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!
+1 for this recommendation! I’ve had my zojirushi travel mug for over 8 years and I still love it. It’s super thin and lightweight but keeps my coffee just as hot as it was when I poured it all day long. If I’m just sitting at my desk I’ll unscrew the lid to drink it, still stays hot and you can get the olfactory side of things.
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.
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.
That’s a good idea that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg as you are right there are a ton of double walled mugs intended for camping. Or a thermal flask is like thinking to the insulated carafe someone else suggested but has the advantage of portability if I should ever want it.
I’m going to say, for saving money, Ozark Trail from Walmart cannot be beat. I’ve even seen videos and articles putting them head to head against Yeti and coming out the same or better, never worse. Yeti is overpriced as there is nothing whatsoever special about them other than the name and maybe some fancy design work. A double walled vacuum container is the same regardless of whose name is on it.
I’ve used their mugs for years and have never once been disappointed. I’ve had drinks where half or more of the mug was ice and still came back to being ice cold with some ice left the next day. The lids are cheap so if you lose or break one or too much oil gets built up, replacing it will not break the bank. Some of the name brands sell the exact same lid for more than an entire Ozark Trail mug goes for. Don’t fall for their shenanigans.
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.
Don’t worry about sounding like a shill, if you really like a product you tend to sound that way. I’ll be honest when I saw the Carter Move mug the wide opening with a splash guard instead of some narrow drinking hole caught my attention from a difficulty to clean and smell aspects. Price is the main thing that has held me back, though that is why I’m seeking the collective wisdom of c/coffee because anything over $25 and I start getting more deliberate with my purchases.
They definitely aren’t the cheapest option, that’s for sure. They do their job well, and they don’t leak at all with the standard lid. The wide opening is definitely a very nice feature, it does feel more like drinking from a traditional mug.
One thing to note, and I haven’t experienced this myself, is that some people have reported that the ceramic lining can absorb some unpleasant odors. Though I think that was just the early batches, and has since been fixed.
ojirush
I have read from 8 months old comment on r/coffee that the problem still persist :( I am also kinda eyeing the Fellow Move but cannot decide. Would love to get some mug with ceramic coating as I don’t like the taste of coffee when it is on metal surface… DO you know anything about Frank Green? Seems to make also ceramic coated mugs…
This is my go-to as well. They’re expensive, but the design is well worth it imo. They’re so damn sleek! They have amazing heat retention, and I love the little splash guard they include. I’ve only used the standard lid, but I’d like to try the slide one at some point.
I just can’t stress enough how sexy this thing is. It’s the only Fellow product I can justify splurging on.
Get a Hario insulated carafe, they make them in all sizes, and pour multiple small mugs after making 1 big batch. Use cafiza if oils build up or anything.
I’ll admit I hadn’t considered an insulated carafe as a solution. That’s a good idea for a full morning of small cups.
I like it because it lets you control the temperature you drink at. I drink pour over mostly, so the carafe is heated by the water I use to heat the cone, and with the insulation I get a good 4 hours where it’s still too hot to drink straight out of the carafe. So pouring small cups and waiting a minute has been the perfect way to have every sip at the right temperature. And I’ve come to really like the pace of multiple almost espresso-sized mugs rather than working on the same cup all morning.