So parched

March 28, 2023 7:40 PM

I need to drink more water. I like it room temperature. I don’t like going downstairs to get it. I don’t like drinking out of anything plastic or anything with hard-to-clean crannies. What do I do?

The facts:
I spend a lot of time working upstairs.
I would like to drink 2L of water a day.
I like drinking room temperature water, from a glass (not a bottle).
I don’t like bringing water upstairs all the time.
I spill things a lot so I will DEFINITELY spill a carafe or a tray of multiple glasses of water.
I don’t like the taste of plastic or silicone (including straws or spouts).
I don’t like washing out anything with narrow necks like bottles, or little crannies like sippy cups, but I do have a dishwasher for washing normal drinking glasses.
I’m keenly aware that water coolers are disgusting inside.

In case it wasn’t absolutely obvious, I has the ADHD.

I also have a toddler who hangs out in here and will mess with my system, push buttons, cause leaks, knock things over, etc.

I would love to keep a case of bottled water beside me and just drink it, but, you know, the earth and stuff

Drinking water seems so easy, and yet I’m hideously dehydrated all the time. How should I solve this ridiculous problem?

Products? Procedures? Thanks for any advice!

posted by nouvelle-personne to Food & Drink (39 answers total)

Try a metal drinking bottle that has a screw on top.

I prefer room temperature water also and just fill it at night, so it’s the perfect temperature by morning.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:48 PM on March 28, 2023 [5 favorites]

Is your tap water safe? If you have a bathroom upstairs, just fill up a glass at the bathroom sink.
posted by pinochiette at 7:50 PM on March 28, 2023 [15 favorites]

Definitely don't like any plastic bottles? Because the most safe bottles I have are plastic 1L nalgenes from which I drink with a metal straw that fits inside the bottle. I don't notice any taste or find that they're hard to clean with the very wide mouth. And it's 100% unspillable. But you could also store water in these and pour into a glass.
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:53 PM on March 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Would you be willing to carry a glass pitcher with a lid upstairs once a day, and then fill a glass as needed?
posted by rodneyaug at 7:56 PM on March 28, 2023 [5 favorites]

It sounds like you need a 2 quart glass pitcher and a place to set it upstairs that is out of your toddler's reach and also out of your way so you won't accidentally bump into it and spill it.
posted by Redstart at 7:58 PM on March 28, 2023 [4 favorites]

Install an under sink filter in an upstairs bathroom. Fill a glass from this tap.
posted by lefty lucky cat at 7:58 PM on March 28, 2023 [10 favorites]

There are wide-mouthed stainless bottles that might fit the need. Hydroflask makes a 64 oz wide-mouth stainless bottle with a screw-on cap that has a carry handle, and I’ve liked the ones I’ve used. Maybe that plus an upstairs glass you can wash in the bathroom sink at night?
posted by invincible summer at 7:59 PM on March 28, 2023 [4 favorites]

I bought a stainless steel carafe/pitcher that is dishwasher-safe. It’s a joy. And it has a lid/ball thingy so the jerky cat can’t stick her gross-but-cute appendages into my water.
posted by janell at 7:59 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

For some reason the stanley 40oz stainless steel mug has blown up in popularity recently, stanley 40oz, wouldnt do it all in one trip - 1.1 liters, but would with one refill. Or get a second and double fist.
posted by TheAdamist at 8:00 PM on March 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

I have not used it, but something like this may help.
posted by dobbs at 8:01 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Do a search for "bedside water carafe cup" and pick one that suits your aesthetic. Nice to look at, the cup itself is the lid, might suit you better for home use than some giant travel tumbler.
posted by phunniemee at 8:11 PM on March 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Get two wide mouth 1-quart mason jars. Either with regular lids removed for drinking or look at the various option available for lids for easy sipping.
posted by hydra77 at 8:21 PM on March 28, 2023 [12 favorites]

I love my Takeya water bottle and it gets you a lot of the way there. I recommend buying a cheap bottle brush. Only once you have a bottle brush do you realize all the things you were doing a bad job washing because you didn't have a bottle brush.
posted by potrzebie at 8:26 PM on March 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

I am constantly thirsty and bought two glass carafes (small! With lids! No spills!) for my apartment and it’s honestly the best purchase I’ve made in the last six months.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:34 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm also adhd.

