Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Review

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List Price: $40.00
Sale Price: $30.21
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This is literally the best thermos I have ever owned!

Temperature: I poured hot tea in it and was so busy I didnt drink it at school all day. So on my way home (10 hours later) I decided I didnt want to waste good tea and took a swig. OMG NOT A GOOD IDEA. It was still too hot for me! Even though I regretted that for a few seconds I was really surprised and impressed by this. Just for fun one time I tested it by pouring boiling water in it then 2 min later putting the cap on. I then checked the temp 18 hours later. Still hot. STILL HOT. Not warm. HOT. I do live in a warmer area so the coldest environmental temp was probably like 68-70F. With a vacuum seal that shouldnt matter but its worth mentioning.

Cleaning: so easy! It comes apart and you can just wash and dry everything really well. Then reassemble in a few seconds. I even accidentally left milk and coffee go a little stinky in here once and after a regular wash there was no smell at all. That only happened one time but I was really happy about the lack of reminders of my mistake.

Use: I have definitely locked this and just tossed it into my bag before. Its very secure and I have had 0 spills in 6 months of use. Also I like that when you tilt it to drink you dont get a Niagara Falls size gush of liquid onto your face.

VIDEO: b/c I was confused about the parts so I thought others could use the help.

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I've used both the Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Backpack Bottle, Smoke Color and the Zojirushi mug and have compared them both. If you are somebody like me, who commutes a long way every day to get to work, and you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for coffee every day (Hey, two bucks a cup adds up!) then you need a mug that you can easily travel with, won't leak, and keeps coffee hot for long periods of time. These mugs both claim to be good travel mugs, and keep the liquids hot/cold for extraneous amounts of time. Let me break them down. First I'll go over the Zojirushi:

PROS:

-Slim figure, easily fits in cup holders

-Easy to carry/grasp shape

-Holds true to its claims, it really keeps liquids hot!

-Easy to break apart and clean

-Doesn't emit heat on outside to burn hands

-Securely locks the lid

-Top easily screws on

CONS:

-Small mouth

-Difficult to clean inside

-Lid springs open, but spring isn't strong enough to keep lid open. Will discuss later

Now lets talk about the Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Backpack Bottle, Smoke Color:

PROS:

-Large mouth for easy sipping

-Keeps liquids hot for good periods of time

-Larger mouth allows for easier pouring of liquids inside it

-Larger inside allows for easier cleaning

-Easy grip shape, but a little more difficult to fit in cup holders

CONS:

-Lid does not lock securely enough. Will discuss later

-Top is not 100% waterproof.

-Top does not separate easily for cleaning

Now let me discuss them both and give my final recommendation. Both mugs claim to keep liquids hot and cold for long periods of time. I found in my personal tests, along with tests done with other members of my family, that the Zojirushi actually keeps liquids hotter for longer. My hypothesis is that since the Nissan/Thermos has a larger opening and mouth, it allows for more heat to escape even though both mugs are made of basically the same material, stainless steel. I've also found that the Nissan/Thermos mug leaks. I've found this multiple times, and it seems there's an issue with the O ring inside the mug, it's just not enough. If you compare the O ring to the Zojirushi, you'll find it is made to fit a lot more snugly inside of the mug and is higher quality.

Another issue is the locking lids. I've found the Zojirushi's lid locking device to be exceptional, it won't leak, period. The Nissan/Thermos lid relies on a ring to swing up to lock the lid, potentially allowing for just a slight amount of space for liquid to leak out (which also probably is why there's less heat retention).

Speaking of lids, lets get to the opening of the lids. Both mugs allow for you to press a button and the top swings open. This is where the Nissan/Thermos lid shines. When you press the button, the lid opens fast with a strong spring that will keep it open, but will allow for easy closing. The lid also does not swing if you should move the mug, it's pretty securely held by the spring. The Zojirushi mug does the same thing, however they rely on a weaker spring to keep the lid open, and then there's a notch at the end which will "lock" the lid open if it goes far enough. Problem is if you happen to unlock the lid but go to take a swig from the mug, the lid will bop you on the nose because it isn't nearly as strong as the Nissan/Thermos.

