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Since I started consuming coffee and commuting to work (two activities that began almost simultaneously), I have had an interest in travel mugs. While I strongly prefer to drink coffee out of a ceramic mug, I am far too accident prone to carry around a mug of coffee and expect the result to be anything but disappointing.

Needless to say, I have owned quite a few travel coffee mugs over the years. Recently I have been using three travel mugs on and off in a rotation as the situation dictates and I thought I should profile and review them.

Here are overviews of the Liquid Hardware Aurora Vacuum Insulated Coffee Mug, Miir’s eight ounce tumbler and the modular 12 ounce Keep Cup. They are all distinctly different and I have entrusted many carefully hand brewed milliliters of delicious coffee to the trio these last six months.

Liquid Hardware Aurora Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

Earlier this year before things got insanely crazy at the BCM household (you could just read my Where did John go post from 2017 and insert a relocation, a fourth child and insane amounts of overtime in my excuses list), a small company in Idaho reached out and offered to send me their Aurora Vacuum Insulated travel mug. The travel mug features double-walled stainless steel interior, a plastic lid with a rare earth magnet (hard drive and MacBook safe) and a unique style.

Liquid Hardware’s thermos has a stainless steel canister that can take a beating (re: accident proneness). Shortly after my Liquid Hardware mug arrived, it suffered a catastrophic fall onto a concrete floor, while the plastic top sustained some damage (liquid hardware graciously replaced mine but the replacement tops are fairly inexpensive should yours also suffer a calamity) the bottom looks the same as the day I received it. Since then I have taken my mug on a canoe camping trip, carelessly thrown it into my gym bag multiple times a week and toted it around to all sorts of places with no issues.

This travel mug also makes a great water bottle once you have finished your daily joe. The 16 ounce travel mug strikes a perfect balance between keeping the beverage hot (or cold) but not forever scorching. Your coffee will gently cool over a couple hours so you have time to savor and enjoy.

Should you be intrigued with having a travel mug/water bottle combo, Liquid Hardware sells a different top to make it Clark Kent (because the coffee thermos is the Superman) into a full on water bottle.

The only downside is that my v60 (BCM current daily brewer of choice) does not fit on the top. I have to brew into a carafe and then pour into my travel mug.

The Liquid Hardware travel mug has been my daily to-go commuter companion since early March and I there is no sign of that changing. I value it for the volume it holds, the right amount of insulation without keeping your coffee scorching for days on end, and its spill proofness (spills at my job are a definite no no)

The Miir Eight Ounce Tumbler

The wonderful staff over at crema.co sent me this little tumbler (and some delicious coffee) as a house warming gift a few months ago and I love it. It is petite, keeps coffee hot and enthusiastically displays the word “Cheers” on the lid.

I use this travel mug when I am traveling light and recently have found it to be a great companion with Sudden Coffee (which is traditionally mixed with eight ounces of hot water). I can simply drop a vial of Sudden Coffee inside, put on the lid and toss the tiny tumbler in my backpack or lunchbox.

Since it is not spill proof and a little on the small side, I have occasionally spilled some coffee out of the over-filled tumbler when not paying attention (it is definitely more spill proof than a ceramic mug). It also fits in my car cup holder better than a mug.

The size is a little limiting for my morning coffee (which is usually 16 ounces). The v60 does fit on this tumbler but looks a little precarious and top heavy. I opt for brewing into a carafe and transferring with for thermos as well.

Overall, this is a good choice for someone who doesn’t mind drinking from stainless steel, isn’t concerned about having a travel mug that is spill proof and doesn’t drink huge amounts of coffee. It is also a great size to pick up a small batch brew coffee from a local coffee shop.

The 12 Ounce Glass Keep Cup

My wife gave me my Keep Cup a year or two ago and I have found it to be a worthy coffee companion as well. Keep Cup has a vast amount of color options and combinations, which is pretty fun. You can make it look however you want (they even have Star Wars themed cups).

Keep Cup has a range of sizes and also cups made of plastic if you are not into the glass. Personally, I enjoy drinking coffee from glass or ceramic but it is a give-and-take. You do not get the same level of spill proofness or accident prone insurance with a glass Keep Cup (I have already broken one).

The Keep Cup is the closest to drinking out of ceramic mug when you remove the top and I typically drink from it sans top. I am not a fan of how the coffee tastes when drinking through the plastic lid.

Because of it’s design, the glass Keep Cup fairs the worst of the three at keeping coffee hot. The coffee will cool at a slightly slower rate than a ceramic mug but will not give you the option of slowly enjoying piping hot coffee.

The Keep Cup is a great option if you are looking for a more portable option that is not stainless steel or plastic. The abundant supply of color combinations make it fun to customize a travel mug to your liking. The championed v60 fits on the top of the mug without issue and they feature sizes that are compatible with most disposable coffee cups used at coffee shops. Think of it like an upgraded disposable coffee cup as far as its spill resistance and heat retention and your expectations will be exceeded.

What’s your favorite coffee travel mug and why? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers!