In the test: Stanley thermo mug with closure and almost 500 ml capacity

The button for the closure is exactly where the index finger is anyway when you have the cup in your hand. It can be opened very quickly while drinking and closes again by itself thanks to the spring mechanism.

Every now and then I unfortunately have to bother you with achievements that, with the best will in the world, have nothing to do with Apple. I just take the liberty of sprinkling here and there a report about a product that has nothing to do with computers or smartphones, but which is still remarkable. The current case is a thermal mug from Stanley, which of the reusable coffee-to-go mugs is actually the best I've had in my fingers so far. There is even a photo to prove that the thermo mug can at least be used in parallel with the MacBook and so maybe a mention by Sir Apfelot is okay. ;-)

No time to read the whole article? Then it works here directly to my thermo mug recommendation.

The Stanley vacuum mug is fully compatible with the MacBook and has earned a blog post (Photos: Sir Apfelot).
The Stanley vacuum mug is fully compatible with the MacBook and has earned a blog post (Photos: Sir Apfelot).

Transparency notice

Since after proofreading the article I noticed that I hadn't expressed any criticism of the product and for this reason the post might look a bit like surreptitious advertising, I would like to point out that I have not received any payment from Stanley. Not even the mug, because I bought it in a local outdoor shop. The fact that there is no criticism to be read here and that I only have words of praise for the cup is solely due to the fact that - from my point of view - there is nothing to complain about about the thing. Except maybe that, with a weight of over 300 grams, it is probably not for ultra-light backpackers. But that's about it. ;-)

Sir Apfelot competition for newsletter readers

I have thought that I would like to raffle off one of these thermo mugs among my newsletter readers. Those who want to take part in the raffle are best to wear here in my weekly newsletter a. In one or two weeks, the actual competition will be announced and the - as always extremely difficult - competition question will be announced. ;-)

Short trip to Stanley

To be honest, I was personally unfamiliar with the Stanley brand, but my wife, who was born in Pennsylvania, explained to me that Stanley was best known in the United States for its lunch boxes. When I took a photo of the Classic lunch box I was also familiar with the thing.

Part of the standard equipment of American craftsmen: The Stanley Lunchbox Classic (Photo: Amazon).
Part of the standard equipment of American craftsmen: The Stanley Lunchbox Classic (Photo: Amazon).

In addition to lunch boxes, Stanley produces a lot more: tool cases, tools, camping utensils, vacuum jugs, sorting boxes and of course the thermal mug mentioned here Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug.

My sad experiences with other insulating mugs

Do you know that too? You usually only know what to look for when choosing products when you have had enough experience with a few bad variants. It was the same with my previous coffee-to-go mugs:

  • My first bamboo cup for 15 euros just fell into the sink and cracked.
  • My second bamboo cup for 18 euros became so brittle after about 10 to 20 cycles in the dishwasher that it also cracked and leaked.
  • My first stainless steel thermo mug for 25 euros and with a slide cup closure actually remained intact, but the closure became so bitchy after a week that I often couldn't get my coffee because it wouldn't open.
  • My second stainless steel beaker could no longer be used because of the lock, as the mechanics made of cheap plastic, magnet and spring fell apart after two weeks.
  • With all of the mugs there was also the fact that they let the coffee run out drop by drop if they fell over in the backpack.

What is important in a good insulating mug ...

As you can see: I didn't have a lot of positive experiences and that despite the sometimes decent prices of around 25 euros. But I learned from it what is important in a good coffee-to-go insulating mug:

  • It must have a simple, reliable lock.
  • It should be possible to open and close the lock with one hand (when driving a car).
  • The cup should survive falls.
  • It has to be easy to clean.
  • It has to be big enough for a decent white coffee (> 400 ml).
  • It should hold reliably tight and not open accidentally if it tips over.
  • If possible, it should also keep you warm or cold.
  • The shape of the insulating mug should be as cylindrical and "slim" as possible so that the mug fits in my mug holder in my VW bus.

Now that I had my “wish list” for a perfect thermal mug in mind, I ran into it recently while shopping in a regional outdoor store. The manager told me that he accidentally threw down a shelf with the mugs and now the slightly scratched models are available with a 30% discount (spoiler: unfortunately they are all gone). Since the cups looked very well made, I spontaneously took one with me in the size of 473 ml without much thought.

Due to its robust exterior, the insulating mug is suitable for both the office and camping.
The sturdy exterior makes the Stanley thermo mug suitable for both the office and camping adventures.

Lifetime warranty on all Stanley products

What I didn't know when I bought it: Stanley gives a lifetime guarantee on all of its products. On the Stanley website you will find this note for every product:

The fact that the lifelong guarantee is not an own goal for the manufacturer can be seen very quickly from the high quality of the cup (screenshot from the manufacturer's website).
The fact that the lifelong guarantee is not an own goal for the manufacturer can be seen very quickly from the high quality of the cup (screenshot from the manufacturer's website).

