Help me find a good Travel Mug for my Joe

The office where I go to work most days is a bit of a coffee wasteland. The only communal solution currently there is a Kuerig machine, which is expensive. Its cleaning schedule is also suspect. So I avoid that except in a brewed beverage emergency.

My preferred solution is to make a pot of the old Dark n' Black at home, and bring a travel mug to work. This has the added benefit of leaving half a pot of warm goodness for Mrs. VCH, who also enjoys a wake-me-up in the mornings (and thus does not have to make it herself while dealing with the machinations of an 18 month old seemingly intent on scattering her playthings homogeneously throughout the first floor of our home).

I have two travel mugs that I alternate bringing this coffee to work in, and both are slightly worse than mediocre. Neither has a particularly good-fitting lid, which results in coffee spillage in my car's cup holder. One likes to dribble coffee down my chin when I drink out of it. And both are poorly insulated, so by the time I get to drinking my tasty beverage it's lukewarm, requiring microwaving to achieve optimal steaming hot drinking temperature.

So, my qualifications for a new mug are:

• Must contain liquid to prevent spillage in cupholder
• Must retain liquid at near-scalding temperatures for at least 6 hours
• Must fit in a normal-sized cupholder
• Must hold between 12 and 16 ounces of fluid (my typical daily dose)
• Must have a provision to be drank out of, not requiring a separate cup.

I'm feeling splurg-y today, so let's set the budget cap at $20. I like my coffee. Let's see your ideas!

I was going to say YETI till I saw the budget cap, I think a "Boss" is a YETI knockoff of similar quality but less expensive?

I have one of these:

http://www.gocontigo.com/mugs/16-oz-autoseal-west-loop-stainless-travel-mug-2-pack.html

It doesn't fit in a standard cupholder but it looks like they make different sizes that are slimmer.

It keeps the coffee hot for hours (almost too well) and the lid seals well so I can just toss it on the passenger seat and it doesn't leak.

The plastic ones from them work well but don't keep the coffee hot for nearly as long.

I know this isn't what you are asking, but do you have hot water at work?

I've been making coffee from a single cup filter (5 years), a french press (~8 years), and now an aeropress (6 years) all at work. Fresh, and as strong as I like it. The Aeropress is very clean too- little work to keep it that way.

The YETi's look nice, but yeah, they're spendy. I did a search for "Boss" mugs and just got a whole bunch of "World's Best Boss" cheap ceramic mugs. Links?

In reply to alfadriver:

I think the Keurig makes hot water, and there is a microwave. Unfortunately this solution does not allow for the afore-mentioned half-pot of coffee for Mrs. VCH.

asking my daughter for more info....

In reply to EvanB:

This looks a bit more budget friendly, and still has good reviews. I'm wondering what the difference is between the snapseal and the autoseal?

http://www.gocontigo.com/mugs/snapseal-mugs/snapseal-byron-stainless-travel-mug.html

Dude. I have the perfect, classic solution. The Stanley Single-Handed Classic Vacuum Mug. Relatively cheap compared to Yeti, available in choice of 12 or 16 oz, keeps hot stuff hot for long hours, and is liquid tight enough that I throw it in a messenger bag with no worries. Best drinking vessel I have ever owned. Fits (tightly) in most cup holders, and I have the 16 oz. Also fits in a slightly widened bike bottle cage.

http://www.stanley-pmi.com/store/stanley/en_US/pd/productID.325297900

Seriously, they're so great I bought my wife one for Christmas. On the Stanley site, the 16oz is $25, but you can often get them in the sporting goods section at the local Wally World at a significant discount but you'll be limited to classic green. Honestly, I'm not one to throw money at something like this, but it's so great I didn't hesitate on paying $25 on Amazon for one.

One of the best parts is that the lid disassembles so you can actually clean it, unlike most which just develop a funk. One word of caution - the little rubber seal can fall off the inner lid piece when cleaning. If you lose it, it's not water tight anymore and you have to order a whole new lid. So just keep an eye on it when cleaning.

I have one of these that I normally use for cold beverages but it can be used for hot beverages too. Every once and a while Walmart will have them on clearance for $7. Better let the coffee cool a while at home before you load it up though, otherwise it will be too hot to drink until later in the afternoon. It's really amazing.

http://www.staples.com/Thermos-Stainless-Hydration-Bottle-18oz/product_859370?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:859370&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=859370&KPID=859370&lsft=cid:PS--GooglePLAs--859370,kpid:859370&gclid=CjwKEAiAk7O0BRD9_Ka2w_PhwSkSJAAmKswxdk0NRrsI8pPLjWizi28F4v_o2FHqHRfUeS06wOBtFxoCkYvw_wcB

Avid coffee drinking checking in and awaiting new options. My local gas station chain mug might need to be updated.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: In reply to alfadriver: I think the Keurig makes hot water, and there is a microwave. Unfortunately this solution does not allow for the afore-mentioned half-pot of coffee for Mrs. VCH.

