Travel Mugs

[Andrew Fenton]

This fall, I'll be doing a lot of work-related commuting. Lots of two-hour drives, often early in the morning or late at night. That means I'll need lots of coffee; and I'll need to buy a good travel mug.

The way I see it, there are several criteria for a travel mug.

Size: it has to hold a lot of coffee, but has to be small (or well-shaped) enough to fit into a cupholder, without tipping over.

Insulation: gotta keep the coffee hot.

Seal: obviously, I don't want to spill coffee all over the car or into my lap. With the scalding and the screaming and the swerving and the OH GOD, IT BURNS hoyven glaven...

Also important, but secondary:

Styling: I've always secretly admired those brushed-metal coffee mugs, and wanted one for my very own. If I had a cool coffee mug, maybe I could make some friends and not spend every Saturday night staring at the wall (or, um, posting obsessively to food-related websites...)

So... any recommendations? What do you use?

[tryska]

Seal: obviously, I don't want to spill coffee all over the car or into my lap. With the scalding and the screaming and the swerving and the OH GOD, IT BURNS hoyven glaven...

*lmao* at this hidden simpsons reference!

i'm sorry i can't be of much help - i refuse to pay for insulated cups when companies throw them at me for free. (i also only drink one cup of coffee a day, so it's not so much of a priority)

[phaelon56]

Brushed steel is fine. The key factor is that it must be double walled stainless steel and the inside liner must be steel. There are lots of cheapo travel mugs out there that look like the good ones but actually have plastic liners with a brushed steel exterior. They're pieces of crap and not worth the $2 - $10 that people pay to buy them. Plastic liners don't retain heat and they don't clean up nice and clean after years of use the way steel does.

Here's a Coffeegeek.com Nissan thermal mug review that provides more detail than you may really need but it does cover some important features and issues that should be considered for any mug purchase.

A good one should be 18/8 or 18/10 steel inside and out (look on the bottom of the mug - the grade should be listed there). Mine has a big loop handle and the base tapers sharply inward, allowing it to fit in every car cupholder I have yet encountered. I've seen some newer styles that dispense with the handle but I really like the good grip I get when driving when that handle is locked in my hand. I've also seen some newer style that don't fit well in the cup holders on some vehicles - check carefully before committing to a travel mug.

The lid on my still fits snugly after five years of heavy use - it has a small sipping holer on one side and a small vent hole opposite from it so the air flow will allow coffee to come out. I've seen newer ones that have a button you ush that totaly closes off the top when you'[re not drinking. if my mug is really full and I wave it around a bit of coffee will spill out but I've never had problems with normal use.

Lastly, be sure to fill it with hot, hot tap wter or some water from a teaketle before you put your coffee in. Leave the hot water in there to preheat the cup for a few minutes while your coffee is brewing. It makes a huge difference. My mug has kept coffee warm enough to remain drinkable for one to two hours of car travel even during wintertime up here in frigid central NY state.

Also - it used ot be that Nissan made all the good mugs but there are some knock-off brands these days that look pretty good to me.

(true confessions: the best mug I could find five years ago was at Starbucks - I used a plastic scrub pad to remove their name and logo from the front of the mug but no alarms went off and it works really well to this day.)

[andiesenji]

I have one of these however I paid full price. Now it is on sale so I am going to buy another.

I have a 70 mile trip to work (140 mi round trip) and this is the only thing that keeps my tea hot for the entire trip.

I ration my sips so as to not have to make any "relief" stops. The 16 oz size is just perfect for the distance.

[halland]

I would add that even if it has a stainless interior, you want to make sure there isn't any sort of plastic exterior banding that can trap water. Nothing like spending $$$ to avoid spilling coffee on yourself but then having the cup leak the leftover rinse water from when you washed it onto your pants.

[phaelon56]

Mine is the same basic shape and suize as Adiesenji's and it's been perfect. Mine lacks the plug in warming feature but with preheating a full mug of really hot tea or coffee wil easily remain drinkable for an hour.

[MGLloyd]

I heartily endorse the recommendation of the Nissan travel mugs. I now have several in 14 and 18 oz. size. They fit in the cup holder, keep the coffee hot, do not spill, and since they are stainless inside and out, clean up nicely.

[Andrew Fenton]

Here's a Coffeegeek.com Nissan thermal mug review that provides more detail than you may really need but it does cover some important features and issues that should be considered for any mug purchase.

Thanks for the information. I like the look of them thar Nissan mugs. In particular, the leakproof model looks good. It'll fit in a cupholder, and I like having a handle. Not cheap, but on the other hand, if I spill coffee into our new (as in new-to-us) car, the wife will rip my lungs out and I'll have a hard time drinking any coffee. So it's a worthwhile investment.

On preheating mugs: oh yeah. I'm all about that; it's my standard operating procedure for making a pot of tea, for example.

[phaelon56]

I think that most of the mugs Starbucks sells are actually NIssan's (used to be that way - not sure if it still is). Most of the time their prices are not competitive but then thay have a sale it's worth checking out - they recently had those little briefcase sized bullet style mini stainless thermoses for $10 0r $15 on sale - the ones with the leather wrapper on them. I would have grabbed one were it not for the fact that I already have three thermoses of varying sizes.