I don't really like the rubbery taste of small drink bottles, but I don't notice a flavour from the big clear containers for drinking water.

I have a *10 litre* clear plastic container of water (this one) on my desk in my room which I fill about 2/3 full. It has a big wide lid, sitting on top, and I tilt the whole container to fill my water glass.


I too am upstairs, and got it to solve the problem of always having water to take my medications, first thing in the morning, during the day and before bed.


This has been deeply worth it:

I only have to fill it about once a week, at the rate I use it. Not having to remember to fill a container daily is key - too high a failure rate for me. :P

I can then drink from a glass.

Drink bottles seen to usually be made out of more porous, coloured plastic, which tastes weird, but these ones, to me, don't.

The water sitting for longer actually allows the chlorine to evaporate over 1-5 days.

It has a lid, no open container jugs to get dusty.

I don't have to fill it all the way if I'm tired etc.

I give it a quick swish and tip each time I fill it, but it doesn't seem to go mucky. Maybe because it's plain water, and no bacteria from my mouth? It doesn't seem to go manky the way drink bottles do.?



A house mate has bought a smaller container with a spout on the side as they liked the idea so much. It's the kind of thing you can buy for people who have made a big jug of mixer for a party.
posted by Elysum at 8:38 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Hydra77 for the WIN

Mason jars are like duct tape - so versatile! In this situation, I would get a rotation going of at least 4 32oz jars, with metal integrated lids (I do use the normal canning lids for many purposes, but if I need to cap a jar with the speed of an arriving kiddo, I would want a 1-piece lid). Each night, I would bring my empty two down, rinse, fill, stick in fridge, grab the two I filled the night before, and take them upstairs to come to room temp for the morning.

I also have ADHD, and so would include the fridge as a kind of poka-yoke step, to make sure that I’m not relying on just the same two jars over and over (what happens when I need to wash them? this would destroy the system for my brain). Your mileage, etc.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 8:49 PM on March 28, 2023 [6 favorites]

A couple of ideas. A berkey in your office that you inly have to fill every couple of days. Ours stays nice and clean, I've never had to clean it out.

Also an option: a glass pitcher with a lid that you fill and leave on your desk or nearby to refill your water glass. I have a 32 oz glass pitcher. I fill it every morning and again at lunch. It's just what I do now, it is the daily routine and it works great for me.
posted by CleverClover at 9:44 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

This vintage Pyrex percolator pitcher is pretty durable and features a lid which won’t fall off while pouring, and it has a handle held on by a stainless band which buckles and unbuckles with ease.

I think it holds about 48 oz., but there are somewhat more expensive 64 oz. versions also for sale on Etsy.
posted by jamjam at 10:03 PM on March 28, 2023

I picked up a 64oz steel bottle from Costco recently. It's like the normal 'carry it with you' drinks bottles, only huge. If you poured your water from that into a glass (it's not really practical to drink from) it would solve your problem.

You could use a beer growler to similar effect. They come in glass and steel and are resealable, and some have wide necks; it's a useful search term, anyway.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:41 PM on March 28, 2023 [3 favorites]

I live upstairs and I hate to go downstairs for a cup of water to make tea myself, so I have on my stand a container with a spigot. It's all plastic, but I'm sure you can get nicer ones, like those "ice tea" containers with glass and metal spigot. Anchor makes one that's 2 gallons with huge lid, but I don't see a way to easily carry it upstairs with you. They also make 1 gallon sized ones, or 2.5 gallon sized ones if you insist on glass.
posted by kschang at 11:27 PM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

I bought this 50 oz. mug. Stainless inside, vacuum insulated. You could get a stainless straw to go with it.
posted by Marky at 12:27 AM on March 29, 2023

Kleen Kanteen 64oz bottle
https://www.kleankanteen.com/collections/non-insulated-water-bottles/products/water-bottle-wide-mouth-64-oz

Instructions for ADHD brain:

Drink out of a glass, not the bottle. Since you are not making contact with the bottle it won't accumulate bacteria and you don't have to worry about cleaning out the inside. Every evening take it downstairs, empty it out and let it sit open overnight. In the morning, rinse it out and fill it. It will always be clean.

