Easy-clean leakproof 20 oz. coffee mug with loop or strap?
May 3, 2016 2:31 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to upgrade my carry-everywhere coffee mug.
I like everything about my current one except that the coffee path inside the lid is not easy to clean, so crud tends to accumulate inside.
I've looked at the ones on this list, but none of them has a strap or a loop for a strap, which I use all the time when my hands are full.
What I'm looking for:
* 20 oz. size
* Leakproof
* Easy to clean
* Fits in a car cupholder
* Insulated (but not so much that it scalds your mouth two hours later)
* A strap or loop for a strap
I like everything about my current one except that the coffee path inside the lid is not easy to clean, so crud tends to accumulate inside.
I've looked at the ones on this list, but none of them has a strap or a loop for a strap, which I use all the time when my hands are full.
What I'm looking for:
* 20 oz. size
* Leakproof
* Easy to clean
* Fits in a car cupholder
* Insulated (but not so much that it scalds your mouth two hours later)
* A strap or loop for a strap
If you want a strap, I'd search for insulated water bottles instead of coffee mugs. They're also far easier to clean.
The Wirecutter (why this on wirecutter and that on sweethome? your guess is as good as mine) recommends this kleen kanteen bottle, which comes in a 20oz size.
posted by R a c h e l at 2:39 PM on May 3, 2016
The Wirecutter (why this on wirecutter and that on sweethome? your guess is as good as mine) recommends this kleen kanteen bottle, which comes in a 20oz size.
posted by R a c h e l at 2:39 PM on May 3, 2016
I was beaten to the punch on the Kleen Kanteen, but that's what I was coming to suggest.
posted by MadamM at 2:39 PM on May 3, 2016
posted by MadamM at 2:39 PM on May 3, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for the Kleen Kanteen recommendations. I should have added that I want a lid I can operate with one hand.
posted by ottereroticist at 2:48 PM on May 3, 2016
posted by ottereroticist at 2:48 PM on May 3, 2016
Oh man. I'll be watching this thread.
I'm using this Contigo mug. I *love* the carabiner clip handle. But it's only 16oz and... it's a little tricky to get it to not leak (can't over fill even a tiny bit). So this is a half-hearted recommendation that only meets some of your requirements, for whatever it's worth!
posted by Salamandrous at 2:59 PM on May 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm using this Contigo mug. I *love* the carabiner clip handle. But it's only 16oz and... it's a little tricky to get it to not leak (can't over fill even a tiny bit). So this is a half-hearted recommendation that only meets some of your requirements, for whatever it's worth!
posted by Salamandrous at 2:59 PM on May 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A possible solution could be to get a water bottle sleeve that has a built in strap/loop so you can buy whatever mug fits your other needs. And that mug would be the Zojirushi mug.
posted by blueberrypuffin at 3:21 PM on May 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by blueberrypuffin at 3:21 PM on May 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I have a Zojirushi. Those things are amazing. Complete locking on the lid, but can be opened with one hand. I have carried one full in a knapsack, with no spills.
My other recommendation would be a Contigo. While the lid is not as absolutely locking as the Zojirushi, it will close when you let go. This is great if you're ever working somewhere you really can't spill.
posted by jb at 5:48 PM on May 3, 2016
My other recommendation would be a Contigo. While the lid is not as absolutely locking as the Zojirushi, it will close when you let go. This is great if you're ever working somewhere you really can't spill.
posted by jb at 5:48 PM on May 3, 2016
A CamelBak Forge fits all your criteria except the size--the largest they come in is 16oz. Otherwise they're pretty perfect.
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:00 PM on May 3, 2016
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:00 PM on May 3, 2016
Best answer: Oh! But there is now the Camelbak Chute! Insulated, 20 oz., has a little loop.
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:02 PM on May 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:02 PM on May 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Having tested somewhere between 30-50 travel mug samples in the past couple of years, I'd say your best option is this 20oz narrow-mouth Klean Kanteen plus this Swing-Lok cap to make it one-handable. It should be easy enough to attach a loop to that cap near the neck of the bottle. Klean Kanteens are phenomenal -- they're durable, functional, extremely well sealed and insulated, they have a wide variety of lids, minimal plastic and no fussy hard-to-clean parts, not to mention they're a certified B Corp.
Beyond the Klean Kanteen + Swing-Lok, I know of no single travel mug that meets all of your requirements. It's particularly hard to find one that's leakproof, one-handable, AND easy to clean. You can find plenty of mugs that meet two of those three criteria, but all three is a challenge. How leakproof do you need it to be? If you want to be able to turn the mug upside down in your bag alongside your electronics, then you pretty much need a Kleen Kanteen, Zojirushi, or other high-quality screw-top gasketed lid. If you don't need it to be quite that leakproof, then you can consider the Camelbak Forge, the Contigo, or other button-lock options.
