Best Vacuum Flask Thermos, Insulated Coffee Mugs & Food Jars for 2020
One of the few good things of 2020 was realising how pointless it is spending money daily on expensive takeaway coffee.
Depending on how you like your coffee, a decent filter machine and some good quality coffee can often compete well with many store-bought options and at a fraction of the price.
If you get a coffee machine, another good upgrade is a decent burr grinder for whole beans. Coffee Geek’s coffee burr grinder recommendation is a good starting point.
With many of us now back in the office, and the weather getting cold, it is a great idea to invest in a thermos flask so you can continue to have high-quality coffee without paying the prices.
Furthermore, anyone wanting to be healthy and cut down on the costs; they are superb for taking your homemade soup to work with too.
Best Small Thermos
Umi. by Amazon – Double Walled Vacuum Insulated Flask – 500ml from £13.98
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I’d be inclined to spend a little extra on a bigger bottom, but if space is a premium, then the affordable option by Amazon-owned Umi is a good choice.
Best Mid Size Thermos
Thermos Flask, Stainless Steel, Raspberry, 1.2L from £16.60
- Thermos Vacuum Insulation: Unrivaled temperature retention for hours in our stainless steel water bottle. Your coffee stays piping hot and your iced tea refreshingly cold
- Hard-as-Nails Construction: Crafted with durable stainless steel inside and out, this metal water bottle withstands drops, dings, and daily wear while keeping your drinks & food optimum
- Comfort in Every Sip: Stay cool and dry with this innovative thermos travel mug for hot drinks. No more burned hands or condensation rings - just pure drinking pleasure, hot or cold
- Built-in Serving Cup: Enjoy your favorite beverages anywhere with the insulated stainless steel cup. Share a toast or savour solo - convenience meets style in this coffee cup travel mug
- Pour with Precision: The clever twist-and-pour stopper lets you serve without removing the lid. No spills, no fuss - just smooth pouring action for your coffee mug travel companion
Under £17 for 1.2L from the biggest brand in the business, it is not even worth look at other options.
For context, a Starbucks Venti is 20oz so 590ml or a Grande is 16oz/473ml so that’s 2 or 3 big cups of coffee you can take with you. Two Venti Americanos are about £5
Best Big Thermos
Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle, Stainless Steel, Green, 1.9 L from £45
- HOT OR COLD FOR 32 HOURS: Fill the 1.9L thermal flask with water, coffee, tea, or other drinks, whether at home, work, or outdoors. The double-wall vacuum insulation keeps your drinks hot or cold for 32 hours and iced for 160 hours.
- EXTREMELY DURABLE: Our leak-proof vacuum bottle has withstood speeding bullets, 4000 ft drops and category 5 hurricanes; The iconic style and rugged durability of this insulated bottle means it’s made to go anywhere
- BPA-FREE STAINLESS STEEL: All contact surfaces are guaranteed to be safe and BPA-FREE; The steel we use is 18/8, or grade 304, otherwise known as food-grade stainless steel
- DISHWASHER SAFE: This insulated bottle designed to be cleaned easily; Every piece of this stainless steel vacuum flask is dishwasher safe, top rack only
- BUILT FOR LIFE: 'Built for Life' has been the Stanley promise since 1913, manufacturing rugged, high-performance products that last a lifetime.
It is big, and it is expensive, this will carry soup or drinks for multiple people, or a serious caffeine junkie.
Alternative option: ONEISALL 91oz Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Flask from £38
There is big; then there is massive. This gigantic vacuum flask will hold 2.6L
Best Insulated Coffee Mug
Contigo West Loop Autoseal Travel Mug from £20.65
- 100 % SEALED AND LEAK PROOF: Auto seal technology automatically seals between sips to prevent leaks and spills; lid-lock prevents the Auto seal button from accidently being pushed while on-the-go
- ICE COLD OR PIPING HOT: Thermalock double-wall vacuum insulation keeps temperatures locked in for hours; drinks stay hot up to 5 hours or cold up to 12 hours, on the go, in the office or outdoors
- DURABLE: High-quality travel mug, BPA-free plastic lid and vacuum insulated stainless steel body; the sweat proof design makes sure your liquids stay in the thermal mug, not on the outside
- EASY TO CLEAN: Dishwasher-safe lid hinges open completely for easy cleaning (one piece, no separate parts to take apart or misplace); hand wash vacuum flask body
- IDEAL FIT: The sustainable and environmentally friendly stainless steel thermal mug fits into all common car cupholders; size 9.2 x 8.9 x 19.7 cm
Travel coffee mugs are the main option I go for, allowing me to make a good large cup of coffee on the commute to work, allowing me to skip Starbucks.
Best Insulated Food Jars
WisFox Food Flask Insulated from £17.47
- Durable insulation: food bottle keeps your food warm for 8-12 hours and the cooling time approx. 12-18 hours. You can take your favorite foods with you.
- 750 ml capacity: the size of the food jar is 11 x 12 x 20 cm / 4.33 x 4.72 x 7.87 inches. Extra wide mouth and 750ml capacity for hot dishes, soups, oatmeal, cold desserts, food and liquid drinks. It is suitable for both children's lunch and adult meals.
- Portable accessories: they come with a storage bag, a folding spoon and a sponge brush. You can consider the spoon as a replacement tableware or use it directly to save more space for the lunch box or bag. The outer lid can be used for soup and food. You can easily clean the food bottle with a sponge brush.