Both mugs do not emit heat on the outside of the mug, you'd never be able to tell if there was hot substances inside unless you opened it up which is good, it means they both attempt to keep the best amount of heat inside.

Lets talk about cleaning. Both mugs have a slim design so it is a little difficult to clean inside them unless you have a brush. Where the Zojirushi shines is that you can disconnect the lid from the top of the mug and clean everything, but the Nissan/Thermos does not...or at least I haven't been able to figure it out easily.

Overall my review will recommend the Zojirushi. The mug doesn't leak so I can fill it up and throw it in my bag to drink after I get off the train, it's easy to clean and retains heat a lot better then the other mug.

Best Deals for Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

First off i did some extensive searching. One of my biggest issues was cleaning the mouth piece that gets gunk'd up with coffee after a certain time. the more popular models like the Contigo AUTOSEAL Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, 16 Ounces, Black have this issue where you cannot take it apart and even handwashing wont help.

So for me i've thrown out several cheaper travel mugs so i decided to invest into the Zojirushi models. NOW to be clear the other versions DO NOT have a dissembling mouth piece. yes they are cheaper but this new model is the only one that comes apart in this style.

So here are the pluses and minuses.

+ Slim. fits easily into my german car cup holder (BMW) you know how small these german car companies make them.

+ Open button. Super convenient for one handed operation.

+ Easy to Clean. again the stopper comes apart. i rinse and let it air dry. i also use a bottle brush to keep my investment clean OXO Good Grips Bottle Brush

+ Sexy. It's a sleek dark blue. I had the other color as well but found that too feminine so i did return that. I've gotten compliments for how stylish and functional it is. But the price is a little like 'oh' check ebay

+ Coffee was still hot after a few hours. Okay im used to it cooling down not burning my mouth every time i go for a slip so i'll have to get used to this!

+ Volume. 2 cups of coffee worth actually it looks like it holds more unless my french press robbed me of some water/coffee.

Price. It's expensive. IT's too bad we couldn't order from Japan Amazon because it goes way cheaper and they have BLACK!

No way to brew loose leaf tea in there. I knew that going in but it still is a bit of a bummer. So i have to transfer the contents.

Anyways i HIGHLY recommend it. i love it.

Please see the photo for a real world office setting lol

Happy Drinking!

Honest reviews on Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

I purchased one for myself first & after trying it out. I purchased 10 more for family & friends.

Everyone loves it. It keeps your drinks hot or cold for hours & it doesn't leak. It's slim, lite & fits anywhere. I just lock & throw it into my bag & I don't have to worry about it leaking.

I have tried so many thermos from cheap one to very expensive camping ones & none of them works like Zojirushi.

I use it for cold drinks. I put 2 ice cubes in the afternoon & when I come home from work 8-10 hours later my drink is still cold & I come back with tiny little ice cubes still in it. And it doesn't have sweat beads outside. The insulation is so good that if you put boiling water in it & touch the outside, it feels perfectly room temperature. The cap comes apart & is super easy to clean. I'm so happy & excited this is stainless steel thermo mug that works. I tell everyone about it. Just wish they have more colors.

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At around $30, this was the priciest travel mug I've ever purchased. So why did I not go for a cheaper one? Well, I've gone through several of the ones you can get at Starbucks, Panera, and various other places. Some were okay and some were complete junk. When my last one fell apart while I was washing it, I decided to check Amazon to see what was on offer and found this 16 ouncer. It was the size I wanted, plus it seemed well designed. The reviews were positive, and I have a Zojirushi coffee maker that I love, so the brand recognition was there.

What I like:

The lid seals and locks. No more spills in the car when I hit a speed bump. I can put it in the side pocket of my backpack without worry.

The lid is spring loaded and I can open and close it with one hand.

The lid can be completely disassembled, including the gaskets, for thorough cleaning.

Insulation keeps my coffee hot for... well I'm not sure how long because I've always finished it before it's gone cold. The last drop is as hot as the first sip.

If it holds up over time, then it will be well worth the purchase price to me.