So can we talk mugs? I tend to make a half liter (~17 oz) of coffee in a French Press in the morning. I run into the problem that I get about a half hour to 45 minutes (I’ve never timed it this number might be wildly off) in before the, “Crap! Its getting cold!” moment and feel like I have to accelerate my consumption to avoid cold coffee when I’d prefer to keep going at a leisurely pace. I realize the most obvious solution is a couple of smaller batches but I’m lazy, easily distracted, and have a bit of a cutoff in the morning as my wife hates the smell of freshly brewed coffee and I catch a bit of drama if I’m brewing while she’s awake or just before she wakes up.
I do have a Contigo Autoseal stainless steel travel mug that I use occasionally for cheap tea and it works well for retaining heat. I can sip on hot tea for hours but the lid has all sorts of nooks and crannies that retain coffee oils that is a pain in the ass to clean and it has a very small drink hole limits the orthonasal olfactory pathway (aka you can’t sniff your coffee). The ability to take my drink somewhere is kinda nice but strictly speaking isn’t critical for me.
So anyone mind sharing their experiences with features or even specific recommendations? Don’t worry about if it is available in the US (where I’m located) I can always look at the features your favorite insulated or travel mug so it can still be handy to share. Or you may have a solution so elegant and obviously I’m going to facepalm when you point it out.
Overdue Update: I ended up going with a Carter Move and I’m quite happy with it. I appreciate everyone who gave me ideas and things to think about.
I’ve been through more than I can count. But this one by Zojirushi (yep, the rice cooker guys), which I’ve had for the past 10 years, is the best by far. Keeps liquids piping hot or ice cold for 8+ hours, I put the whole thing in the dishwasher (bottle on the bottom, top/plastic pieces on top, and it has never leaked. I recommend it to anyone who asks!
My Zoujirushi is actually so good that I need to cool down my coffee before I put it in since it stays way too hot even later in the day.
Love my zojirushi rice maker and I have one of their giant thermoses which is amazing, but I also have this model and my warning is that if you have a giant nose like me the nipple will bonk into your nose when using this and also that cleaning isn’t bad, but it’s also not the easiest as far as mugs go. If pure heat rente ion is your goal, this is the one, but I prefer a. Ceramic mug with a simple silicon sealed lid for daily use and throw it in the dishwasher when I want to.
I use a Joeveo Temperfect travel mug. It has a special wax material sealed inside. When you put hot coffee in the wax melts, absorbing heat and reducing the temperature to a drinkable level immediately. Then, over time the wax releases heat as it solidifies, keeping the coffee at the perfect temperature. The only downside is cost and the fact that the mug is relatively heavy. Joeveo
ha, what a great timing of this post! My wife would like to get my some travel mug as I have been talking about it for several years now (have old leaking keepcup atm) and I was always eyeing Carter Move… BUT I have read in the past that it has some smelling problem which the manufacturer were not able to get rid of. So Does somebody know what is the status? I’d like to have a cup coated with ceramic, as I don’t like the taste of coffee when being drank from metal surface… My second to go seems to be Frank Green cup…
I bought a few Fellow Carter Move mugs in the last 6 months and have no problems with smell. I prefer the ceramic coating inside to the stainless steel of the Zojuroshi, and they’re easier to clean.
BUT I have read in the past that it has some smelling problem which the manufacturer were not able to get rid of.
I know this is quite a bit of a long time to come back to a thread (someone posted a new comment so it has pulled me back) but I find there is a bit of a coffee odor retained even after washing. Nothing rancid or anything but you can tell it gets used as a coffee mug. I find the main culprit is the gasket on the lid. but I’ve found that if I want to make the effort a soak in baking soda water eliminates it but I find when it is full of coffee any new coffee scents aren’t being harmed by the lingering coffee smell. I may just not be very sensitive to such things though.
Another vote for Zojirushi here
I’m a big fan of the Fellow Carter Move mugs. They definitely keep coffee hot (or cold) for quite some time. I actually have to cool off my freshly brewed coffee before I put it in the mug if I want to drink it in without waiting a long time. There are a few lid options, but I’ve found that the standard lid and slide lid keep temperature the best. There’s also several sizes available, though the 20oz is listed as a cold mug, it’ll work with the hot lids.
I realize I sound like a shill for the brand, but I just really like the mugs haha.
I threw my Contigo away years ago because the lid collected gunk. I have both a yeti and multiple off brands such as “mossy oak” stainless steel travel mugs. They all perform the same as far as I can tell. The issue is that they retain heat too well. I tend to turn the electric kettle off before it starts boiling. I also add a bunch of milk to my coffee to cool it down so I can actually drink it. You could also tune the temperature with ice cubes or leave the lid off to let it cool if you have time.
I also have a classic green Stanley thermos which keeps things hot for over 12 hours, even if left in the car during the winter.
You might get some milage out of looking at the camping end of the market. You can get double walled mugs without lids (or with simple ones) and you are still drastically cutting heat loss even if it isn’t sealed.
You could also get a more traditional flask, just fill it up then pour out into a smaller cup as you need it. You should still be able to get ones with glass inner walls.
I’m going to throw you a curve ball and suggest just using the French press to make cold brew coffee. It’s hard to explain the flavor difference between a hot cup of coffee that has gone cold and a cold brew cup that just is that temperature. To me it tastes fresher somehow, more subtle flavors emerge, and it tend to be smoother. I don’t always have time to leisurely drink a cup of hot coffee in the morning. I hate drinking hot beverages when on the go. I’m not a fan of hot coffee that’s gone cold either. Cold brew solved each of those issues for me. Your wife might also appreciate that it doesn’t smell strongly either.