- Insulate from outside temperature: an air hole is formed under the folding spoon in the inner lip. The gas pressure increases when the temperature is different between inside and outside and the food container cannot be easily opened.
- What you get: your package comes with 1 x insulated bottle, 1 x folding spoon, 1 x storage bag, 1 x sponge brush and our worry-free 18-month warranty and customer service. No risk - buy our product with confidence and you will love it. (Note: please open the lid and put the food bottle in the vent for 5 minutes before using.)
If you want something a little more substantial than soup, an insulated food flask could be the solution. It’s basically the same as the other, but the opening of the flask is much larger, allowing you to use a spoon. They come in multiple shapes, but I am greedy, and the largest I can find is 750ml
Alternative option: Thermos Stainless King Food Flask from £24.29
Obviously, a much more reputable brand and not much difference in size or price so certainly worth considering, Thermos also do a smaller 470ml model, but it is not much cheaper so I would only consider it if you are short on carrying space.
Best Smart Thermos
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug from £140
- Keeps your hot drink at the exact temperature you prefer (between 50癈 and 62.5癈). Start with 57癈 and adjust up or down.
- 2-hour battery life on a single charge. Or keep the Ember Travel Mug on the included charging coaster for all-day use.
- Control with your smartphone. Pair with the Ember App to set your temperature, customise presets, receive notifications and more.
- Ember Travel Mug also allows you to set your preferred drinking temperature directly from the mug.
- International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
This wouldn’t be a tech blog without at least one smart product, the price of this mug makes it a little niche, but if you want your drink at a very specific temperature, then the Ember is the way to go.
This 12oz/340ml smart mug will keep your drink at a set temperature which you set via the app with temperature ranges between 50°C and 62.5°C.
This insulated mug then has a 2-hour battery life and will wake up and shut off automatically as the temperature moves up and down. The mug can then also be charged via a QI charging coaster (included) allowing you to keep your drink at an ideal temperature all day.
Affordable option: flintronic Travel Mugs from £10
You can’t set your temperature so this may be no use for people wanting to avoid overheating their coffee, but this filtronic travel mug offers a temperature display allowing you to know when your drink is too hot or cold.
Best Portable French Press
Wacaco Pipamoka Portable Coffee Maker from £49.99
- [ALL-IN-ONE] Brew and drink from a single device with the Pipamoka all-in-one nomadic coffee maker. Simple, sturdy and brilliant pressure brewer, it becomes super easy and quick to fuel your days and enjoy hours of hot, freshly-brewed coffee during your commutes, work hours or adventures.
- [THE TWO MINUTES BREW] Its patented construction, paired with its innovative twisting mechanism, generates vacuum pressure inside the mug. This negative pressure generated a suction force that draws hot water downwards through the coffee grounds. Engineered to brew a consistently clean, full-flavored cup of joe in about two minutes, the Pipamoka's vacuum pressure brewing method sets it apart from other devices.
- [HOW DOES VACUUM PRESSURE WORK] ADD: Fill the water chamber and drop the coffee basket into it. Let it sink to the bottom. TWIST: Turn the ring to create vacuum pressure that draws the water down through the grounds. ENJOY: When the water chamber has fully risen, remove the brewer, add the lid and enjoy a hot coffee for hours.
- [LEAVE NO WASTE BEHIND] The stainless steel micro-filter is reusable, meaning there is no excess waste created from having to use one-time-use paper filters. Fine mesh filter: 250μm
- [REMARK] Pipamoka does not heat up water. Brew ratio is similar to standard drip or infusion methods, close to 1:15 (1 g of coffee ground for 15 mL of water). We recommend using a medium to medium-fine grind for optimal brewing performance.
The Ember may be an impressive bit of tech, but a portable coffee maker will be a more logical solution for most coffee fans. There are lots of options on the market, all of which look impressive. The WACACO is the one I chose as it uses a twisting cap to generate pressure inside the mug for a quicker and superior brew (similar to the AeroPress concept). The biggest downside to this is that it is only 295ml.
Alternative option: BODUM Travel French Press Coffee Maker from £18.60
Same concept but this is a manual French press style coffee maker, and from reputable brand Bodum, it is cheaper and stores a bit more coffee at 350ml
Alternative to a thermos
Ember Temperature-Control Smart Mug 2, 284 ml from £99
- UK Power Adapter Included: Our Smart Mug comes with a quick start guide, charging coaster, and Type G power adapter; Please note that the power adapter comes in a small additional box
- LONGER LASTING BATTERY: Extended battery life on your temperature control mug keeps your drink perfectly hot for up to 80 minutes on a full charge or all day on the newly redesigned charging coaster. Choose the exact temperature you prefer (between 50°C – 62.5°C).
- APP CONTROLLED: Ember smart mug allows you to control with your smartphone. Pair with the Ember app to set your temperature, customise presets, receive notifications and more.
- USE WITHOUT APP: Ember Mug is functional without connection to the app and will remember last used temperature. Out of the box, the Ember Mug is set to 57°C.
- AUTO SLEEP: Ember heated mug intelligently senses when to turn on and off. The mug enters sleep mode when empty or after 2 hours of inactivity. Ember wakes up when it senses movement or liquid.
I mostly work from home now, so my main problem is not keeping my coffee warm on the way to work, but keeping it warm as I get distracted by work while drinking it.
The Ember Smart Mug 2 is a bit more useful than their insulated mug, in my opinion. It uses the same concept, being a battery-powered mug that is then charged via a QI coaster, so I don’t have to remember to place it on the coaster each time I take a sip.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing.
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