Milk and Cookies
with Kristen
I'm a mother of five, a bargain hunter, a recreational comparison shopper, and always trying to make more time - for me and for you, too. On this blog I'm sharing my favorite tools and finds to help make your work-life juggle a bit easier.
You can find my personal blog at Swistle.blogspot.com.
I need a new travel mug, because mine broke. Which reminds me of how I GOT that travel mug. I was shopping with my mom at Target, and I saw a travel mug in the most gorgeous, almost ETHEREAL shade of pink. Glowing glossy pale pink. But it was only 30% off, and it was expensive to begin with so it was still well over $10, and most importantly I didn’t NEED a travel mug because I never used one. I dithered for awhile because it was SO LOVELY, but I didn’t buy it.
That evening, I was suffused with regret. WHY hadn’t I bought it?? Maybe I WOULD use a travel mug! How did I KNOW if I didn’t even TRY? Even though the Target was a half hour away and I’d need to bring kids with me, the next morning I went back to get the pink travel mug—and it was gone. I have two other Targets within reasonable driving distance, and I went to both of them over the next couple of days, but no luck. I looked online, at Target’s site and at any other site that carried that brand of travel mug: no luck. I whined about this to my mother at some length.
The next month was my birthday. One of my gifts was THE PINK TRAVEL MUG. I don’t think I’ve ever been so stunned by a present. It turned out that on the day I first saw it, my mother thought I was silly for not buying it. So while I was dithering browsing at The Children’s Place, she said she’d play a few games with the kids so I could shop in peace, but instead she RACED with them back to Target, bought the travel mug, and RACED back before I realized anything was unusual.
Anyway. I guess that makes it even sadder that the mug eventually broke. I replaced it with one I found on 75% off, but it turned out it was a non-insulated travel mug, which, WHAT IS THE POINT OF THAT? So I got rid of it on Freecycle.org, and ever since then I’ve been travel-mugless. For awhile that was fine, but now I’m having more times when I wish I had some coffee with me, so it’s time to buy one.
St. Jude’s is my favorite charity, so my first and best idea was to go buy a St. Jude’s travel mug (photo from StJude.org). I’d seen before that they had a really good bright light green one (the color of the green luggage tag), and I had a free shipping coupon. But as it turned out, THEY NO LONGER HAVE THAT COLOR. They have red, royal blue, and grey. For awhile I resigned myself to choosing one anyway, but without the green one available, I lost my enthusiasm for the whole thing. They’ve changed the colors once; maybe they will change them again.
Another possibility is the Aladdin travel mug (photo from Amazon.com). Pros: it’s “recycled and recyclable”: made from 100% recycled plastic, and #5 recyclable plastic (if your area does that kind) for when it finally breaks. Also, it comes in pretty colors: a green similar to the one I wanted from St. Jude, but I maybe prefer the “Boutique” (light teal) or “Lake” (dark teal). Also, because the insulating lining is also plastic, it can be microwaved. But cons: I don’t have faith that a double layer of plastic would be as insulating as I’d want.
I love the look of the Blue Q Pretty Print travel mug (photo from Amazon.com). It’s expensive, but it’s one of Amazon’s “buy 3 get one free” items, so if I could find three other things I wanted, that would cut the price a bit. But I can’t see what the lid looks like, and I’m picky about lids. And also, there are only three reviews and two of them mention that the pattern was already chipping.
It’s too bad Thermos doesn’t put some of its awesomeness (brand reputation for heat and leaklessness, plus the “picking out a thermos for you” song) toward making the exteriors a little more INTERESTING. The Thermos Stainless King Leak-Proof travel mug (photo from Amazon.com) gets great reviews, but it doesn’t make itself FUN TO PURCHASE with that so-blue-it’s-almost-black color.
I could make my own on Zazzle.com (photo from Zazzle.com). But—it’s expensive, even if I wait for a “50% off all mugs” day, and there’s shipping, and I don’t know if these are GOOD mugs or if they’re just FUN mugs.
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I don’t know. Can you help? What travel mug are you using, and what do you like and dislike about it? Does it keep the coffee hot for a long time? Does it leak? Are you happy with the lid? Is it pretty? What would you look for if you were replacing it?
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Contigo mugs are great. Double-insulated and pretty much 100% spillproof. A little spendy, maybe, but they do a great job.
Rachael | February 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
I’ve really been wanting one of those Brugo mugs. I guess it keeps your drink piping hot, but cools it a bit before it hits your lips. Maybe I’m just buying in to the hype, but it sounds super awesome.
