchen cupboard right now. But here is the thing about ball canning jars with handles—they aren't actually for canning.
Seriously.
If you try to process a batch of strawberry jam in a boiling water bath using these handled mugs, you are asking for a mess. Or worse, a minor kitchen explosion. It is a weirdly common mistake because the branding is so iconic. The script "Ball" logo carries a century of food safety trust, yet the glass used for these specific mugs isn't tempered the same way as a standard Mason jar.
People love them anyway. They feel sturdy. They look "farmhouse chic." But there is a massive difference between a jar meant to survive a pressure canner and a jar meant to hold your morning iced coffee.
The Real Story Behind the Glass
Ball is a brand name owned by the Newell Brands corporation. They know their audience. They realized about a decade ago that people were using regular Mason jars as drinking glasses, which is fine, but a bit clunky. So, they released the "Drinking Mug."
These are not "jars" in the technical sense. Most of them explicitly state "Not for Home Canning" on the glass itself, often hidden near the bottom or in the fine print on the packaging. Why? Because the handle creates a stress point. When glass is heated to $212^\circ\text{F}$ in a water bath, or higher in a pressure canner, the glass expands. A handle is a separate piece of glass fused to the body. These two pieces expand and contract at slightly different rates, or the joint itself acts as a weak spot.
Snap.
You end up with a handle in your hand and a jar full of boiling peaches at the bottom of your pot.
It’s honestly kind of a bummer. We want our kitchen tools to be multipurpose. We want the aesthetic of the 1880s with the convenience of 2026. But physics doesn't care about your aesthetic. The glass used in handled mugs is often soda-lime glass, just like the canning jars, but the molding process is different. Standard Ball jars (the ones without handles) are engineered for "thermal shock." The mugs are engineered for "holding a beer while you grill."
Variations in the Wild
You’ll find these in a few standard sizes. The 16-ounce (pint) version is the king of the category. It fits perfectly in a car cup holder—usually—and holds exactly one standard soda or beer with room for ice. Then there’s the 24-ounce version, which is basically a weapon if you fill it with water.
There are also "Elite" versions and limited edition colors. Every few years, Newell Brands releases a "Collector’s Edition." Sometimes they are blue like the old 1913 "Perfect Mason" jars. Sometimes they are a murky amber meant to protect nutrients from light, though, again, you aren't supposed to be "preserving" anything in them.
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Why We Are Obsessed With the Handle
It’s a tactile thing.
A standard wide-mouth jar is actually pretty wide. If you have smaller hands, or if the jar is sweating because of ice, it’s easy to drop. The handle changes the center of gravity. It makes the "jar" feel like a "mug."
We have transitioned from a culture that cans out of necessity to a culture that uses the visual language of canning to signal authenticity. Using ball canning jars with handles says something about your vibe. It says you value heritage, even if you bought the jar at a Big Box store last Tuesday.
The Lidding Dilemma
One of the best things about these handled mugs is that they still use the standard Mason jar threading. This is a huge win. You can use:
- Standard Two-Piece Lids: The flat disk and the ring. Great for transport, terrible for drinking.
- Straw Lids: These have a little grommet in the middle. Perfect for keeping bees out of your sweet tea during a backyard BBQ.
- Flip-Top Lids: Brands like reCAP make lids that turn these jars into pourable containers or shakers.
- Storage Caps: One-piece plastic lids that don't rust.
Just remember: just because the lid fits doesn't mean the vacuum seal will hold up during a processing cycle. I can't emphasize that enough. If you want to store dry goods like rice or beans in them on your counter? Go for it. It looks great. If you want to make "refrigerator pickles" that stay in the fridge? Also fine. Just don't put them in a pot of boiling water.
Comparing the Brands: Ball vs. Kerr vs. Knockoffs
Ball and Kerr are both owned by Newell, so the quality is virtually identical. However, the market is currently flooded with "Mason-style" mugs from various manufacturers.
You need to be careful here.
Authentic Ball mugs are lead-free and made to a specific thickness. Some of the cheap versions you find in the dollar aisle or at discount craft stores use thinner glass. I’ve seen those shatter just from adding ice to a warm glass. If the glass feels light or "tinny" when you tap it with a fingernail, it’s probably not a genuine Ball product.
