Dishwashers can also scratch or wear away a mugs finish. We tested the Timolino Icon Vacuum Travel Tumbler (PCT-46KM)in 2015. Think about heat transferring from your hand to surface. We found that the best bottle-cleaning set out there is theOXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set. Zojirushi has discontinued the SM-SA, but you can still find some online. At room temperature, the mug performed even better, with water measuring 188F after 1 hour, and 165F after 8 hours. The SM-SC is durable. When you look at various other guides that have been written on the subject, including an extensive heat-retention test performed by Tested, the mugs that rise to the top are always double-walled, vacuum-insulated, and stainless steel. Handle-free: We decided not to test mugs with handles for several reasons. Although the Contigo SnapSeal Byron Mug isnt as hardy or leakproof as our top pick, its a wide, easy-to-hold mug that will work fine if you use it more gently. At Wirecutter we love tea and coffee, so its no surprise were passionate about the vessels we drink them out of. We prefer lighter mugs because theyre easier to carry, and we looked for mugs that would fit in cup holders while still being easy enough to hold in one hand. This may sound silly, but a few of the mugs we considered are harder to operate than others. In the 16-ounce version, the Byron comes in a silver and pink color. Then I filled all mugs to capacity with water, went to my apartments parking lot, and dropped each mug three times from a height of 4 feet. If your mug comes with silicone seals, like the ones on our Zojirushi pick, youll likely notice that over time theyll take on the smells of what you drink from your mug. While it passed our leak test, it doesnt have an actual lock to secure the lid cover like the Zojirushi does. This auto-sealing mechanism prevents spills if you knock over your mug. When designing tests for this update, I considered the everyday wear and tear that a travel mug might go through in a variety of real-world scenarios: on bike commutes, cars, trains, fishing boats, and beyond. Cooks Illustrated(subscription required) has a review from 2014 that we considered, as does Outside Online. The other Zojirushi mugs we tested, the SM-KHE (the older version of this mug) and the SM-LA (a wide-mouthed option with a screw-off lid) kept liquids just as warm as the SM-SC over the course of 8 hours in the freezer. Over the past four years, weve spent 60 hours researching travel mugs to keep this guide current. Next, I investigated how well each travel mug could maintain the heat of the liquid inside. Well be testing this new model and will report back on how it compares to our picks. We eliminated mugs with poor reviews that complained of leaking, paint chipping, or dents. If you want a mug that will fit more snugly in a cup holder and is easier to clean, get the Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug. A travel mug offers green solutions to both problems. The OXO bottle-cleaning set has a skinny straw brush and a looped detail-cleaning brush, which are all you need to keep your travel mug squeaky clean. I put the plastic bag in a backpack, and then, channeling my high-school Jazzercise days, pumped some tunes and did 30 jumping jacks, ran around for 30 seconds, and then shook the bag by hand for 30 seconds (I would not recommend doing this after eating breakfast, should you conduct your own mug testing). The Tiger mug also didnt do as well in our temperature tests, and its contents were 10 degrees cooler than those of our top pick after 8 hours. Its a 16-ounce tumbler-style travel mug with a flip-up lid and an electro-polished interior. You can check out our guide to tumblers if these kinds of cups are what youre looking for. *At the time of publishing, the price was $25. Learn more. Our only major complaint about the Zojirushi SM-SC is that sometimes its too good at insulating. Anna Perling is a former staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. Well consider the SM-TA for a future update, but it seems to differ from the SM-SC only in exterior design. We also saw some Amazon reviewers noting that the mug dented, and the grippy rubber middle was slightly off-kilter, but the Byron still has high ratings overall. The Byron also didnt keep drinks nearly as hot as the Zojirushi SM-SC. We also reached out to some coffee experts to learn whether its a good idea to actually keep coffee in a mug for 8 hours. After reading Your Best Digss review on travel mugs, which named the now-discontinued Camelbak Forge as their winner, we retested this mug. (Actually, that would be about the price of a new bag, laptop, phone, and whatever else happened to be in there at the time.) After 8 hours in the freezer, the water inside the SM-SC was 142Fa decrease of 58 degrees. Although cleaning in the dishwasher is not advisable, and Zojirushi specifies hand-washing (see the Care and maintenance section below), this mug has survived several accidental trips through the dishwasher without any noticeable decrease in performance (though the external paint has occasionally flaked as a result). Here are some items that tourist destinations often find tossed out by travelersand some ways that you can avoid adding to all that rubbish on your journey. The West Loop didnt hold up as well in our drop tests as the Transit, and we