Saly | February 23rd, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I use an OXO travel mug. I think I found it at Homegoods or Marshalls (BONUS!) on the cheap. It keeps my coffee warm for as long as it lasts me on the way to work in the morning. There is a button that you press to open or close the, um, opening. I have dropped it with coffee still inside, and as long as the the button is in the ‘closed’ position, it does not spill. (Battle test: This has been particularly handy in the morning when I am leaving the house trying to juggle two or three bags/purses, the mug, and herd my two cats to keep them from escaping.)
http://www.amazon.com/Grips-Plastic-LiquiSeal-Travel-Textured/dp/B000QJE3U8/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1298473509&sr=1-3
My husband recently bought a stainless steel bodum mug on amazon, and is happy with it. (Though I dislike that it is branded all over, but that is personal pref.) (He thought part of the lid was ergonomic for your thumb. Turns out it’s ergonomic to fit your nose into when you take a sip. That was a fun discovery!)
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Stainless-16-Ounce-Vacuum-Silicone/dp/B0026L7DUG/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1298473476&sr=1-8
I’m not sure about long-term insulation of either, though, as we just use them to drink our second (or third) cups of coffee on the way to work.
Caitlin | February 23rd, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I am currently a fan of the Tervis insulated cups! I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Amanda | February 23rd, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I have to say… that boring thermos is the best travel mug ever due to the way it comes apart and the way my coffee is still hot enough to drink at 2pm. Yes it is boring.. but I have gone through countless fluffy mugs that were a pain to use.
For my water, I use the insulated stainless steel Contigo mugs with the push button. The button is intuitive and easy to push and drink from, and they come in tons of neat colors! But there’s an inner mechanism that I’m not even sure how you would clean.
jen (melty) | February 23rd, 2011 at 4:44 pm
I have been through A LOT of travel mugs. The best are the insulated ones with a vacuum seal so you have to press a button to drink. As someone who may or may not have spilled coffee all over her car once or twice, I love how they are 100% spill-proof. I bought mine at Costco - 2 for $20.
They are not super interesting to look at (stainless steel with a stripe of color), but I think of them as SLEEK. And they definitely keep my coffee hot.
Linda | February 23rd, 2011 at 4:58 pm
I have the Aladdin one! I love it. To me, the most important thing in a mug is that it be dishwasher safe. I don’t wash it in the dishwasher every day, but I do get grossed out by it and have to wash it at least once a week. It has held up well for over a year. Keeps my drinks nice and hot. I have to say, maybe my only teeny tiny complaint is that the little cover thingy on the top slides away to reveal the drink hole, but it is still sort of in the way, so it hits my nose a bit when I drink. But otherwise, I am a serial mug-buyer, and I haven’t bought a replacement in over a year. Maybe it comes in pink?
Leslie | February 23rd, 2011 at 5:10 pm
I have two of the Thermos travel mugs and love them. I initially hesitated because of the cost (I bought mine at Target and found them to be just a tiny bit more expensive than Amazon) - but they’ve been worth it. Whatever it lacks in exterior appeal is more than made up for by the fact that I can throw it in my bag and feel ok that everything won’t wind up covered with coffee.
sarahbb | February 23rd, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Only because I read my husbands Maxim every month before him do I know that this is the one that was rated number 1. They did a drop test, drip test, spill test, shake test and even ran them over. This one never spilled a single drop
http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-stainless-steel-travel-mug.html
Misguided Mommy | February 23rd, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Oh they also tested how long the heat stayed in and this one held heat over an hour longer then other brands. It’s pretty much full of awesome.
Misguided Mommy | February 23rd, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Wait I’m not sure my first comment went through. Maxim tested a ton of travel mugs and the Contigo won.
http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-stainless-steel-travel-mug.html
They tested drips, drops, spills, they threw it, dropped it and even ran it over. It held the heat in amazing and never spilled a drop. They tested the Brugo one that is supposed to cool a portion off before you drink it and they said it cracked when dropped and that it had a leakage problem. I need to pull the magazine back out to see if they tested the thermos one.
Misguided Mommy | February 23rd, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Wait I’m not sure my first comment went through. Maxim tested a ton of travel mugs and the Contigo won.
They tested drips, drops, spills, they threw it, dropped it and even ran it over. It held the heat in amazing and never spilled a drop. They tested the Brugo one that is supposed to cool a portion off before you drink it and they said it cracked when dropped and that it had a leakage problem. I need to pull the magazine back out to see if they tested the thermos one.
Misguided Mommy | February 23rd, 2011 at 7:00 pm
This is the kind I use: http://www.amazon.com/Copco-2510-9963-Reusable-16-Ounce-Capacity/dp/B0032Z7UJE/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_c
I think that’s the same brand. I bought mine at Macy’s and couldn’t find it anymore on their website.
I bought them as Christmas presents for teachers and a friend and kept the leftover for me. I LOVE it. It’s plain, but love it. It keeps my coffee hot for me, but not for a super long time, if that’s important to you.
