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16oz STAINLESS KING™ MUG

This rough and tumble stainless steel travel mug is great for long treks or long road trips—to the wilderness or across town. The perfect travel companion. The Stainless King™ Travel Mug is durable, dependable, and designed for the long haul.

Item Number: SK1000MDB4

MIDNIGHT BLUE

Checkout made easy with many options

• Thermos™ vacuum insulation technology for max temperature retention
• Durable stainless steel interior and exterior
• Exterior stays cools to the touch with hot beverages and sweat-proof with cold
• DrinkLock™ sealing lid is leak-proof when closed and properly assembled
• Built-in tea hook holds tea bags or most loose leaf infusers
• Sturdy handle
• Cup holder compatible
• Dishwasher safe (top rack)
• Height: 7.8
• Weight: 1.0 lb.
• Capacity: 16oz. (475 ml)
• Origin: China
• Item Numbers: Midnight Blue: SK1000MDB4, Rustic Red: SK1000MR4, Army Green: SK1000AG4, Matte Stainless Steel: SK1000MSTRI4

VACUUM INSULATED

Stainless Steel Construction

LEAK PROOF WHEN CLOSED

For Peace of Mind

DISHWASHER SAFE

Top Rack Recommended

STAINLESS STEEL CONSTRUCTION

With sturdy handle

BUILT IN TEA HOOK

With an easy to clean cap design

LEAK PROOF LID (WHEN CLOSED)

DrinkLock™ sealing lid

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On orders $50-$500

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Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug Review

This durable travel mug will keep your coffee hot for hours

Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug

 The Spruce Eats /  Rebekah Joan

Keeps drinks hot/cold for hours

Comfortable to hold

Lid seals tightly

Lid is hard to clean

Doesn’t fit in all car cup holders

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty travel cup that will keep your morning coffee hot all day, the 16-ounce Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug was designed with you in mind.

Editor’s Note (September 2023): We originally published our review of the Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug in 2020. Part of our product testing process involves revisiting past recommendations to make sure they’re still up to our standards, and this Thermos mug remains on our list of the best travel mugs because of its durability and stellar performance.

• Performance
• Competition
• Final Verdict

We purchased the Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

Thermos is a household name for many people. Really, who hasn’t used one of their food containers to bring hot soup to work at one point or another? Because of the brand’s reputation for quality, we wanted to see if the Thermos Stainless King 16-Ounce Travel Mug has the same impressive heat retention abilities as other Thermos products. We put it to the test, using it as our daily to-go cup for several weeks—read on to see what we found. 

Design: Clunky in cupholders but easy to carry

The Thermos Stainless King has a double-walled, vacuum-insulated design that the brand claims will keep drinks hot for seven hours or cold for 18 hours, all while the outside of the mug stays comfortable to the touch. In general, it felt very durable, and we thought the mug was comfortable to hold either by its handle or with our hand around the cup itself.

As far as the lid goes, it has openings on either side, making it comfortable to use whether you’re left- or right-handed. All you have to do to open it is turn a little lever.

While traveling with this mug in the car, we realized it doesn’t fit well in cup holders. The body fits snugly, but the handle gets in the way of it settling down. However, if your cup holders are connected, you can turn it so the handle is partially in the next cup holder—assuming the neighboring spot is empty. Either way, it makes it harder to get the mug out for a sip and increases the risk of spilling.

Thankfully, the handle is the only major design flaw we found with the mug, and if not fitting into a cup holder is a dealbreaker, you’ll be happy to know the brand also offers the Thermos Stainless King Tumbler without a handle.

Performance: Works well in extreme conditions

To test the mug’s heat retention, we made hot chocolate at 9 a.m. and took it to work with us. When we opened the Thermos Stainless King at 2 p.m., the drink’s temperature was still on the hot side of drinkable. We were impressed, but we also wanted to see how well the mug would retain heat in more extreme conditions, like for people who work outside.

The lid has openings on either side, making it comfortable to use whether you’re left- or right-handed.

To test this, we put boiling water into the cup and placed it in our car on a cold, 20-degree day. After seven hours, the liquid was still above 130 degrees, which is within the ideal temperature range for drinking coffee . We’re happy to say that this travel mug stands up to its claims and will keep your coffee hot for most—if not all—of your shift, even on a cold day.

As far as keeping liquids cold, we tested found that the Thermos Stainless King kept ice water refreshingly cold for almost 24 hours. The ice didn’t last that long, though.

Material: Durable stainless steel

This travel mug is made of vacuum-insulated stainless steel, and the lid is made of plastic. Its construction feels very durable, like it would survive a drop or two.

