2024 Winner Of Best Thermos Bottle For Coffee Is Zojirushi!
The quest for the best thermos bottle for coffee can be akin to finding the Holy Grail. We’ve likely all experienced many times thinking we’ve found the perfect travel mug or thermos bottle only to be disappointed within weeks or months of using our new companion!
That’s where we come in at Which Drinkware, to try to help you navigate the choices and avoid wasting your money on products that will disappoint. Our team have used and reviewed countless travel mugs and the Japanese Zojirushi remains our clear winner in 2024. If you haven’t already heard of or tried Zojirushi’s thermos bottles this review is going to show you why they are the best and what you’re missing out!
Why Zojirushi Is The Best Thermos Bottle For Coffee
When taking your cup of Joe on the go, there are a few things that will be important to most people and Zojirushi’s vacuum insulated mugs and bottles tick the boxes better than others. Our favourite are their stainless steel flip top bottles which I’ll cover in detail in this review.
Getting straight into it, below I’ve drawn a summary of the Zojirushi bottle and how it compares to other leading travel mugs. These are all great products but the Zojirushi wins with it’s superior thermal performance combined with it’s compact and lightweight design. If you need more convincing read on for my full review of the Zojirushi flip open bottle. I’ve also linked to the full reviews of the other products so that you can read more about their pros and cons too.
| Zojirushi 16oz Flip Open Mug | Stanley 16oz Aerolight Transit Bottle | Fellow Carter 16oz Bottle with slide lid | Klean Kanteen 16oz TKWide Bottle with Cafe Cap | YETI Rambler 18oz Bottle with Hot Shot Lid | |
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| Standard Price | $55 | $30 | $35 | $32.95 | $30 |
| How Many Hours Does It Keep Coffee Hot (>120F) in a room temperature environment | 17 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| Cup Weight ( Empty Inc lid) | 7.2 ounces | 8.64 ounces | 12.8 ounces | 13.9 ounces | 19.2 ounces |
| Height (Inc lid) | 8.75" | 8" | 7.9" | 8.65" | 10.2" |
| Width | 2.65" | 2.8" | 3" | 3" | 3" |
| Fits in a standard 3” cupholder? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lid Opening | Flip | Flip | Slide | Twist | Twist |
| Leakproof | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dishwasher Safe | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable Lid Options | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manufactured In | Thailand | China | China | China | China |
| Warranty Period | 5 years | Lifetime | 30 days | Lifetime | 5 years |
| Read Our Full Review |
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Review
What We Like
There is lots to like which is why we think the Zojirushi is the best thermos bottle for coffee. The photographs and specification included in this review are for the SM-SF48/60 model but the comments equally apply to the other bottles in the range.
- Amazing insulation: It really is the best we’ve ever used or tested for keeping coffee hot. I’ve gone into lots more detail below on how it performed in our tests.
- Compact and lightweight: Typically when double vacuum insulated drinkware performs really well it results in the mug or bottle design being heavy and chunky. Zojirushi have worked some magic (they call it a special manufacturing technique) with their design and have achieved superior performance whilst at the same time producing one of the slimmest and lightest travel mugs on the market. For comparison, when empty it’s less than half the weight of it’s YETI competitor. It’s slim dimensions also mean it feels really comfortable to hold and it fits easily into car cup holders or back pack pouches.
- Leakproof: All of Zojirushi’s insulated bottles and mugs are designed to be completely leakproof. We haven’t experienced any leaks, even with bottles the team have used for a few years. As with every travel mug we have found some other user reviews where people have experienced leaks over time but it’s fair to say those reports are in small numbers for the Zojirushi. The flip open bottles all have a button on the lid which you press to open the hinged flip top and a locking mechanism on the side of the lid which keeps it securely closed. When the lid is locked, the button to open the lid can’t be pushed. You can confidently put it in your bag without fear of accidentally pushing the button and spilling your drink.
- Easy opening: As mentioned and shown in the photographs, the lid opens using the simple button and sliding lock mechanism. These make it easy to use the bottle with one hand, making it work well for driving or when you’re on the move.
- Covered drinking spout: Inside the lid is a nicely sized and shaped drinking spout which stays covered whilst the flip lid isn’t open. This means that its protected from dirt whilst you’re not drinking which is a problem with some travel mugs with exposed drinking spouts. The Zoji spout has a perfect flow for drinking coffee helped by it’s vented design which makes sure the flow isn’t too slow as well as letting steam escape and prevent hot coffee spurting out when you open the lid. Whilst the bottle is also good for cold drinks, if you like to chug your water then this spout might not work well for you.
- Easy cleaning: Whilst Zojirushi recommend hand washing only, the lid on the Zojirushi comes apart pretty easily to make sure that all areas can be thoroughly cleaned. With some travel mugs there are tricky nooks and crannies where dirt can easily build up especially if you drink milky coffee or tea. With the Zojirushi, it is designed to come apart quickly and to make sure you can prevent any build up of gunk, bacteria or mold. I’ve included some instructions below to help. You will find some other travel mugs with even simpler lids, which don’t need to be dismantled for cleaning. I think the Zoji benefits out weigh the potential negative here though.
- Neutral aesthetic: The Zojirushi bottle won’t look out of place whether you’re on the commute, a hike or anywhere else. It’s simple and sleek and whilst it doesn’t come in 50 different colors there are enough options to suit all tastes.
