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.
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.
I pretty much exclusively drink out of Yeti drinkware. You can get the specific travel mug which I’m sure is great, but I mostly drink coffee at home and use a more standard style mug.
I also have their rambler cups which are bigger, but you can still put in hot coffee since the outside won’t get hot. Love the Yeti drinkware and managing temperature is super simple. Put the lid on if you want it hot (or cold) for hours or leave it off if you need it to cool off a little quicker. Plus everything being completely dishwasher safe is what I love most. I don’t have to hand wash anything for a nice mug. The only compromise in my opinion is they are expensive, but worth it.
- 10 0z Mug https://a.co/d/5iSF80S
- 14 oz Mug https://a.co/d/18Qyukk
- 20 oz Travel Mug https://a.co/d/ieNYwzA
- 20 oz Tumbler https://a.co/d/4M5qZSv
This 20 oz unit from Hydroflask will keep my coffee warm for hours. Fits in a cup holder, too, which I find many do not.
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.