Devan | February 23rd, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Aha it won’t let me post a comment with a link, I tried to link up the Contigo but it was a no go.
Misguided Mommy | February 23rd, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Oh, and mine has a pink thing instead of brown.
Devan | February 23rd, 2011 at 7:02 pm
If it’s an item you use frequently– and one that gets dropped and abused like a travel mug– you should get a high quality one even if it’s more expensive than a lower quality one. I mean, if you wind up replacing a cheap mug frequently, it can end up costing more than an expensive mug in the long run.
I’d go with a Thermos mug because of the reputation they have for quality. I don’t really care about color/pattern so much.
Brigid Keely | February 23rd, 2011 at 8:43 pm
I’m not loyal to a particular brand - I tend to drink my beverages before they have a chance to cool anyway - I HATE the kind with handles and narrow bottoms (the kind that are meant to fit into cupholders). They are too top heavy and they tip easily, especially in the pantry when empty. Hate.
Suzannah | February 23rd, 2011 at 11:15 pm
My husband and I both have Brugo mugs and love them. They keep things warm, but my favorite feature is the non-spill lid with the tip and sip that cools your drink a little before you sip it. And they come in lots of cute colors! http://www.brugomug.com/
Sarah- Mommy Daisy | February 24th, 2011 at 1:57 am
Also recommend the Contigo here. My husband travels 80 miles for work every day and has one in the car and one for his morning at work and the coffee is still piping hot when he gets there. Like some said, they are a little spendy, but worth it. They also have them at Costco now. I’ve never seen you mention Costco shopping trips, but just in case you are a member
sara m | February 24th, 2011 at 6:25 am
I have that same Copco mug Devan linked to - in fact, I have three of them. I bought the first one at Bed, Bath and Beyond, then I liked it so much that I picked up two more when I saw them cheaper at Shop Rite before Christmas. Love them!
susie | February 25th, 2011 at 3:04 am
I’m currently using travel tumblers with travel lids (came in set of four). They have the huge advantages of being both microwavable and dish-washer safe. They also are easy to drink out of and fit into most cup holders.
The disadvantages are that the lids snap on, and I fairly often don’t get it fully snapped; it seems to be on snuggly but isn’t. And leaks. On me. Before I discover the problem.
Also, I find the lids, once they ARE snuggly on, are hard to pry off. I’ve ended up wrestling with it, then having it suddenly come off and spray coffee everywhere.
Also, they’re not the coolest looking, in my opinion.
In spite of these problems, I’ve used nothing else for years, because the dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe advantages trump everything for me. I pop one in the dishwasher and help myself to another one as needed. If the coffee sits too long and finally gets cool, I pop the whole thing lid and all in the microwave and nuke it. Also, they’re guaranteed for life.
Susan | February 25th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
I don’t drink coffee or any hot beverages out of a travel mug. I’m not helpful, I just liked reading about the mugs.
HotchPotchery | February 26th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
I love love love the contigo travel mugs — I bought them at costco. They’re not stunningly pretty, but they’re amazingly functional. They’re more like thermoses with a button you push to dispense a sip to gulp of liquid, which sounds cumbersome but is actually not. The best part is that they are really really really spillproof, as in I chuck my thermos of tea in with my computer and papers into my work bag and then dash to the bus without worry about spilling. Things also stay piping hot for a really long time. We got one pack to start because we weren’t quite sure about it, but we quickly got more for ourselves and as gifts. They’re not particularly inexpensive, but they are awesome and worth every penny!
Guinevere | February 26th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
I bought one recently at OLD NAVY of all places, and it is our favorite travel mug ever! It has pictures of… wait for it… TRAVEL MUGS all over it. And the thing that makes it awesome is that the lid is a screw-shut type model: like, rather than having a little hole to drink from, you just unscrew to pop up the top piece and you can sip from ANYWHERE YOU WANT. Revolutionary, I know. The only downside is it isn’t dishwasher safe.
Sarah | February 28th, 2011 at 2:16 am
I have a stainless steel mug that I got at Starbucks at least 7 years ago. I got it in a clearance bin for around $10, so not super cheap, but it still works great–no lid issues, no dent issues, and it keeps the coffee good and hot for hours. It’s a standard, no-handle 16 ouncer with a black rubber grip around the middle.
bethy | March 1st, 2011 at 6:36 am
I have that exact green one and like it a lot but find that plastic tends to pick up flavors so now I buy only stainless steel travel mugs (where just the LID picks up flavors). The ones I use now are from costco but the rubbery taste of the lid took forever to go away.
I’m no help am I? Except to say that in my experience you get what you pay for so the cheapo/logo ones are usually crap (so I wouldn’t do zazzle)
Melissa H | March 7th, 2011 at 2:42 am