Bodum 11068-01 Vacuum Travel Mug, 0.35 L - Small, Black, S (Pack of 1)

I’ve had another one of these for several years & it’s been absolutely brilliant. Wanted another to stay in the car as I keep forgetting to take it with me. They keep drinks so hot with the lid on, they can last for hours. I did burn my mouth the first time I ever used one though as it was still so unexpectedly hot so be warned! They look smart & are light enough to carry in a bag without any issues. If I had to criticise anything it would be that the rubber seal on the lid is hard to keep clean so eventually over time it discolours with staining from coffee etc. It’s a minor thing though & doesn’t affect the usage. The colour is really nice (bought the rose gold for myself & pewter for my husband). My old mug has scratched a little over the years & when comparing it to the new one it’s not as shiny but still looks great given its age & the amount of usage. The lid is good too, the flip catch is easy to operate one-handed & it pours accurately meaning you don’t spill it everywhere when sipping. I’ve left the lid flipped open in the car several times to help drinks cool down enough to drink & it doesn’t slop out either which is great. I’ve tried other travel mugs & there’s no comparison, these are worth every penny!

As a product that fulfils its title, it ticks all the boxes (or stars). Its very well made and, importantly, well designed. It has a look of quality and feel of durability around it. However, in use there are things to watch for that are not necessarily the fault of the product, more of its use and could be applied to other reusable mugs.Firstly, its stainless steel. The rubber grip around it provides an secure way of holding it, even with gloves but if you carry this externally (Ie in a pouch on the side of the bag) the whole lot eventually reduces down in temperature to meet the ambient. What this means in winter when your barista adds the coffee it can be going into a vessel that's as cold as a cup straight from the fridge, so ask them to give it a hot water rinse before adding the coffee. Once up to temperature its excellent at retaining the heat and keeps the contents hot enough for your walk to the office or for slow drinking. Talking of the grip, the diameter overall might not suit small hands so that's the only knock of a star of the ease of holding.The design means its leak proof, *if* you fasten it correctly. When the lid is screwed on it can appear ok, drink ok but with a gap a bit bigger than that required to put your thumbnail in it can leak. Its not a fault of the mug or design but in use the barista putting the lid on may not be familiar so ensure its properly screwed on.When you look at the size and capacity it seems ok, about a normal cup size. Its 355ml capacity is sort of inline with a 'tall' coffee. In use I've found that what you get from the barista is around 300ml. In places where they're not too diligent about how the milk is steamed or the quantity of foam to liquid, the resulting "Slopochino" means that what you get is very little liquid. IMHO, the foam in this mug adds no value so asking for 'no foam' gives better experience and value for money.I've also been charged for a 'medium' size drink (Ie one around 450ml) because the mug looks a lot larger than its true capacity. If it was plastic, ala the cheap Starbucks reusables, etc then its probably more closer but the raised bottom in this mug, while helping for the general heat retention, subtracts from the volume. So, make sure you ask for 'small/tall' and correct/challenge if they want to charge for medium.So, usability aside, its rather nice and would purchase again.

This thermos is not remotely leak-proof and needs to be kept upright ....and I'm okay with that. Why? Because every leak-proof cup that I've tried is genuinely impossible to fully clean, even with all the tiny little bottle brushes, and so you are eventually drinking black mould.This is a doddle to clean in the dishwasher. I'm not sure if it is listed as dishwasher safe or not, but it took about 5 years of daily dishwashering for my previous one to need replacing (eventually the plastic lid didn't screw properly into the metal cup, and so wasn't secure.)It also holds its heat better than any other cup I've tried. It doesn't feel warm at all from the outside because all of the heat is held inside. The only downer to this is that I need to make my drink well in advance of leaving the house so that it has time to cool before I put the lid on, as if not it will take hours to cool to a drinkable temperature!