From The Strategist: the 13 Best Travel Mugs

• February 23, 2020

If you’re an avid coffee drinker and you’re toying with the idea of a zero-waste (or lower-waste) lifestyle, your first step should be bringing your own thermos or mug to your local java spot. Trading your daily paper to-go cup for a more eco-conscious reusable mug isn’t just about sustainability. Experts like Natalie Slavutsky of Brooklyn Diamond Coffee agree that coffee actually tastes better out of ceramic, glass, or stainless steel than paper or plastic. “You’re just getting a better cup of coffee than in a paper cup,” says Slavutsky.

If that doesn’t convince you to make a change, “many cafés reward customers who bring in reusable drink ware with a discount for helping them move towards being more sustainable,” says Allie Caran, director of education at Partner’s Coffee. Here are the best reusable mugs and tumblers to bring into your local coffee shop according to baristas, coffee entrepreneurs, and one environmentally minded former Strategist editor.

KeepCup 12 oz. reusable coffee cup

More than any other brand, KeepCup kept coming up in our conversations. These small glass cups were originally designed by two former baristas in Melbourne, Australia, making it easier for people like Joanna Lareau, barista at Blue Bottle Coffee, to do their jobs. “I like KeepCups because they’re made for baristas to pour into so they’re the easiest for us to make latte art in,” says Lareau. She also notes that, because of their small size, KeepCups are easier to use when making cortados or cappuccinos. “Some reusable cups are so big they don’t fit into the espresso machine,” she says. Ryan Fisher, director of operations and roaster at GoodBoyBob Coffee in Santa Monica, California, likes KeepCups because they’re stylish and the glass gets his coffee to the exact temperature he likes quickly.

Nearly all of the baristas we talked to say that their biggest pet peeve is customers bringing in less-than-clean reusable cups. So finding one that’s simple to rinse out will both make your barista happy and keep your lattes tasting fresh. According to Samya Said, barista training manager for Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea, KeepCups are just as good as any rival mugs in this category. Plus they’re made with an inner slope, which she says “allows baristas to pour amazing art every time.”

Miir 12 oz. Camp Cup insulated mug

Two of the coffee experts we spoke to gave this stainless-steel insulated mug with a lid top billing. Emily Orendorff, a barista at Intelligentsia Coffee, prefers the Miir Camp Cup because, as she explains, “it’s shaped just like the mugs we use in the café (short and wide with a great handle) so it’s a breeze for baristas to make your drink in it, as well as easy to clean and to drink out of.” While Caleb Chauncey, a barista at East Pole Coffee Co. in Atlanta, likes that its insulated interior keeps drinks warm or cold for long periods of time — and it keeps a consistent temperature on the outside, too. “It won’t burn your hand if you have a hot beverage inside and it won’t sweat when you have a cold one,” he says. Like Orendorff, Chauncey also called out the mug’s handle as something most travel mugs don’t include and says he’s partial to the matte black finish.

Kinto To Go Tumbler

Haley Boyd, a designer and sustainability enthusiast, has tried more than a her fair share of reusable coffee cups over the last few years. She likes this simply shaped option from Japanese brand Kinto best, mostly because of the design. “This cup is my favorite. It’s attractive and comes in a solid color without a huge logo, which is surprisingly hard to find,” she says.

Kinto Travel Tumbler

If you’re hoping to keep your coffee hot all day long, Kinto also makes an attractive tumbler. Chris and Lindsay Grodzki of S&S Corner Shop in Springs, New York, love these simple Japanese tumblers. “These travel tumblers keep your drinks hot or cold for hours,” says Lindsay, who appreciates how easy they are to clean and use again. “Our customers love these, and so do we,” she says.

Joco 16 oz. glass reusable coffee cup

“We’ve definitely seen a movement to eliminate single-use drinkware grow in coffee industry, particularly in the past year,” says Caran. According to her, if you’re using a mug for coffee, glass or stainless steel is best because it won’t absorb strong flavors or aromas. “At Partners, we really like the glass mugs made by Joco, an Australian brand that makes a beautiful and functional line of products that are entirely plastic-free,” Caran says.

Frank Green travel coffee mug

Fisher says he’s been seeing more and more customers with Frank Green travel mugs. Though they’re made of a special thermoplastic that’s BPA-free and dishwasher-safe (as opposed to ceramic, glass, or stainless steel), Fisher says these tumblers “keep drinks either hot or cold for hours.” He prefers when customers use reusable mugs, cups, or tumblers that are similarly shaped to standard paper cups or ceramic mugs, as that’s what he is used to pouring into. This 12-ounce tumbler fits easily in your hand or your car’s cupholder, and according to Fisher, has “a totally spill-proof lid.”

Miir 12 oz. Travel Tumbler

For a thermal mug, Caran loves the minimal and functional design of this tumbler from Miir. “It’s super-sleek, retains heat (and cold) really well, and never leaks,” she says.

Hydro Flask 12 oz. Food Flask

Former Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens uses this Hydro Flask for her daily caffeine dose. “I drink lattes, which are eye-rollingly expensive when you add the almond milk and the tip and maybe get it iced. I got this thermos-like container for my morning coffee. Its stocky profile reminds me of the soup containers we all lugged around in elementary school.”

Otterbox Elevation 20 Tumbler

Vivienne Weidmann of Blue Bottle reminds us how important good lid design can be with her pick for the best travel tumbler. “What I like about the design of this lid in particular is that the mouth piece is big enough for me to sip the coffee without burning myself and there’s no space for milk or coffee or whatever I’m drinking to dry up and collect in.”

Yeti Rambler 30 oz. stainless steel tumbler

As a former espresso slinger at Marlow & Sons in Brooklyn, Derek Van Heule of Sticks Coffee Roasting in Mariposa, California, has had a while to refine his tumbler tastes. His go-to is the Yeti Rambler. “It fits into my car cupholder — a lot of travel mugs don’t — and it keeps my coffee hot for a long time. I like that it’s simply designed and durable,” he says.

Contigo Snapseal Byron stainless steel travel mug

For something that won’t break the bank (or upset you too much if you lose it) Casey Roberts of Everyman Espresso is a fan of this snap-top thermos that doesn’t spill or leak. “The Contigo brand is good, especially if you’re looking for something that travels well in a bag.”

Zojirushi 12 oz. Stainless Mug

Coffee director Gina Gerfao of Blue State Coffee knows it’s important to encourage people if you want to make real change. “Part of our mission is to minimize our environmental impact through sustainable practices, so we try to incentivize customers to bring their own mug by offering a 50-cent discount.” Her pick, the Zojirushi insulated travel mug, has also been a Strategist favorite for years.

Ember Mug temperature-control ceramic cup

If, like Ryan Seacrest, you’re fanatic about drinking your coffee at the optimal temperature, you’ll love the Ember travel mug. Seacrest included the Ember Mug in his list of things he can’t live without. “I have a very precise morning, and I only get my first half-cup of coffee before I end up having to get into the car,” he says. “When I get into the car, I transfer it into this mug. You can program the temperature so it stays hot throughout the course of the morning, and I find that to be a luxury.” The battery-powered thermos keeps any drink at perfect temperature for as long as you need. A simple twist of the bottom allows you to adjust the temperature. But if that’s too much work, you can customize your mug through an app on your phone.

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If you’re an avid coffee drinker and you’re toying with the idea of a zero-waste (or lower-waste) lifestyle, your first step should be bringing your own thermos or mug to your local java spot. Trading your daily paper to-go cup for a more eco-conscious reusable mug isn’t just about sustainability.…