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I'm on a quest for the perfect travel mug. I'd like a spill-proof mug without a handle that will keep coffee warm, be easy to clean, and will fit in the water bottle pocket of the Co-Pilot. Most recently, I was looking at the Starbucks stainless steel ones. Does anyone have a favorite, though?
From what I've read these are fairly popular: Amazon.com: Contigo AUTOSEAL Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, 16 Ounces, Black: Kitchen & Dining
I bought one and LOVE it :).
I looked a long time for the perfect travel mug. I finally realized that my perfect mug was a 16oz wide mouth Nalgene bottle
http://store.nalgene.com/v/vspfiles/...20Mouth-2T.jpg
It seals tightly, holds hot and cold beverages, is small enough to fit anywhere, and is TSA friendly. It's not a thermos, but it does hold the temperature of liquids for some time. Bonus: Made in the USA.
Klean Kanteen insulatedQuote:
Originally Posted by dwright17
Just got one of these as a Christmas present for someone else, but I don't have experience with it for keeping things hot. It should fit in the co-pilot, at least the two smaller sizes, and I love their regular bottles.
Nissan Stainless is great (they make the Thermos brand, if I'm not mistaken). There is for sure a 12-ounce size, and I think there is an option to get it with a tea strainer.
I'm also a fan of Klean Kanteen.
Also, have you seen Hydro Flask? Their aesthetic is similar to KK but they are double-walled.
I wasted money on the search for THE travel mug :).
I have been using Hydro Flask. Sadly, they are made in china.
The 18-oz narrow mouth fits perfect in the synapse & Co-Pilot pockets. The 21-oz also fit in both pockets, if the other pockets are not crammed tight.
I use the 12-oz standard mouth to bring coffee to work. I keep it in the Co-Pilot's bottle pocket.
I also carry ice water in a second 12-oz bottle, refill it from the office water cooler during the day. Oh, I put the bottle with cold water in the Co-Pilot front pocket with the pen pockets or in one of the pockets in the main compartment.
Hydro Flask marketing claims their bottles keep hot liquid hot for 12 hours & cold for 24 hours. My experience:
I sometimes carry ice in the 21-oz standard mouth bottle - leave bottle in the car, find ice still floating in my bottle in 24 hours later.
Cold water, a few ice cubes at most, stays cold throughout the day. In fact, unless I will be out all say in the blazing sun, I don't po ut ice.
My coffee with coffee cream is tepid when I open the bottle 2 hours later.
My coffee without coffee cream, is very hot (but I can sip) when I open the bottle 2 hours later.
My tea , no cream, is scalding hot (cannot sip) when I open the bottle 2 hours later.
I make the coffee in a cheap drip coffee maker. I make tea by boiling the water.
For my purpose of transporting coffee between home & work, short commute under 30 minutes, the Hydro Flask is fine.
I recently ordered their 18-oz wide mouth bottle to use as coffee mug. The 18-oz wide mouth is their newest product.
P.S. I also bought their 18-oz food flask to carry hot food from home for lunch at work. Very disappointing. Food is barely warm by noon. I always prime the food flask & bottle I use to carry hot coffee or tea by pouring boiling water into them, put the cover on, let sit for 10 - 15 minutes.
If you put ice in the Hydro Flask, the bottle does not sweat.
The neck & upper part of the bottle gets warm if bottle is filled with hot liquid.
The neck & upper part of the bottle gets cold if bottle is filled with cold water.
I agree with the Klean Kanteen insulated. I liked my 20 oz one so much that I went and got a 16 oz. I don't like my coffee boiling and it often keeps my coffee so hot that even after an hour or more, I still have to let it cool a bit before drinking. Klean Kanteen also has an interchangeable coffee mug type of lid, which I have, but don't use because the regular lid is fine for me.
My 16 oz. insulated Klean Kanteen with either cap will easily fit into any of my Co-pilot pockets, in case you want to carry more than one.
I would love to explore some of the options mentioned in this thread, but I have been happily using one of Starbucks double-walled stainless steel thermal mugs for a long time now. It does not leak, and it keeps my chais hot for hours. I rarely use it for cold beverages, so I can't speak to that. The 16 ounce size I use (it's a tall bronze mug with a cap that twists in a way that allows you to sip from anywhere around the rim, not just in one place) does fit into the beverage pocket of the Co-Pilot.
+1 for the Contigo mugs. I use mine daily at the office, and it fits in the cup/bottle holders on my SuperEgo. They also come in several colors, and you can get them at Target. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Katy
Wow, these are great suggestions! Thanks for the tips. Looks like I have a lot of research to do. Hmmm, maybe one of each?
I bought 3 Contigo stainless steel mugs and used them for about 2 years, when I was in the South. Given the location, I mostly used them to keep juice chilled all day.
It did the job. At the time, I recommended the products to spill prone computer owners
However, when I moved farther north and replaced juice by hot chocolate, the cups became impossible to clean thoroughly despite repeated soaking, hand washing and turns at the dishwasher. The outside oxidized a little, I became concerned by their Chinese manufacture and the added difficulty of thoroughly cleaning the lids when used with milk or soy milk.
I decided to make my hot chocolate into a novelty tall cup, given to my husband and buy little TJ milk towers if I wanted milk on the go.
This summer, when I visited the store, I bought a purple Lifefactory bottle which holds my chilled Italian Soda.
In late summer/early autumn, I finally got my UV Synapse, the Lifefactory bottle goes in the bottle pocket and two little TJ milk towers are placed in each side pocket (there isn't anything else there, all my ready to grab stuff is in a Cafe Bag)
That would be the only caveat to the Contigo mugs... The lids are difficult to clean if you enjoy your hot drinks with milk and/or sugar. I drink my coffee black, so it hasn't been an issue.
I should've mentioned that. :p
Another vote here for the Klean Kanteen insulated.
I like my insulated Eco Vessel. It has similar features to those above. Stainless Steel Water Bottles, Kids Bottles, filtered water bottles & Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle with Straw Tops