Carry the bottle upstairs closed, with your glass, and put it on the desk. Leave it closed (toddler proof). Set a timer on your phone or computer to repeat every 45 minutes. Drink a small glass of water, reseal the bottle.
posted by riddley at 1:17 AM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

I use a 1L Maßkrug for this purpose.
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 1:56 AM on March 29, 2023

My solution to this is a metal water bottle, which holds enough for two glasses of water. In the morning, I fill it in the kitchen, and pour myself a single glass of water to go with it, then take both upstairs to my desk. I drink from the glass, never from the bottle, following the same logic as riddley: if I'm not drinking directly out of the bottle, it's not getting dirty in any meaningful way.

A larger bottle or flask might suit your needs better. I choose a relatively small one because I'm more likely to spill if I pour from something bigger, and because I fill the bottle from a Brita filter jug, so it would be annoying if it held more than the jug does.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:15 AM on March 29, 2023

I’m keenly aware that water coolers are disgusting inside.

I don't think this is always true, and I say this as a person who always brings my own water to the cancer center after reading about water dispensers never being cleaned.

In my area, you can get a water cooler that operates with a bottle that is replaced every time you empty it. It sounds like you drink enough water that it wouldn't be sitting around for very long. You get a new, clean bottle every time, and it's not going through gross tubes.
posted by FencingGal at 4:55 AM on March 29, 2023

Ceramics are an alternative to glass and metal.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:32 AM on March 29, 2023

Best answer: Instead of a tray, do you have one of those little insulated coolers meant to hold a six-pack? Maybe put your regular glasses inside that. It has a lid to keep the toddler out, and the cooler would contain any spills if it gets jostled. Also, you can get universal lids to go on cups/jars (stretchy silicone), maybe you could put those on the full glasses to keep them more covered up.
posted by Poogle at 5:53 AM on March 29, 2023

Get an office water dispenser that either doesn't having a cooling function or if it does then simply don't plug it in.

Get 3-gallon reusable glass water dispenser jugs. The big heavy jugs that are delivered to most offices are 5-gallon jugs; the 3-gallon ones aren't as heavy.

Fill the jugs at your local grocery store that has a water jug filler. Our local store sells filtered drinking water at 50c/gallon if you bring your own jug.

Set up your water dispenser and jug storage upstairs near where you drink your water.

Then you just have to periodically get a fresh glass from downstairs, and periodically fill the jugs at the store.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:06 AM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I wanted to offer the data point that a case of glass bottled water in your workspace can be seen as a disability access accommodation for you! You can make eco-friendly adjustments in other areas of your life if that feels good for you.
posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 7:06 AM on March 29, 2023

1 gallon glass growler or half-gallons if you find that easier to carry.

I personally prefer steel half-gallon insulated bottles because the wide mouth is easier to clean - just to give it a periodic bottle-brushing to remove any gunk.

I don't know if you're absolutely opposed to storing in plastic. If that's okay as long as you don't have to drink out of plastic, my preference would be to keep a large Brita/ZeroWater etc etc filter dispenser upstairs (probably up high on a bookcase for kiddo purposes) and just have a dedicated water-only bucket to bring water from downstairs periodically, or an upstairs bathtub if you have one. You do want to periodically run some vinegar water through the spigot (NOT the filter), more frequently if you have water that'll leave white rings when it evaporates.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:26 AM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I meant to add that what's actually on the floor next to me right now is one of these carafes, which do have a snap-close top and are legitimately difficult to get to spill.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:28 AM on March 29, 2023

Potable tap water is absolutely the most overlooked, underappreciated public works projects of the .... ever.

