Give me your reusable coffee cup recommendations!

April 26, 2018 5:54 PM

I've decided I need to stop using disposable coffee cups and get some reusable coffee cups in the same style. This seems like it would be easy (and maybe was more popular 5 years ago?), but I'm having trouble finding something super dishwasher-safe. Some more details inside.

What I like about disposable cups (like these) is that they don't have any stale coffee smell that I associate with travel mugs and that I don't have to do any work cleaning them.

So what I'm looking for is a reusable coffee cup that I can run through the dishwasher ad infinitum and it comes up as clean as a regular in-home coffee cup, including the cup itself, the lid, and the sleeve (if any). I don't want to taste any hint of plastic or anything other than the coffee itself. I don't care if the cup keeps the coffee hot for 8 hours or whatever and I don't need it to seal so completely I can put it in a bag.

Ideally I'd also like to look fairly sober and professional -- no bright colors or tacky designs. Also it would be nice if it were relatively cheap (~$10). 12 oz or 16 oz.

What I really want, I think, is a single walled porcelain mug with silicone lid and sleeve, but I'm having trouble finding such a thing at a reasonable price online. So I'm leaning toward this Copco Travel Mug, but I'm a little anxious about it being double-walled (and hence perhaps the dishwasher won't entirely clean it?) and the reviews that the complicated lid can develop mold.

Other cups I've considered and rejected:
UDMug "I Am Not a Paper Cup" -- not dishwasher-safe
KeepCup -- a little too expensive, and there are some complaints about smell

Any thoughts?

posted by crazy with stars to Food & Drink (20 answers total)

The color contigo is NOT DISHWASHER SAFE. The color flakes off. Otherwise it is a perfect reusable coffee mug. Perfect for me anyway. If anyone has one that’s not flaky, I’d happily trade you some jam or pickles.
posted by bilabial at 6:18 PM on April 26, 2018

I found a reusable coffee mug like the one you describe at a Winners (Canadian TJ Maxx, as far as I can tell.) I handwash mine, so no comment on dishwasher-friendliness, and I can see a white silicone lid getting stained; but at least you'll be able to handle the mugs in-person to see if it might suit your needs.
posted by invokeuse at 6:42 PM on April 26, 2018

I am also super sensitive to coffee and plastic smell on mugs.. before I quit drinking coffee I liked the Cuppow lids that you can screw on a mason jar. Never had any odor from that small piece of (dishwasher safe) plastic, or problems keeping it clean. And no leaks ever, since the lid attachment is like the lid of a jar!
posted by sometamegazelle at 6:45 PM on April 26, 2018

I'm Mason jar-happy, so I'd get a Mason jar mug and top it off with a Cuppow lid. I did not know about jar jackets until just now, but they are out there. Though maybe too rustic for your situation, the jars are durable, dishwasher-friendly, and easily replaced.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:48 PM on April 26, 2018

I actually just started writing this same question the other day. This is my platonic ideal of a hot-drink vessel -- even if the art doesn't appeal, the cup construction is just beautiful. They're exactly like a disposable to-go cup, rendered beautifully in delicate bone china and are such a delight to use. I picked some up on sale a few years ago and ugh, my love for them is stupid. When I broke one, I went hunting for a replacement and on the rare occasion they do pop up on eBay, they're going for over $50 each. I've hunted in vain for the manufacturer or any similar thing and have struck out completely. So if you ever run across one in the wild, it might be just the thing for you. (And if it's not, sell it to meeeee!)

I don't like the double-walled thermal mugs because they don't hold enough coffee/tea for my liking. I hate travel mugs because of the inevitable ghost-taste or general funk. There is a single-walled version of that "Not a Paper Cup" Eco Cup you've linked in your question, and that shop link was the best price I found for them by far. That might be just what you need! I bought one to try it out and while it's not the same as my beloved Anthro cup, it's similar and seems like it might work for you -- and voila, it's dishwasher safe!
posted by kittyb at 6:50 PM on April 26, 2018

Have you looked at the Glass Keep Cups? I use plastic, and my cup is still going strong after 5 years of daily use, so has more than paid off initial investment in my local cafe that gives me a 30c discount for BYO cup. I had to replace the lid 6 months ago, but the rest is perfectly intact. I find the coffee smell only sticks if I leave coffee dregs in it all day Glass would probably fix this.
posted by cholly at 6:52 PM on April 26, 2018

I like my glass keep cup but don’t get the cork sleeve as it’s not dishwasher safe, get plastic. Otherwise it would fit your needs.
posted by pintapicasso at 7:21 PM on April 26, 2018

I love my Stanley. It is double wall metal, with an easy-to-clean cap, completely dishwasher safe. I also have the 16 oz version, which I’ve had for several years without issue. Oh, and completely leak-proof.
posted by lhauser at 8:23 PM on April 26, 2018

Fanatic about plastic/rubber/coffee smells here. Kleen Kanteen with the swivel open top is PERFECT.