However, it’s worth noting that a few reviewers say the finish on the outside of the mug flaked after six months to a year of use. This wasn’t the case for everyone, though.

Features: Clever lid design

When we first looked at the lid on this Thermos travel mug, we were confused. It looks more complicated than most lids, but after inspecting it further, we realized the design is actually quite clever. Instead of a standard slider to open and close the drinking hole, this lid uses the brand’s “DrinkLock” sealing technology.

What does that mean? Basically, there’s a gasket around the rim of the lid that seals it, and below that is an additional disc that moves up and down as you open and close the lid. It forms a tight seal so that no liquid (or heat) passes through it, which means no spills, and your morning coffee stays hot for longer.

On top of that, the bottom of the lid also features a hook for tea bags or infusers. That way, you can brew your tea on the go and won’t have to fish around to get the bag out.

Cleaning: Quite the hassle

While the mug itself is easy to wash, the lid has to be taken apart for cleaning. All you have to do is disassemble a few parts and hand wash them. However, when you have to do it every day, it gets tedious quickly.

Although the travel mug is technically dishwasher safe (top rack only), the manufacturer recommends against putting it in the dishwasher to preserve the exterior finish. Thermos also suggests not leaving liquids inside the mug for more than 24 hours.

The bottom of the lid also features a convenient hook for tea bags or infusers.

Price: Worth it

The Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug costs $24.99, but it’s often on sale for less. Given the quality performance and construction of the mug, we think it’s a fair price, even if it is higher than other similar-sized options.

Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug vs. Bubba Envy Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler and Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Stainless Travel Mug

If you’re looking for a travel mug that’s great for hot drinks and thicker beverages like smoothies, the  Bubba Envy Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler with Straw  is a cheaper, worthy choice. You can often find it retailing for under $10, and it comes with a winged straw that’s great for stirring your drink. The downside is the Bubba Envy doesn’t have a leak-proof or sealed lid, but it does a decent job maintaining drink temperatures, and its 24-ounce capacity is significantly bigger than the Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug.

Want a travel mug with an outdoorsy aesthetic? The Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Stainless Travel Mug is it. This cup keeps drinks warm almost as well as the Thermos, and it’s a little bit bigger, with an 18-ounce capacity. The lid on this mug isn’t nearly as complicated, and the whole thing is much easier to clean. Plus, its cork-lined handle is extra comfortable, making this vintage-inspired, to-go cup a fashion-forward option.

A keeper. The Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug might be a little pricey, but it keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for longer, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially if you work outdoors or have a long commute.

• Product Name Stainless King Travel Mug
• Product Brand Thermos
• Price $24.99
• Product Dimensions 4.9 x 7.8 x 3.3 in.
• Product Number SK1000MBTRI4
• Colors Matte black, army green, rustic red, midnight blue, slate, and matte stainless tteel
• Materials Stainless steel and plastic
• Warranty Limited lifetime

Origin of the Moscow Mule & Copper Mug

Posted by Moscow Copper on February 01, 2020

What an exhilarating year it’s been…and it’s just beginning. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Moscow Mule! That’s right, 75 years ago, a young, determined, Russian immigrant by the name of Sophie Berezinski was on a mission to build a better life. Little did she know at the time that she would go down in history for what is now known as America’s most popular craft cocktail, the Moscow Mule.

It all began back in Russia, where Sophie’s father owned and operated a copper factory. The duo designed the original copper mug together which is now known and linked to the Moscow Mule Cocktail. Sophie loved these mugs but was not able to do much with them in Russia so Sophie decided to take a leap of faith and embark on a journey to America, the land of opportunity right? It wasn’t easy but with her willing-determination bravely walking door to door throughout Hollywood in search of a restaurant or bar interested in the copper mugs, things finally began to look up. During her exhausting trek, Sophie’s fate intervened at the famous Cock ‘n’ bull pub on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, CA. There she met John Martin, who had recently acquired Smirnoff Vodka and was also struggling to introduce Vodka to America–John introduced Sophie to his friend and owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull pub, Jack Morgan who at the time was trying to introduce his own brand of ginger beer. Both John and Jack played an instrumental role along with Sophie in creating the infamous Moscow Mule.

Although at the time, whiskey and beer dominated in America, this trio perfected the refreshing concoction. Made of just the right combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime and served in a 100% pure copper mug, the Moscow Mule created the perfect, refreshing, icy aroma and flavor.

Thanks again for taking the time to learn more about the Moscow Mule. Cheers friends!

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THE ORIGINAL MUG WITH GIFT BOX

A timeless and authentic Copper Mug carrying the original Moscow Mule legacy. The perfect gift for any occasion.

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