There's also the "Golden Harvest" brand, which is the budget line also under the Newell umbrella. They rarely make handled versions, but if they do, they are generally considered the "utility" grade.
Maintenance and the "Cloudy Glass" Problem
If you use your ball canning jars with handles for daily coffee or tea, they will eventually get that weird, foggy film. This isn't usually a scratch. It’s "etching" or hard water buildup.
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Because these mugs have a handle, they take up more room in the dishwasher. They often get shielded from the spray arms, leading to soap residue buildup. To fix it, soak the mug in a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water for about 30 minutes. Most of that "cloudiness" will wipe right off.
Also, watch the threads. The "neck" of the jar is where the most gunk builds up. If you use a lid with a rubber seal, bacteria love to hide in the grooves. Scrub them with a bottle brush. A regular sponge won't get deep enough into the threads to really clean out the old smoothie remains.
Creative Uses That Aren't Drinking
Since we've established you shouldn't can in them, what else are they good for?
The Bathroom Organizer:
The handle makes it easy to hang these from a hook. If you have a small bathroom, you can use a hose clamp to attach the jar to a piece of reclaimed wood, but honestly, just sitting them on the counter is fine. One for toothbrushes, one for cotton swabs.
The Herb Garden:
They make decent planters for herbs like mint or basil, but there's a catch. No drainage. If you put a plant in a handled jar, you have to put a layer of pebbles at the bottom so the roots don't sit in water and rot. The handle makes it easy to move them from the windowsill to the counter when you’re cooking.
Gifting:
This is where the handled jar shines. Hot cocoa mix, layers of cookie ingredients, or even a "survival kit" for a college student. The handle allows you to tie a ribbon or a gift tag on it without it sliding off the "shoulders" of the jar.
Safety Limitations: The Hot Liquid Rule
Here is a nuance people miss: even though you shouldn't "can" with them, you can put hot coffee in them.
Wait, isn't that the same thing?
No.
The danger in canning is the sustained high pressure and the thermal shock of going from room temperature to boiling (or vice versa). Pouring hot coffee into a room-temperature jar is usually fine, but you should still "prime" the glass. Run it under warm tap water first so the glass isn't shocked by the boiling liquid.
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Don't ever take a handled jar out of the freezer and pour hot tea into it. It will crack. Every time.
Environmental Impact and Longevity
One of the reasons these jars are still popular in 2026 is the push away from plastic. A glass jar lasts decades. If the handle breaks, the glass is recyclable. If the lid rusts, you buy a new lid for fifty cents.
Compared to a plastic "travel tumbler," the ball canning jars with handles are much better for the planet. They don't retain smells. You can drink garlic-infused detox water (if that's your thing) in the morning, wash it, and it won't taste like garlic when you put milk in it in the afternoon. Plastic can't do that.
Actionable Steps for the Jar Enthusiast
If you're ready to dive into the world of handled jars, don't just buy the first pack you see.
First, check the bottom. Look for the embossed "Not for Canning" warning. If it isn't there, but the jar has a handle, treat it as a drinking mug anyway. Safety first.
Second, inspect the handle join. Look for air bubbles where the handle meets the body of the jar. If you see bubbles, that's a structural weakness. Pick a different jar.
Third, get the right lids. If you’re using these for kids, grab some silicone straw lids. They turn a heavy glass jar into a (mostly) spill-proof cup.
Finally, don't overpay. These are mass-produced items. You shouldn't be paying more than $3 to $5 per mug. If you see "vintage" handled jars for $20, be skeptical. Most genuine vintage jars didn't have handles; many "antique" looking handled jars are just modern reproductions with a distressed finish.
Stick to the basics. Use them for cold drinks, use them for decor, and keep your actual canning to the jars designed for the heat. Your kitchen floor will thank you.
Next Steps for Success:
- Inventory your lids: Check if you have wide-mouth or regular-mouth jars, as the handles come in both styles.
- Test for lead: If buying unbranded jars at thrift stores, use a simple swab test kit to ensure the glass is food-safe.
- Prime your glass: Always warm your jars with tap water before adding hot liquids to prevent thermal shock cracks.