Just rinse with hot water, no need to dishwasher. Seriously, it is perfect. $20, but worth it!
posted by jbenben at 8:47 PM on April 26, 2018

This stainless-steel reusable coffee cup is GREAT, and dishwasher safe. No plastic taste.

Link is to an Australian site, with price in Australian dollars, but I'm sure if you google you can find a US retailer...
posted by Murderbot at 9:08 PM on April 26, 2018

The small insulated Kleen Kanteen has worked well for me for the past year and I prefer that to Keep Cups but Keep Cups do look better and are a decent choice if you can look past a few design flaws. The Kleen Kanteen keeps beverages at desired temp better and doesn't leak much.

I've owned glass and plastic versions of Keep Cups with rubber sleeves. The glass version looks better/has a better build quality but the downside is that the glass gets super hot depending on temp of beverage so I prefer the plastic one as I did accidentally burn myself on it once or twice and also worried about baristas doing the same. Other major issue with both glass and plastic is that the top starts to leak after a few months of heavy use. Happened with both cups.
posted by ConradLandsman at 9:28 PM on April 26, 2018

Oh, I also used to get a lot of compliments on the Keep Cup. For some reason, other people really seemed to like the way it looked and would often comment on it - to a degree that kind of surprised me. So if other people's opinions of your coffee vessel are important to you or you're an introvert with a crush on a barista and in desperate need of conversation starter, maybe go with the Keep Cup.
posted by ConradLandsman at 9:38 PM on April 26, 2018

Any reusable cup is still better than a new cup every day! Don't let the quest for perfection stop you; if a mug gets smelly you can still get a new one and probably be in the net positive.
posted by masquesoporfavor at 9:58 PM on April 26, 2018

Maybe a long shot depending on where you live, but my local Target had stoneware travel mugs with a flexible silicone top and sleeve recently in the cheap-o section in the front. 100% machine washable, cheap ($3), not the most sedate colors, but not terrible.
posted by jeoc at 10:03 PM on April 26, 2018

I find that the lid of my glass keep cup makes tea taste funny but hot chocolate is ok.
posted by poxandplague at 12:18 AM on April 27, 2018

Starbucks sells (or, sold, ours is a couple years old) single-wall plastic reusable cups with sturdy lids at their stores for a dollar or two. It's the same shape as a disposable cup. They are light-weight and clean up nicely in the dishwasher. It's thin plastic so you'll need a sleeve but seems durable enough.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:01 AM on April 27, 2018

I hate most travel mugs for similar reasons (stale coffee taste, difficult to clean). I recently got this Ello Ogden mug and I really like it. I wash it in the sink because there's no dishwasher at work, and the lid is surprisingly easy to clean. But all the parts are supposed to be top-rack safe. I also like that the lid is structured so your mouth is touching the ceramic instead of the plastic when you're drinking.
posted by thejanna at 8:08 AM on April 27, 2018

What I really want, I think, is a single walled porcelain mug with silicone lid and sleeve

World Market has this set of two 15-oz, dishwasher-safe, porcelain travel mugs (w/BPA-free silicone lids and sleeves), for $18.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:04 AM on April 27, 2018

Yeah, I think the Contigos are technically dishwasher safe, but they warn against it because you'll lose the, uh, thermos like ability. I've had the color flake off eventually either way.
posted by getawaysticks at 4:09 PM on April 27, 2018

The cheap Starbucks cups seanmpuckett mentions are, I think, made of a corn-based plastic, so they are reusable and recyclable, but may be exclusive to Pacific Northwest stores (saw that on a blog post, so I'm not sure if it's still true). They are $2 each, and you should get a 10-cent discount when you bring it in for refill. It's apparently top-rack dishwasher safe. Last I saw Starbucks was saying the cups are good for 10 uses, but I believe its much higher than that.
posted by lhauser at 10:31 AM on April 29, 2018