Joe on the go for my beau!

November 30, 2009 4:38 PM

Travel coffee mug suggestions, please!

My boyfriend has newly discovered he likes coffee and I'd like to get him a nice-quality travel mug as an upcoming anniversary or Christmas gift. Do you have personal experience with a mug that meets the following

Requirements:
Leakproof
DISHWASHER SAFE!,
Under $100 (I doubt the budget will be an issue, but just in case your favorite is encrusted in diamonds or something)?

Something engraveable is *highly* preferred!

Anonymous post in case he's frequenting the green. Thanks in advance, HiveMind!

posted by anonymous to food & drink (24 comments total)

I've been considering getting the keep cup. It seems to be highly regarded by a blogger whose taste I trust.
posted by runningwithscissors at 4:44 PM on November 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

This is a pretty sweet mug that looks great, functional and leak-proof.
posted by special-k at 4:49 PM on November 30, 2009

oh and I actually own it and love it.
posted by special-k at 4:50 PM on November 30, 2009

Well, it isn't dishwasher safe - sorry, but I love my oxo mug. Stays hot forever, zero leakage, definitely engraveable.

If you're just using it for coffee anyway, I don't think there's much of a need to run it through the dishwasher (v. rinsing it out frequently and washing by hand).
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:52 PM on November 30, 2009

The JoeMo is amazing. Do not fill it too much (to the first, lowest line) and it is seriously leak proof. It is fairly inexpensive, even the JoeMoXL. I got the XL for my partner and he seriously talks about how great it is all the time. The company is very helpful on email or on the phone, but it is difficult to order from their website -- I bought mine from an independent cookware store in town here, after the company told me where to find it. I think that they prefer not to ship things because it isn't as good for the environment or something? It is worth doing a bit of running around to get, although it looks like there might be some available on Amazon also. The tea thing is removable, by the way.

He does not wash it in the dishwasher but does rinse it out every week or so with hot hot hot water and baking soda (and just very hot water at the end of every day). However, he doesn't use milk or sugar in his coffee. If he used milk, I would say that he might want to wash it more frequently.

You will have a pretty hard time finding a truly leakproof mug that is also dishwasher safe. It is so hard to find a mug that is actually leak proof (a lot of mugs say that they're leak proof but then do not deliver on that promise, often in really annoying or terrible ways). JoeMo will not do this to you.

I do not work for JoeMo or Highwave or know anyone associated with them, I am just very happy that I found this mug after years of thinking about and talking about and hunting for the perfect travel mug for coffee.
posted by k8lin at 5:08 PM on November 30, 2009

The reason that you'll have a hard time finding a leak proof and dishwashable mug is because most leak proof mugs (the good ones anyway) have a lot of threading and small parts in their tops. The dishwasher can't clean those parts well and soap or other dishwasher gunk could get stuck in them. This will be true of any leak proof mug worth buying, and even of travel mugs that aren't leak proof.
posted by k8lin at 5:10 PM on November 30, 2009

There is nothing better than this Thermos mug. It keeps coffee hot for a solid 5+ hours, is completely "throw it in your backpack" leak-proof when the lid is closed, easy to sip from when the lid is open, and has a lifetime guarantee from a company that's been around long enough to know what that means.

Yes it goes in the dishwasher.
Yes it's engraveable.
Yes it's under $100.
posted by toxic at 5:11 PM on November 30, 2009

Design is paramount, brand - not so much.

You want a mug that is stainless steal inside and out - keeps hotter, features easier cleaning, doesn't retain smells, etc.

After that it's your choice, I don't particular recommend brands. I'm more about construction.

(I find handles and certain lid pull-back designs are annoying, but you may not. Choose what you like, but stainless steel inside is key.)
posted by jbenben at 5:19 PM on November 30, 2009

Seconding Lutoslawski's recommendation of the OXO. I've had mine for 2+ years and it's never leaked.
posted by Andy's Gross Wart at 5:20 PM on November 30, 2009

I just saw this mug over the weekend and was lusting after it. The amazon reviews say that it's super leak-proof. Not sure of the dishwasher safety, but when the thing is closed IT IS FUCKING CLOSED! Plus, it's a one-handed operation, which is awesome. I can't wait for christmas when I get my very own. :-D
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 5:21 PM on November 30, 2009