My half-recommendations would be as follows:
Zojirushi's only 20oz mug. Like Klean Kanteen, these are incredibly high-quality. They seal and insulate amazingly well, slightly better than even the Klean Kanteen (mine used to keep ice cubes frozen for 18 hours). Problems: (1) they don't have a loop, and (2) their lids are very complex and hard to clean.
Honorable mention for the Camelbak Forge. It's easy and fun to use one-handed, has a loop, seals and insulates pretty well, and it was much-loved by our testers. Problems: (1) it's only 16oz, (2) it's got a complex plastic cap that can be challenging to clean (it requires a small pipe brush, for a start).
posted by ourobouros at 4:11 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Beyond the Klean Kanteen + Swing-Lok, I know of no single travel mug that meets all of your requirements. It's particularly hard to find one that's leakproof, one-handable, AND easy to clean. You can find plenty of mugs that meet two of those three criteria, but all three is a challenge. How leakproof do you need it to be? If you want to be able to turn the mug upside down in your bag alongside your electronics, then you pretty much need a Kleen Kanteen, Zojirushi, or other high-quality screw-top gasketed lid. If you don't need it to be quite that leakproof, then you can consider the Camelbak Forge, the Contigo, or other button-lock options.
My half-recommendations would be as follows:
Zojirushi's only 20oz mug. Like Klean Kanteen, these are incredibly high-quality. They seal and insulate amazingly well, slightly better than even the Klean Kanteen (mine used to keep ice cubes frozen for 18 hours). Problems: (1) they don't have a loop, and (2) their lids are very complex and hard to clean.
Honorable mention for the Camelbak Forge. It's easy and fun to use one-handed, has a loop, seals and insulates pretty well, and it was much-loved by our testers. Problems: (1) it's only 16oz, (2) it's got a complex plastic cap that can be challenging to clean (it requires a small pipe brush, for a start).
posted by ourobouros at 4:11 AM on May 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Get a Zojirushi with a sleeve. (There is no "official" one, so you may need to shop for a bit and experiment -- or maybe make one yourself from a bottle doozie?)
I think that many plastic or polycarbonate water bottles -- e.g., my awesome insulated CamelBak "eddy" -- aren't great with hot beverages -- and coffee in particular would make the white/clear bite valve pretty gross. You may wish to contact the manufacturer about this. (I do drink hot water from it, a role in which it works quite well.)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:13 AM on May 4, 2016
I think that many plastic or polycarbonate water bottles -- e.g., my awesome insulated CamelBak "eddy" -- aren't great with hot beverages -- and coffee in particular would make the white/clear bite valve pretty gross. You may wish to contact the manufacturer about this. (I do drink hot water from it, a role in which it works quite well.)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:13 AM on May 4, 2016
Possibly one of the hydro flask bottles--there are a few different lid styles available (the regular coffee lid doesn't have a loop and the looped lid that I have experience with isn't operable one-handed, but I think there's a more narrow-mouthed lid that also has a loop that could work).
posted by Vibrissa at 10:18 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by Vibrissa at 10:18 PM on May 4, 2016
Response by poster: I ended up ordering the Zojirushi, which I am extremely happy with. You can tell from the first sip that they spent a lot of time designing this thing to deliver coffee into your mouth in the smoothest and most enjoyable way possible.
Plus, it turned out that the plastic ring and strap from my old mug fit nicely on the Zojirushi, so I got everything I wanted.
For the benefit of future coffee drinkers with the same set of requirements as mine: buy a Zojirushi, go to Goodwill, find a mug with a ring and strap, and MacGyver it onto the Zoji.
posted by ottereroticist at 12:24 PM on May 9, 2016
Plus, it turned out that the plastic ring and strap from my old mug fit nicely on the Zojirushi, so I got everything I wanted.
For the benefit of future coffee drinkers with the same set of requirements as mine: buy a Zojirushi, go to Goodwill, find a mug with a ring and strap, and MacGyver it onto the Zoji.
posted by ottereroticist at 12:24 PM on May 9, 2016
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Alternately, if you really like your current one, I would pick up a bottle of Purocafe, one bottle will last you a couple years and you won't need to scrub any crud anymore, it'll just eat away at it and you can rinse it all out. That stuff is designed to eat away at coffee oils, and does a great job, in tight places.
posted by furnace.heart at 2:38 PM on May 3, 2016 [2 favorites]