The Best Small Thermoses to Keep Your Drinks Warm or Cool
If you’re going to bring your food and coffee to work, then you’ll need to find a way to keep it as fresh and warm (or cool) as possible. The only way you’ll manage to do that is with the help of a small thermos.
A small thermos is great for taking hot or cold drinks on the go, especially if you want to save something for later or parcel it throughout the day. But not all Thermoses are created equal. Some are easy to use when driving, and some are great for enjoying your lunch. Some are easy to clean, while others are made of a million small parts. That’s why we’ve taken the time to find the best small thermoses for everybody’s needs.
Heads up: thermoses are great for saving money. Why would you buy a $5 coffee during your work break, when you can bring a coffee from home for much cheaper? Since all of the thermoses that we’re suggesting run under $30, the money that you save on coffee or tea could easily pay for your thermos in less than a week.
Zojirushi Stainless 12 oz Travel Mug ($23)
Zojirushi, the company that’s become famous for their hot pots and rice cookers, has reapplied their vacuum insulation technology to the world of beverages. While it’s common for old-fashioned tumblers to create a vacuum seal (to control temperature and prevent spillage), it’s not very common for tumblers with push-button lids to have reliable vacuum seal technology. It’s nice to know that you can throw this easy-to-open mug in your bag without getting flaming hot coffee all over the place, especially at a $23 price point. It’s also nice to know that this thermos can keep your drink hot for up to 12 hours, which should be more than enough time to get most people through their day.
When a thermos looks a little bit complicated, you can bet your luck that it’s difficult to clean. Tumblers that have mechanical tops, like the Zojirushi, are usually made up of a handful of rubber gaskets, plastic lips, and hinged lids. Although the Zojirushi is made up of 5 separate parts (three of them are small plastic parts) they’re easy to separate, clean, and reassemble. To most people, the convenience of a push-button lid and a tapered lip are worth cleaning a few tiny parts. Especially if you’re always walking or driving around.
Thermos Compact Insulated 16 oz Stainless Bottle ($20)
If you’re looking for a thermos that feels both classic and contemporary, then you should check out the Thermos brand compact 16 oz tumbler. It has all the earmarks of an old Thermos, including a lid that doubles as a cup. But the mug also looks stylish, and it has a plastic stopper that prevents any kind of spillage, even when you forget to fully tighten the lid. The stopper can also double as a spout if you don’t fully unscrew it. Think of a pitcher of creamer at a coffeeshop.