When companies communicate this so openly, they have to be very convinced of the quality of their products - or shut down the company after a few months and continue to sell their scrap under a new company name, as some China stalls do. Nothing against China stalls in general (as you can see on the bottom print of the thermo mug, Stanley also has production in China), but the construction itself is apparently well thought out, sufficiently tested and the quality control seems to work too. Since Stanley has a company history of over 100 years (according to Wiki since 1913), one can assume that they will not risk their good brand name with empty promises. This is also shown by my previous experience with the Stanley insulating mug.

"Made in China" does not necessarily have to mean inferior products. Stanley shows that it can be different.
"Made in China" does not necessarily mean inferior products. Stanley shows that things can be different.

Sense of humor…

By the way, the official product description on the manufacturer's website is very humorous. I once translated it from English:

This travel mug is your copilot. It fits comfortably in the cup holder of your vehicle. It will keep your coffee hot for 9 hours. The only thing you can't do with it is pew-pew-pew sounds when you squeeze the mug's action trigger to fire imaginary lasers at the minivan that is driving in the fast lane with 45 things. Drive safely and drink.

My experiences with the Stanley thermo mug

I put the mug (BPA-free, by the way!) into operation at home immediately after buying it. Rinsed briefly and the first latte came in. The closure is remarkable because it is almost always firmly closed and you have to open it by pressing a mechanical button - hence the name "Trigger Action". As soon as you let go of the button, the cup closes again – reliably. So reliable that I recently put the mug in the shopping basket with a certified extract from the land register of friends without having the slightest worry that my coffee might mess up the entire documents. Luckily, the Stanley vacuum mug didn't let me down and the documents remained intact.

The button for the closure is exactly where the index finger is anyway when you have the cup in your hand. It can be opened very quickly while drinking and closes again by itself thanks to the spring mechanism.
The button for the closure is exactly where the index finger is anyway when you have the cup in your hand. It can be opened very quickly while drinking and closes again by itself thanks to the spring mechanism.

The cup made another very positive impression when it was cleaned, because the actual cup is made of stainless steel and is cylindrical throughout, so that it can be cleaned very well. The lid consists of two elements that can be separated from each other by turning slightly and then quickly rinsed off with water. Neither the stainless steel nor the plastic of the lid, for example, strongly accept the latte, so that you can do a lot of cleaning with just water before you have to use detergent at some point.

The lid can be easily dismantled by turning the elongated bar about 20 degrees counter-clockwise. Then the mechanism can be taken apart so that it is easier to clean.
The lid can be easily dismantled by turning the elongated bar about 20 degrees counter-clockwise. Then the mechanism can be taken apart so that it is easier to clean.

 

The locking mechanism in the Stanley cup is simple and robust. It can be quickly dismantled, cleaned and reassembled.
The locking mechanism in the Stanley cup is simple and robust. It can be quickly dismantled, cleaned and reassembled.

And here comes the next plus point: All parts of the Stanley mug can be put in the dishwasher. I have already run it through several times and so far neither the paint has come off the stainless steel cup, nor have the plastic parts or the mechanics been damaged.

The drinking attachment is completely rounded and feels pleasant and not sharp-edged when drinking. The opening remains clean and closes automatically without spilling.
The drinking attachment is completely rounded and feels pleasant and not sharp-edged when drinking. The opening remains clean and closes automatically without spilling.

One thing I haven't tried yet is the cup's durability from falls. However, the stainless steel mug and the compact closure give the impression that in the event of a fall, the wooden floor at home is more likely to get a dent than the insulating mug is damaged. I don't want to promise that with stone and tiles, but on "normal" terrain there won't be much damage.

I can't say much about the insulating properties, as I usually only fill it with hot, but drinkable coffee anyway, which should be around 50 ° C to 60 ° C. Since I then gradually empty the mug for hours, it is clear that the coffee is no longer hot after a few hours. According to the manufacturer, it keeps hot drinks (such as freshly brewed tea) hot for up to 9 hours. In order to achieve the longest possible warming time, the thermo mug is rinsed with hot water before it is actually filled.

Compatibility with the car cup holder

I was also able to quickly tick off the point “mug fits in the cup holder of my car”. While my old coffee-to-go cups sat "very tightly" in the holder and sometimes could only be fitted back into the holder with two hands, the Stanley thermal mug sits with a little leeway, so that the retaining clip cannot even be opened completely must.

Once you have satisfied your drinking needs, you can put the cup back into the holder without much fiddling. This is important to me so that the whole action doesn't distract me from driving. The Stanley mug also got full marks here.