found its vertical push-button harder to use than the one on the Transit. Regardless of the mug design, you may need a few sizes of bottle brushes to clean in and around the lid mechanism, the spout, and deep into the vacuum bottle itself. Its easy enough to clean the SM-SC using some soap and occasionally a bottle brush when necessary. Finally, at around $25 for the 16-ounce size, the SM-SC is on the higher end of the price range for a travel mug. Most reported 6-7.5 inches of clearance after removing a bottom platform. Plus, it failed to keep beverages as hot as any of our picks in previous tests. If you commute, work or travel outside, or simply want to savor drinks for longer, a travel mug is for you. The problem with glass or ceramic interiors is that they can break easily. If you wont be throwing your mug in a messenger bag or slowly sipping your drink all day, we like the Byron as a budget option. Contigos SnapSeal Byron Travel Mug is a basic mug that passed our leak tests, is easy to drink from and clean, and is wide enough to fit snugly in car cup holders. It features impressive thermal-retention abilities, and has a thoroughly leak-proof, locking lid. That means youre getting drinkable, hot, 140-degree-plus coffee eight hours after brewing, even when its stored in a freezing-cold environment. Thats 26 degrees lower than the temperature of our main pick. Klean Kanteen updated the lid in 2016, but in testing for our guide to water bottles, we found that the lid occasionally leaks if left overnight and can also limit the flow of your drink. Size: Some people prefer wider mugs that wont rattle in cupholders, while others like slimmer mugs that take up less space in backpacks or bags. Contigo offers a limited lifetime warranty (which doesnt cover drops) and sells replacement lids if yours wears out. You can completely disassemble the plastic lid to clean out any smells or gunk that might get lodged in hard-to-reach places, although the small plastic parts can be difficult to get on and off the lid. I tested mugs for leaks, dropped them, measured how long they could keep drinks warm in a cold environment. *At the time of publishing, the price was $10. The SM-SC has sturdy, leakproof seals and a simple locking mechanism that we trust to keep our belongings dry. It will keep drinks warm for hours at room temperature, although not as piping hot as our top pick (it did just as well as the Transit in our heat tests). Then we ventured to Target to see how some of the mugs actually felt in our hands. The nonstick interior also helps to prevent odors and stains, but the mugs instructions warn against using milk or fruit juices in the mug. But we think its worth the extra dollars over the competition because of its superior construction and performance. And lets not forget that these things need cleaning every once in awhile. It comes with a large bottle brush, a skinny straw brush, and a looped detail-cleaning brush, all kept together by a handy ring so you wont lose any of the parts. Like the Contigo Transit, it also has a button you need to push before drinking. After close to 78 hours of research and testing over the past four years, we still believe that theZojirushi SM-SC48 Stainless Steel Mug is the best travel mug for keeping your drinks hot, preventing leaks, and accompanying you on any commute. If you commute, work or travel outside, or simply want to savor drinks for longer, a travel mug is for you. Again, we should mention that the Zojirushi SM-SC is identical to the SM-SD and the SM-SA; the others just comein different colors. You can soak the lid in soapy water as well to thoroughly clean it. I eliminated any mugs that broke or leaked upon impact. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Other mugs like the Contigo West Loop (our former runner-up), Avex ReCharge, OXO Good Grips, and Camelbak Forge had a similar button, but I found the Transits horizontal push-button easier to press and hold than other buttons, which required more pressure. Wed be nervous to toss this mug into a bag since the tab on the lid doesnt lock as securely as our other picks, but its a fine mug if you wont throw it around as much. To prevent spills, the Transit has a push-button (the Autoseal) which you have to hold down to drink, plus a cap that rotates to cover the sipping port. It costs about the same as the SM-SC and will keep your drinks just as hot. The Transits twist top is a little more difficult to open one-handed but protects the sipping port from gunk or germs and also offers a first line of defense against any leaks. The Byron did dent more than the Transit in our drop tests, but again, the asphalt dented or scuffed all of the mugs. We like that its simple to use (one pop-top button lets you sip from the mug) and is easy to clean. While we liked the look of it, the heat retention was just so-so and we found the tea hook to be unnecessary. Give your travel mug a good deep cleanand do the same for your insulated water bottle, too! When kept in a sealed, insulated carafe where evaporation and heat loss are minimal, coffee still tastes terrible after a while. He explained that this happens because coffees acids break down over time and cause bitterness. Compared to similar Zojirushi mugs, the SM-SC is a bit slimmer and lighter, and more comfortable to drink out of. *At the time of publishing, the price was $30. Using those temperatures as a benchmark, I put each mugs insulation to test in a cold, harsh environment: my freezer.1 I filled each mug with water at 200 F, put them in the freezer, and checked the temperature of the water every hour for eight hours. We previously tested the Thermos Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug (with tea hook). Multiple Wirecutter folks have also reported successfully using the Zojirushi to bring chilled wine or other alcoholic beverages to events in parks and other public placesthough we couldnt possibly condone such behavior. While the SM-SC is leakproof, it isnt spill-proof like our runner-up; theres no automatic seal to prevent water from gushing out if you knock the mug over while the lids open. I wrapped mugs, still full of water and green food dye, in a paper towel and then put them in a plastic bag. Weve found that if we make a fresh pot of coffee and pour it directly into the travel mug, the liquid ends up staying scalding hot for hours, and weve heard feedback about this from readers as well. The Transit will keep drinks warm for hours, but not as hot as the Zojirushi. I also hand washed them, took apart their lids, and tested them in cup holders and with a various brewing devices. But if theres a gap in between, like a vacuum, heat doesnt transfer as fast. There are very few atoms at all to conduct heat in a vacuum, which is why it works particularly well as insulation. Travel mugs, as their name implies, are for people who want to take beverages on the go. The Transit is a little wider than the SM-SC, good if you want your mug to fit more snugly in a car cup holder or use devices like an Aeropress, pour-over dripper, or tea steeper directly with the mug, but this means its heavier and bulkier, too. This mug offers the same heat retention and a locking lid similar to that of the SM-SC but has a smaller lid and drinking hole and a double-nonstick coating. This mug also fared the worst in our temperature tests, coming in at 44 F after 8 hours. The flip-top lid on the SM-SC is also more compact than the the one on the SM-KHE, so it obscures your view a bit less. This model is not as good as the other mugs we saw, let alone our top pick. Rachel also reached out to Michael Wise, the director of coffee at Dapper & Wise and a licensed Q grader (basically, a coffee sommelier) to find out how long coffee will really stay good in a travel mug. (If youre opening the mug more frequently than once an hour, however, it might cool a bit faster.). Durability: A mug shouldnt dent or break when dropped from a reasonable height or start leaking afterwards. At the time of writing, the Tiger was also about $5 more expensive than our pick. But it does mean you cant accidentally spill anything, since the mug closes automatically. We also considered several other Zojirushi models for our 2018 testing, after going through every offering on the companys site at the time of writingto compare them (a few new screw-top models are now available, which we will also look at in our next update). Subscribe now for unlimited access. Its available in both 12-ounce (SM-SC36) and 20-ounce (SM-SC60) versions as well as the 16-ounce size (SM-SC48) we tested. It comes inslate gray, turquoise, and coral. This mug comes in 12-, 16-, and 20-ounce sizes (the SM-SC36, SM-SC48, and SM-SC60 respectively). Based on our expert interviews and research, we looked for mugs that met the following criteria: Vacuum-insulated: All of the mugs we considered are double-walled and vacuum-insulated. I disqualified any mug with a green stain on the paper towel underneath in the morning. I tried putting a pour-over dripper and an Aeropress on each mug, and measured each opening to see whether our favorite tea steeper would fit. The lid shouldnt completely block your vision while driving, or hit your nose when drinking, and it should be easy to disassemble for cleaning. Zojirushi also offers the SM-SA and SM-SD mugs, which are exactly the same as the SM-SC but come in different colors. The Transit held up fairly well during our drop tests, but scuffed on its plastic lid and rubberized bottom. To see if mugs would leak when jostled in a bag, I did a shake test. Like the Transit, the Byron is wider than the Zojirushi SM-SC, and has a rubbery middle for easy gripping. The nonstick coating is made fromfluoropolymers of the sort used inTeflonwhich are not harmful to people, even if ingested.2 If you prefer drinking from a vessel that doesnt have a nonstick coating, you might prefer the SM-KHE, which has an electro-polished stainless steel interior. We independently review everything we recommend. Handles add additional heft and weight to a bag or backpack, and may also prevent a mug from fitting into a cup holder. Leakproof and spillproof: When you put a mug into a bag or cup holder, its lid shouldnt leak. Contigos Thermalock TwistSeal Eclipse Travel Mug uses a twist top to cover the sipping port and prevent leaks. According to a Zojirushi representative, dishwashers can damage a mugs vacuum seal, which can potentially degrade the mugs ability to retain heat over time. At 7.2 inches tall, it will likely fit under a single-serve coffee maker, but you should measure to make sure this mug will work with your machine. After more than 30 hours researching dozens of tea steepers, and drinking tea made in 15 infusers, teapots, and