It blows my mind that only in the last two decades or so, Nestle et al. have convinced us that unthinkable amounts of plastic must be produced, bought, sold, involved and then landfilled in the process of drinking water.

Fill a glass with it, from any faucet in your house. Drink.
posted by Dashy at 7:30 AM on March 29, 2023 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Get a case of bottled water in larger format in glass bottles (like 750ml or 1l) with a screw top. Store them together in a box or tote bag near your work space. Pour from there into a drinking vessel of your choice. As you start the last of the bottles, bring all bottles downstairs, re fill with tap warer, and bring the whole thing upstairs. You don’t need to be constantly washing your glass, every few days is fine. And you don’t need to wash the bottles constantly if you’re not drinking from them.
posted by vunder at 7:39 AM on March 29, 2023

Mason jars come in 1 qt sizes and have a very reliable screw top. Fill a sturdy tote bag with jars of water, refill when you're down to the last 1. Water's clean and doesn't really go bad when stored in glass. If you use the jars to pour from, they don't even need to be washed every time. Mason jars and lids go in the dishwasher when they do. I also re-use large plastic bottles from OJ or other beverages for water storage; the Red Cross recommended soda pop bottles on their home prep page.

You can get drink dispensers, but your child would inevitably play with the spigot unless it's up high.

Timely question, I need to address my own need to drink more water.
posted by theora55 at 9:35 AM on March 29, 2023

I bought a Blenko water bottle in a color that makes me happy and I fill it once a day. I leave the bottle on the shelf above my desk. It's a shape that really can't hardly be knocked over and the symmetrical pour-spout is very satisfying to use. I'm not saying you need to buy this exact vessel, I'm saying that its aesthetics and buying an object from a family-owned blown-glass business is personally something that scratches an itch for me.

I use the carafe to fill a pretty medium-small vintage drinking glass that I got at a thrift store that also makes me happy.The smallish glass makes drinking the water more satisfying and I go through it faster, which lets me get to fill the glass from the pretty carafe again. I figured out by trial and error that my weird brain likes drinking from narrower-mouth glasses rather than wider-mouth glasses. (I don't think I need to tell you that I also has the ADHD.)
posted by desuetude at 9:04 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

For extreme knock-about-ability, I thought of what I think of as jobsite coolers - also you might like having it to take to toddler park parties. Handle, spigot, insulation. They are plastic, though, though not disposable. Some come in cheerful colors.
posted by clew at 9:13 AM on March 30, 2023

If you could find one, I’d think an old Corningware range top percolator would be almost ideal, since it’s much harder to break than glass, and therefore safer for your toddler, and also has a wide enough base to make it hard to knock over.
posted by jamjam at 11:31 AM on March 30, 2023

If you can get a bigger bottle upstairs, there are SMALL battery-powered dispenser "pumps" you can install to dispense small cups of water.
posted by kschang at 12:10 PM on March 30, 2023

Response by poster: I’m back and I’m hydrated!
My solution, inspired by several answers, was to buy a set of glass milk bottles, fill them all at the same time, and keep 2 in my office and 2 in the fridge (just to keep them fresher). In my office they come to room temp and I pour into a glass.

rrrrrrrrt’s step of getting multiple bottles was the missing link for me. Poke-yoke is a new word for me but it made me realize that all my systems that work have an element of poke-yoke built in, and is a great concept to carry forward into new planning.

It’s been working great- these bottles look good, are pleasant to interact with, easy to clean, very sturdy and hard to tip bc the glass is so thick, the square shape makes them fit nicely on the shelf or in the fridge, and…. I’m drinking 2L per day!!!! Thanks all!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:38 AM on April 12, 2023 [5 favorites]