If you make coffee at work, what stops Mrs VCH from having coffee at home? My wife makes her own coffee at home.... if I got up before her, I might do that, too.

btw- if anyone is interested- this is what I make coffee with at work- it's awesome- http://www.aerobie.com/product/aeropress/

And I make it a little different than the directions so that it's easier.

I have one of these:

Thermos Mug

They can be found for right around $20 or under. I really like it. It says it keeps stuff hot for 5 hours, but I've made coffee at 7am before and it's still warm by 4pm. It's leak proof, and you can take it all apart for cleaning so it doesn't get gross. I've had mine for over a year and it gets used every day.

I'll second the Contigo mugs. I picked up one a couple of weeks ago and it is outstanding. It keeps coffee hot for hours. It was $14 at Wally World.

I've started using a nice metal one from S-bucks. If I make tea with boiling water I can't drink it for several hours. The lid seals well, I just haven't gotten to the point of testing it being "tossed around". It is around 16 ounces, slim, even diameter, with a two hinged flip stopper. Price is probably $25 and I don't know the model name, just that is the best of the many mugs SWMBO acquired during her time working there.

Otherwise I would trust the Stanley ultraclyde recommend.

http://www.google.com/shopping/product/3614621387565430257?lsf=seller:1209243,store:10747331044147347641&q=french+press+travel+mug&hl=en&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA_GOOG&prds=oid:11398877866358001540&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4ga3FxZXKAhXH2T4KHRmYBkkQrRIIJw french press mug

I have this Contigo w/ Autoseal from W-M. About $16 iirc.

Push to drink lever inset into handle. Works for lefties or righties. There's a lock on the lever also. Keeps my coffee hot for hours.

Dumped a full mug on the floor (think BMW dash cup holder under acceleration) and it never spilled a drop. Fits all the other cup holders well. Damn Germans.

fasted58 wrote: I have this Contigo w/ Autoseal from W-M. About $16 iirc. Push to drink lever inset into handle. Works for lefties or righties. There's a lock on the lever also. Keeps my coffee hot for hours. Dumped a full mug on the floor (think BMW dash cup holder under acceleration) and it never spilled a drop. Fits all the other cup holders well. Damn Germans.

Dad had a 93 Mercedes. No cupholders anywhere in the car. He replaced it with a 99 ML. It had cupholders. They held a 12 oz. can perfectly. Nothing else fit. Then he moved on to a 95 BMW. It didn't have cupholders.

Amazing how ze Germans do not want you to be drinking anything in their cars.

In reply to mtn:

There is a recess (meant for coins and such?) in the small console that holds the travel mug so no biggie there, certainly not their desired plan though.

E92 has an engine oil temperature gauge but no coolant temp. gauge, wtf. The dash info center has all kind of uh, useful information.... except a digital speedometer. Damn Germans. They will set our minds right.

Other than that it's a great car.

ultraclyde wrote:

This has been the answer for as long as I have know, plus all the drivers I used to work with would use them and take care of them names on the side and all. These guys could care less about the equipment they were using but damn the man who borrowed this. Find a OEM USA made one though, apparently the Chinese ones that are sold on amazon are Crap now.

http://www.rei.com/product/792857/rei-double-shot-press-mug I got one of those. It's a coffe mug and french press. GLORIOUS!

wearymicrobe wrote:

ultraclyde wrote:

This has been the answer for as long as I have know, plus all the drivers I used to work with would use them and take care of them names on the side and all. These guys could care less about the equipment they were using but damn the man who borrowed this. Find a OEM USA made one though, apparently the Chinese ones that are sold on amazon are Crap now.

Another vote for these. I got one for swmbo and it has been excellent: not showing any wear after a year of daily use, seals perfectly, and after sitting for an hour the coffee is still too hot to drink.

In reply to wearymicrobe:

I've bought both of ours in the last year so they're probably Chinese in origin. They still rock.

another nice point - even when the coffee inside is hot enough to parboil a hog, the outside only gets pleasantly warm. Some all-metal cups I've tried get so hot you can't touch them - which also means your coffee is losing that heat.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

That's exactly what I'd suggest, even if he needs his and hers. Zekes is local to the OP as well and carries the same mug

I hate the handles on most coffee mugs. Do I really need a handle the size of an ax to hold my coffee?

And the stupid sizing UGH. Those tiny little bottoms just make them flip out of your cupholder easier.

I like my coffee cold, so I can't remember the last time I bought a mug.