Best prices I've spotted anywhere for the Nissan 14 oz spill-proof mug is at this eGullet Amazon link

Nissan Mug

My beloved mug

[Lonnie]

I'm looking for a travel mug for hubby. I'd like it to include the following:

- Doesn't impart a metalic taste (do I need glass-lined?)

- Has an absolutely leak-proof lid

- Keeps coffee at least relatively hot

It doesn't have to fit in a car's travel mug holder, but ideally it holds at least 16 ounces. And it's built to last.

Thanks for your ideas!

Lonnie

[lmc]

I have been very happy with the Thermos Nissan Leak-Proof Travel Mug. I bought mine on Amazon.

[jsolomon]

Some of the newer, vacuum-thermos styled stainless steel ones are quite good, like the recommended Nissan. They also look really good, too.

A good stainless steel will not impart a metallic taste unless your rinse water is pretty corrosive.

[phaelon56]

I've never seen a glass lined travel mug but the Nissan product is always a good choice. There are many cheaper stainless steel travel mugs out there - some have plastic lining (yuck!) and others have a lighter grade of stainless than Nissan and the betetr brands.

Look for what appears to be thick walls - means it's double walled and retains heat well. Also might as well stick to 18/10 stainless. I've seena few that are 18/8 grade and are cheaper but by a good one once and it will serve him well for years. I have a Starbucks travel mug that I bought about 7 - 8 years ago (I believe it was made by Nissan) and it's still performing well.

Give it a good rinse with some boiling water and baking soda every now and then to remove the coffee oils. And I've never detected a metallic taste with mine.

[CKatCook]

I bought a Republic of Tea travel mug and was so excited to start using it, I threw away the packaging. I was wondering if anyone had one, and if they do have one, do they know if the bottom part of the mug (the double walled plastic part) is microwavable? I am thinking it is plastic so it maybe, but it being double walled I am hestitant. I searched the internet everywhere to find out, short of emailing the company, I am asking here....

Thanks!

[baroness]

The only similar item I see in my RoT catalog, the 'citizen's traveler press' does not state that it is dishwasher safe (which is not unusual for these double-wall mugs). My rule for these items is if it can't go in the dishwasher, it doesn't go in the microwave.

[CKatCook]

I was scared of that. One of the reasons I bought it was for the convenince of being able to have loose tea at work, nuke the mug put the tea in and put the top on. Rats!

[gfron1]

I don't sell the RoT version, but I do sell the Bodum ones and no, you shouldn't microwave. They do now have the double wall glass versions which are microwavable but are less travellable.

[andiesenji]

I was scared of that. One of the reasons I bought it was for the convenince of being able to have loose tea at work, nuke the mug put the tea in and put the top on. Rats!

←

Get one of these - 16 ounce

or my favorite, the bigger and more versatile 32 ounce one, works the same way.

They are both microwavable - you can nuke your water and tea leaves and set the thing on top of your mug (a clear one is an advantage) and it will automatically drain into your mug. Set it on a level surface and it won't leak.

The smaller one is not big enough for me as I have rather large mugs and the leaves take up some of the room so the amount dispensed from the 16 ounce ingenuiTea is only about 12 ounces. However, if that size suits you, I recommend it.

I have one of the small ones and three of the large ones so I can brew multiple teas at the same time when I have guests.

Edited April 14, 2009 by andiesenji (log)

[CKatCook]

I have one of the adiago tea ones and I do like it and use it for a quick brew at home. I liked the fact that the travel mug had a lid on it.

Oh well, I will have to get the water hot in my mug then pour it in the travel mug.

[DanM]

I need a new travel mug for drinking my coffee on the go. I have destroyed two so far... four if you count cheap plastic freebies. The problem is that they do not bounce well. I had a slender Stanley mug, but the plastic top ring cracked and fell apart after a while. the botom also became dented to the point where it would not stand straight. I also have a Thermos where the paint is flaking off and also has dents on the bottom.

I need a good mug. Does anyone have a suggestion? Durability, heat retention, and the ability to fit in a cup holder are key features.

Thanks!

[lindag]

I bought http://www.qvc.com/VacuumInsulated-AutoSeal-16oz-Stainless-Steel-Travel-Tumbler-with-Handle-Search-Results.product.K36795.html?sc=K36795-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-23-_-K36795&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/k/95/k36795.001?$uslarge$ this one about six months ago.

It's perfect! Keeps the coffee quite hot and it's good-looking.

Previously I bought a Zojirushi travel mug off Amazon. Great mug but it actually kept the coffee too hot to drink. I still have it but don't use it because the coffee burns my mouth (my coffeemaker makes insanely hot coffee).

[Darienne]

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.addictedtosaving.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/free59.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.addictedtosaving.com/free-coffee-or-tea-tomorrow-422-at-starbucks-when-you-bring-a-travel-mug/&h=225&w=225&sz=15&tbnid=d2mNRaf4KR11yM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=94&zoom=1&usg=__nKfR5fKiCwknqVbXRdQ0TlNb4AQ=&docid=_AUaBntn_wNjZM&sa=X&ei=VyOBUdfcEoWJqwGkmYCIDQ&ved=0CE8Q9QEwAw&dur=502 (longest URL I've ever seen, but it works)

My favorite travelling mug. An old Starbucks model. Not breakable but I've never broken one and we do a lot of miles. The mouthpiece is the part I like.