- Size options: There are currently 7 size options in the range of flip open bottles (7oz, 12oz, 16oz, 20oz, 24oz, 28oz, 32oz). Not every model is available in every size but all of the models share the same features mentioned here. Smaller sizes for people who prefer just a single serve can be hard to find so Zoji have done well including a 7oz and 12oz in the lineup.
What We Don't Like
There’s not much we don’t like about the Zojirushi bottles, but these are the potential weaknesses to highlight.
- Some of the models have a teflon/non-stick interior designed to be easy clean and prevent metallic tastes sometimes associated with stainless steel drinkware. Some users have reported that the coating has chipped or peeled with use. This could be a result of scraping the mug whilst stirring a drink or whilst cleaning so take care. If you’re concerned about the coating you can opt for just a stainless steel interior which Zojirushi call their “SlickSteel” interior.
- The wide range of models and model numbers (e.g. SM-VS83/95, SM-WS36/48) can be a little confusing. Some of the models only offer different color options or patterns on the bottle or are just a slightly different/newer form factor. Otherwise you just need to choose the type of interior coating and size that will work best for you. All of the models have superior insulation, compact styling and leakproof lid design.
- This type of flip open lid has potential to fail or break since it is hinged and the button and lock are also moving parts. If you drop the bottle you could damage some of these parts or they could wear over time. Thankfully Zojirushi do sell replacement lids for the bottles so you shouldn’t need to replace the full bottle if you do experience a problem.
- Most of the models don’t have a handle. Some competing brands have a top handle built into the top of the lid to make carrying easier or allow the bottle to be clipped to a carabiner. There is one Zojirushi flip open bottle with a handle. While its really functional it does ruin the sleek styling of the bottle in my opinion.
- Standard pricing and purchasing from the Zojirushi website is expensive ($40-$60). Whilst I think these bottles are actually worth that price range, they are typically available to purchase through Amazon for around $30 which puts them at the same cost as most premium travel mugs.
Zojirushi Insulation Performance
The Zojirushi flip open bottle is in a league of its own when it comes to keeping drinks hot or cold. No other travel mug or bottle comes close in our testing. I’ve included the results for the 16oz flip open bottle. Even at this size it keeps drinks hotter for longer than bigger bottles like a 26oz YETI. A larger volume of liquid will inherently stay hotter for longer so the results show just how good the Zojirushi really is. It’s so good that you may need to open the lid and let your coffee cool a little before drinking which could be a negative for some users.
| Test1 | Test2 | Test3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Temperature At Start Of Testing | 180°F/82°C | 180°F/82°C | 180°F/82°C | |
| Lid Latch Position During Testing | Closed | Open | Closed | |
| Ambient Temperature of environment during the test | 72°F/22°C | 72°F/22°C | 39°F/4°C | |
| Duration the Bottle Kept Coffee Temperature > 120°F/49°C | 16oz Zojirushi Flip Open Bottle | 17 hours | 14 hours | 11 hours |
| 26oz YETI Rambler Bottle with Hot Shot Cap | 14 hours | 13 hours | 10 hours | |
As with all of our reviews I’m including some pictures here to show that we do all of our own testing on products, and the data we provide and recommendations we make are based on those tests. (Read about how we design and run our insulation tests and see more results.)
The Zojirushi also comes out on top of our testing for cold drink insulation performance. This time I’m showing how it performed against an even larger 36oz YETI and the 16oz Fellow Carter which is the second place 16oz sized bottle we’ve insulation tested. Our tests don’t include adding ice to the water as its more difficult to make a completely equal comparison, but in our use iced water stays icy in the Zojirush for several days!
| Test1 | Test2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Temperature At Start Of Testing | 61°F/16°C | 51°F/10°C | |
| Lid Latch Position During Testing | Closed | Closed | |
| Ambient Temperature of environment during the test | 72°F/22°C | 95°F/35°C | |
| How many °F the water increased after 12 hours | 16oz Zojirushi Flip Open Bottle | 2.2°F increase | 11.2°F increase |
| 36oz YETI Rambler Bottle with Chug Cap | 2.9°F increase | 16.3°F increase | |
| 16oz Fellow Carter with Slide Lock Lid | 5°F increase | 15.6°F increase | |
Zojirushi Mug Cleaning
Handwashing only is recommended by Zojirushi so I usually rinse the mug under the tap or give it a quick wash in soapy water. As with all travel mugs I do a bit of a deep clean every few weeks to make sure that no gunk is gathering that might lead to mold. This means taking the lid apart to clean it more thoroughly.
Each of the flip open mugs have a very similar lid design and can be dismantled in the same way by removing the spout section and any gaskets as described below. Once taken apart I wash in hot soapy water using a bottle brush. Make sure that all pieces are fully dried before putting it back together again to avoid mold developing under the gaskets. Also make sure the gaskets are fully replaced to avoid the bottle from leaking.
Start with the lid removed from the body of the mug and flipped open. There are 2 small arrows printed on the lid which you can locate where I’ve pointed to in the picture. Push the white drinking spout downward at these points.
When you push downwards the white drinking spout piece should easily come away from the main part of the lid.
Next you can remove the two grey gaskets. One attached to the main part of the lid will easily pull off.
The grey gasket wrapped around the drinking spout piece is a bit trickier to remove but it should come free. Note that one side of this grey gasket is flat and the other has a ring around as you can see in the picture. When replacing it, the flat side should be against the white plastic and the ring side should be visible on the bottom of the gasket.