travel mugs over the past two years, we found that the Finum Brewing Basket is the best option. If you prefer a travel mug with a larger circumference, check out our also great and budget picks. (Try doing that while driving. We found it awkward to use and drink from; it uses a push-button mechanism thats stiff, and has a very small sipping port. Zojirushi released an updated version of its classic travel mug, the Zojirushi SM-TA, that comes in 12-, 16-, and 20-ounce sizes and multiple colors. We wanted to test the Thermos Stainless King mug based on its positive reviews, but the Stainless King leaked in our overnight tests, our bag tests, and upon impact during our drop tests. The push-button interface is slightly harder to operate than just flicking the switch on the Zojirushi, and may be frustrating to some who dont want to have to push before taking every sip. Although it held up well in our leak and drop tests, it only has one leak-proofing mechanism, unlike our picks. At half the price of most mugs we tested, the Contigo SnapSeal Byron Mug is a great budget option if you dont plan to throw around your mug. According to a 2012 report, the average American spends $1,092 a year on coffee. Dr. Hongbin Bill Ma, director,, Center of Thermal Management at the University of Missouri, phone interview, September 22, 2017, Dr. Michael Dickey,, professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University, phone interview, September 26, 2017, Rachel Sandstrom Morrison, digital editor of Fresh Cup Magazine, email interview, September 28, 2017, Michael Ryan, Director of Coffee and Licensed Q Grader, Dapper & Wise Roasters, email interview, September 28, 2017, Amy Barnum, Zojirushi, phone interview, September 25, 2017. The Zojirushi is also on the pricey end for a mug, but after our years of long-term testing, this is the mug we trust most not to spill in a bag, and its hard to put a price on that. It also comes in a 20-ounce size in jade, blue, and pink, and in a 24-ounce size in blue and matte black. First, I did an overnight leak test. To see how versatile mug sizes were, I tried putting the mugs in a bike cup holder and in the cup holders of a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. Here are the mugs we cant get enough of. Although other mugs, such as the Contigo Autoseal Transit and the Avex ReCharge, seal automatically to prevent spills, we found them more difficult to use one-handed since youll need to hold down a button to drink. Another small complaint is that this mug is a bit skinnier than your typical travel mug, which means it may not fit snugly in a car cup holder or bike water-bottle cage. So if youre looking for a dual-use container that can preserve both hot and cold well, the SM-SC can hold its ownespecially since its available in a larger, 20-ounce capacity. During her time at Wirecutter, she reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. It resembles an old-school vacuum bottle but has a modern button-activated lid that makes it easy to drink from one-handed. Contigo does offer a limited lifetime warranty, and sells replacement lids, should something happen to your mug. Heres a breakdown: The Tiger MMJ-A048 mug looks and feels similar to the Zojirushi mugs, and we wanted to see how they compared in our tests. Over a period of eight hours in our previous tests, this mug allowed our icy-cold 33 F water to warm up by only 4 degrees, while the other mugs in our test group allowed the temperature to rise considerably more over that time. Anna is a mentor at Girls Write Now and a member of the Online News Association. Plus, the flat lid wont bump your nose or get in your line of sight while youre drinking like the Zojirushis flip-top lid can. We think the Autoseal is easier to use than our previous runner-up, the Contigo West Loop, and like that it has an added barrier over the sipping port to keep out dirt and help prevent leaking. If you cant find the Zojirushi SM-SC, or if you prefer to drink from a mug that has an electro-polished stainless steel interior instead of a nonstick coating, get the Zojirushi SM-KHE. We liked the look and feel of the Icon, but every time we flipped the lid open to drink from it, a small amount of liquid splashed out of the opening and off the spouts rubber stopper. In our room temperature tests, the Transits contents measured 171 F after 1 hour, and 114 F after 8. With the top performers, I repeated this test at room temperature. In addition to being portable, travel mugs also retain hot or cold temperatures for several hours so you can enjoy your coffee, tea, or cocoa over time. I also took a trip to Target to see how the mugs felt in real life. We retested the Thermos Commuter Bottle based on good user reviews, but still found its secondary locking mechanism, a metal loop fitting over the front of the lid, to be finicky to use. Just close the lid, switch the lock into position, and youre guaranteed that the top wont pop open when you dont want it to. Contigos Autoseal Transit is a wider mug that may fit better in cup holders than our top pick. You can also save money and reduce your environmental impact, by taking a drink in a travel mug versus buying one on the go. I also hand washed all mugs, reading their manuals to learn how to take apart and reassemble their sometimes-tricky lids. It has also traveled in many crowded bags, backpacks, and purses without any leaks. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Tumblers, thermoses, and insulated bottles, director of the Center of Thermal Management at the University of Missouri, professor of chemical and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University, Zojirushi Stainless Mug with Tea Leaf Filter SM-JTE, Contigos Thermalock TwistSeal Eclipse Travel Mug, Timolino Icon Vacuum Travel Tumbler (PCT-46KM), Center of Thermal Management at the University of Missouri, professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University, How to Clean a Travel Mug or Water Bottle. The Transit also has a twisting lid that covers the sipping port, while the similar West Loop only uses a pop tab to open the sipping port. I spoke to two engineers about mug design, Dr. Hongbin (Bill) Ma, director of the Center of Thermal Management at the University of Missouri and owner of ThermAvant Technologies, and Dr. Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University. In both our shake test and overnight leak test, the Transit didnt leak a drop. The set is dishwasher safe, and it barely has any one-star reviews on Amazon, so its a pretty good bet for anyone looking to get gunk out of their hard-to-clean items. Zojirushi backs the vacuum insulation of its stainless steel mugs with a five-year limited warranty, and on the off-chance that the lid breaks or wears out, Zojirushi sells all the individual replacement parts online. So what about tumblers, thermoses, and insulated water bottles, all close cousins to the travel mug? The Amazon page for the mug liststhe SM-SC, SM-SD, and SM-SA versions side by side. With the Transit, youll need to hold down a button to keep the sipping port open and drink from the mugs. You should check a mugs manual to see if it is dishwasher-safe. But it was unable to keep beverages as hot as our main pick did, and we saw multiple complaints about the button failing. But while 115 F isnt piping hot, its still drinkable. Plus, a growing number of mugs lined with stainless steel now come with electro-polished interiors, which makes the steel less likely to retain strange odors and flavors. To prevent this from happening, you can let your beverage cool a little before closing the lid. If youre going to be using your mug while driving or biking (not that we recommend doing so), youll definitely need at least one hand free, and probably both eyes. We also took into account how versatile mugs were for preparing beverages and whether they accommodated pour-over drippers, Aeropresses, our favorite tea steeper, or single-cup brewing devices like Keurig machines. We also looked at reviews from Your Best Digs and Good Housekeeping, and read through hundreds of comments on our existing mug, water bottle, and tumbler reviews. But it can be confusing to determine whether the button is in the up or down position just by looking at it, so you may find yourself pressing it multiple times to figure out whether its open or closed. Dont want your coffee to taste like yesterdays brew? It maintains heat at a drinkable level for only a handful of hours (four or less), and the drinking lid cant lock, so its at risk of flipping open, potentially spilling everywherea fact that the companys own website points out. In the freezer, 200-degree water cooled to 153 F after 1 hour, and 78 F after 8. A mug that keeps your coffee piping hot, even if its cold outside. Tumblers have sipping ports that dont seal as tightly or securely as travel mugs and have wider mouths so you can add ice cubes; many also have straws for sipping cold beverages. In the freezer tests, however, the Transit cooled faster. I found that the lid itself, however, is more difficult to screw on and off than the lid on the Transit, but this is a minor issue. Although we didnt place much emphasis on keeping cold liquids cold for this guidecheck out ourwater bottle guide for whats best in that regardwe have historically found that the Zojirushi SM-SC retains cold better than all of the other mugs in our testing lineup. TheKlean Kanteen Insulated Wide was our top insulated water bottle pick for most of 2016 and early 2017, and was a runner-up in this guide. The Forge isnt an easy mug to use, especially before coffee. The Byron is compatible with pour-over drippers, the medium size of our tea steeper pick and Aeropresses. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. First, theyre unnecessary: With a vacuum-insulated mug, you dont need to worry about burning your hand on the mugs body. Our only major complaint about the Zojirushi SM-SC is that sometimes its too good at insulating. Compared with our Zojirushi pick, the SM-TA has similar temperature retention and the same great locking lid but costs more and has a few different design features, such as a smaller lid with a rounder opening. But its expensive: $40 at the time of writing, with a newer version that costs $280 (wow). Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). The MMJ has a similar pop-top lid and locking mechanism to our pick, but its more difficult to take apart to clean. We love the look of the 16-ounce Stanley Classic One-Hand Vacuum Mug, which we tested in 2015. Zojirushi also recommends checking the rings once a year to make sure theyre still sealing your mug. The Transit may fit more securely in car cup holders since its wider than the SM-SA.
Sitemap 4