Due to the simple cylindrical design, the cup is very easy to clean on the one hand and it is stable in every car cup holder that I was able to test on the other.
Due to the simple, cylindrical design, the cup is very easy to clean on the one hand and on the other hand it is stable in every car cup holder that I have been able to test so far.

Cups with 354 ml and 473 ml capacity

The Stanley Classic Trigger Action thermo mug is available in the sizes 354 ml and 473 ml. I got the large version because I always make a white coffee with extra milk in the morning and then drink it until noon. With the 354 ml, the whole thing would be a bit too tight.

When drinking tea, the 473 ml is also a good choice for me, since you have about the amount of two to three teacups. A whole pot is often too much for me and a small cup is usually not enough. The almost 500 ml are simply the "perfect mixture". If you prefer the smaller version, you can also select it on Amazon. There you will also find the different color variants.

Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug 354 ml / 12OZ Hammertone Green - Double-walled, ...
  • PERFECT DRINKING BOTTLE FOR ON THE GO: The Stanley Trigger Action coffee mug is the perfect companion for everyday ...
  • ROBUST AND SAFE: The Stanley thermo mug is "built to last": made of high quality, rustproof 18/8 ...
  • LEAK-PROOF: The innovative closure of this coffee mug to go does not leak and is easy to close with one hand ...

No products found.

Insulating mug with engraving - a nice gift idea

I saw on Amazon that you can also find every model in the Product variant “with name engraving” can choose. This costs about 8 euros more and allows you to determine a text that is then lasered onto the silver edge of the stainless steel cup.

If you order the variant with engraving from Amazon, you can define the text (emojis are not allowed!) In the shopping cart.
If you order the variant with engraving from Amazon, you can define the text (emojis are not allowed!) In the shopping cart.

You can see where the engraving is placed in this product picture:

The name is engraved with a laser on the bare stainless steel edge. Unfortunately, you can't choose the font, but luckily they didn't use "Comic Sans". :D
The name is engraved with a laser on top of the shiny stainless steel rim. You can't choose the font, but luckily they didn't use Comic Sans :D

Two thermo mugs for tea and coffee

Last tip: If you (like me) sometimes drink coffee and sometimes tea, you should buy two of the Stanley Classic Trigger Action insulating mugs at the same time. A few days ago I first drank mint tea with mint from the garden, then rinsed the mug with washing-up liquid and then filled it with coffee - and that was not a good idea. The drink attachment on the lid had somehow taken on the mint taste and my coffee was then flavored with Moroccan mint. That tasted a bit strange. For this reason, my second order with a white version of the thermal mug is already on the way to me.

 

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The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de

4 comments on "In the test: Stanley thermal mug with a lid and a capacity of almost 500 ml"

  1. Hi Jens,

    if this mug keeps what your report promises - and I assume 100% of it - then your tip was once again worth its weight in gold. I've been looking for something like this for a long time.

    Just as you describe it, I've bought countless of these mugs and I've never been satisfied with the result. Either the coffee was cold after 1 hour or the coffee was floating in my backpack because the mug wasn't tight enough. For others, the coffee tasted like tin or was otherwise inedible.

    When the weather is good, I like to grab my MacBook, get on my bike and drive to the Baltic Sea to write. Then I lie in a beach chair with my MacBook on my lap for half the day and write. The only thing I still need is my coffee.
    I ordered the mug today (via your link) and should receive it by 28.05.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX at the latest. I'm looking forward to it and I'll tell you when I'm sitting in a beach chair with it this year.

    You see, your report on this mug is not that far removed from Apple and fits perfectly into your blog.

    Best regards,
    Jochen

    1. Hello Jochen! Coffee, beach chairs and MacBook sounds like a nice working atmosphere! Unfortunately, the sea is too far away here to be able to quickly go there by bike. But about the mug: I've now ordered the third of them (one for tea and two for coffee, because one of them always goes into the dishwasher) and I'm still completely thrilled. I've even thought about giving one of my daughter's to school because apple spritzer often leaks in normal drinking bottles. But then I have to test again how it behaves with sparkling mineral water in the cup. But I think if you can shake freshly poured coffee without anything coming out, mineral water should work too. But I'll report again!
      And thank you for the feedback that the report is not too far off topic. I often have such discoveries and would like to pass them on. There will certainly be something to be found in the blog every now and then. If someone doesn't care, they can skip reading the article. ;-) LG! Jens

      1. When I showed my wife what I ordered, the feedback came immediately: "I want it too ... in white!"
        Since I ordered mine in white, it will probably be confiscated by her immediately and I will have to order a new one
        Kind regards Jochen

        1. Haha! We must never meet. I also ordered one in white, but my wife ordered one with an engraving. Since she can't steal mine. ;-) I'm curious what you have to say about the insulating mugs. I am very interested in your opinion!

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