Also, I have the plastic version of the OXO mug, and it seriously sucks at keeping my coffee hot. And while it is leak proof, it is notorious for saving that last drip in the inside of the lid, which invariably dribbles onto your pants or shirt or floor.
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 5:29 PM on November 30, 2009

I'll third that Oxo mug.
posted by pemberkins at 5:32 PM on November 30, 2009

I've had this mug for almost 15 years. It still keeps things hot for about 3-4 hours, has been safely washed by many dishwashers (despite the admonisments of the care instructions), and could probably be engraved. You can open the lid with one hand, which is important to me. The lid is not entirely leakproof, but I've carried liquids in bags with it many times without spillage or other chaos.

Sometimes I think this mug will outlast me.
posted by heurtebise at 5:33 PM on November 30, 2009

I've got this mug from Thermos Nissan and I adore it. I've had it for at least five years now and it still works perfectly, I will toss it in a backpack with my laptop! Leakproof, coffee stays hot for hours, I would assume it's engraveable, and I have put it through the dishwasher sometimes although technically you're not supposed to.
posted by min at 6:01 PM on November 30, 2009

this mug is the best mug on the planet. hands down. it's dishwasher safe and keeps things hot all day. it never leaks (if you don't fill it past the line inside the bottle).

best. mug. ever.
posted by nanhey at 6:03 PM on November 30, 2009

This Contigo AUTOSEAL travel mug (the silver one on the left; the direct link seems broken) claims to be "The Only Travel Mug You Can't Spill". I've tested this, and the claim is almost true--if you turn it upside down and shake it, a drop might come out. This is better than any other supposedly non-spilling mug that I've tried.
posted by k. at 6:58 PM on November 30, 2009

This mug is so freaking awesome! It never ever leaks (I toss it in my backpack and have no problems) and keeps stuff hot all day. It's also not too bulky. I have been using mine for years and years.
posted by sadtomato at 7:17 PM on November 30, 2009

I swear by the Sigg Metro. The mugs are completely leakproof and, frankly, much hotter than most of the other black-and-silver-plasticy options out there. Comes in a few different colors.

I trust the Sigg enough that I stick it in my courier bag next to my laptop (laptop = livelihood). Oh, and get the large size. The small one isn't enough for your average coffee lover.
posted by timoni at 12:32 AM on December 1, 2009

I second the Contigo Autoseal mug. We just got two from Costco and they really are leakproof. My niece who just turned 6 uses one for her cold drinks and not even she can spill it.
posted by thejanna at 7:17 AM on December 1, 2009

N-thing the OXO, coming up on a year now without even a trace of a leak, coffee stays warm for hours. I couldn't be happier with it.
posted by KilgoreTrout at 11:04 AM on December 1, 2009

Just got back from four days on the road with a Contigo Autoseal mug. My new best friend. Love the push-button seal.
posted by cairnish at 11:47 AM on December 2, 2009

I had a Contigo Autoseal for a couple of weeks. It fell from just over waist height onto the sidewalk and landed on the edge of the lid, full of hot café-au-lait. That was enough of a blow to completely ruin the break mechanism. I was shocked at how fragile it was.

Also, the seal mechanism has a whole bunch of moving parts that are impossible to clean without a tiny pointed brush. Otherwise, you will develop a layer of scunge inside all the moving parts that the liquid passes through before it gets to your mouth..

Lots of people love them, but they are not for folks with a high-impact lifestyle.

Right now, I swear by my Stanley steel camping mug It's not as insulated as I'd like, but it's monkey-proof and the clip-on feature is nice. It's not the drink-while-driving-or-doing-anything-else type of mug, but I'm a believer in stop, drink, then move on.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 12:07 PM on December 2, 2009

er... make that break the seal mechanism and ruin it.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 12:08 PM on December 2, 2009

I currently use the OXO mug linked numerous times above; I'll agree that it is very leakproof.

The issue is that the lid holds just enough coffee that is just hard enough to clean that it gets funky smelling. If your guy doesn't use half and half or sugar it might not be an issue.

Soaking it in a weak bleach solution helps for a while but the funk comes back.

I've heard good things about the Contigo autoseal and that's next on my trial list.
posted by jbroome at 1:59 PM on December 3, 2009