Contigo AUTOSEAL Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, 16 Ounces, Black

A mug for your car and work desk. Not a life-altering item, is it? Unless you can't find one that satisfies your needs. My needs are simple: I want my one-coffee-a-day to stay hot for a couple of hours, since I drink it slowly; I want it to fit in the car's cup holder and still allow a second one (when I travel with somebody else) to fit next to it; and, finally I don't want the coffee to spill, if I knock over the mug. It would also be nice if on my trips I could put a cold drink in it and keep it cold a couple of hours. So how come I have at lest 25 mugs in the house? Some don't keep anything warm/cold for more than an hour. Other have handles that don't allow another mug to fit next to it in the car's cup-holder. One has a rotating top that has a sharp edge right next to the drinking spout; another hit my nose when I flip up to hole cover; And so on. I don't keep any liquids next to my computer or keyboard, but I do have a desk behind me and I can't tell you many times the back of my office chair knocked over a cup and everything on that desk got soaked with whatever I had in my mug. Finally, after reading the reviews of dozens of people on everything having to do with thermal mugs, I "found" the Contigo Double-Wall Stainless-Steel Vacuum-Insulated Tumbler. At $20 bucks it is about what I paid for each of the three mugs I got from Starbucks, a bit more expensive than Wal-Mart or sporting goods fare, cheaper than some of the fancier thermos-like containers. It has a slick design, fits perfectly in my hands and the car's cup holder, it holds liquids hot or cold for at least 4 hours, it is spill-proof (I turned it upside down when full with coffee and not a drop showed anywhere), and it's comfortable when I drink out of it. In one word: PERFECT. The only draw-back that I can discern is that you have to hold the release button at the same time when you are drinking, which means that children or people with very small hands won't be able to manage the feat. OTOH, since the mug automatically closes its drinking spot when you put it down, you don't have to remember to turn or flip anything to make it spill proof. I am very pleased with it and I wish I had found this before I spent hundreds of dollars searching for my perfect travel mug.

The good -Amazing insulatorGreat balance [tipability?]Nice, easy grip shape of the bodyPaint is very well done, does not flake at the edgesOne hand operation of the button to open for drinkingSoft-rubber top makes it easy to grip, even when hands are covered in slippery bacon grease.The not-so-goodCan be a huge PITA to cleanNot dishwasher safe [bottom]If you literally turn it upside down and press the button rapidly opening and closing, it will leak from the "air intake", but really, who would do that during normal operation?Slightly smaller than average capacity [if you follow the proper 100% leak proof fill line]The badAfter drinking, some liquid tends to remain up top and eventually gets messyIts a huge PITA, almost impossible to get 100% clean.Details on cleaning-The top does NOT break down at all. There are metal parts, plastic parts and rubber seals that are exposed to your drinks, and without being able to clean it, gunk WILL eventually build up. Pipe cleaners and the like will only go so far. The entire leak-proof system is exposed to your drink, and the metal spring CAN give it a bit of a funny metallic taste if you are sensitive to tastes. It really seems like it wouldnt be hard for them to change it, so that JUST a small portion of the plast actuator arm and rubber seal are exposed instead of ALL of it. Theres several little nooks and crannys that you just cant get to to clean decently. You can remove the little rubber grommit/seal but that only helps so much, i really feed like i need to scrub the spring since i drink espresso with sugar and cream, i KNOW its building up. I need to get some dentist tools to get in there and see!The bottom is NOT dishwasher safe, and the contoured shape makes it difficult to clean very well. The top is dishwasher, and should be washed at every opportunity, if you drink mon-fri give it a nice vinegar soak on the weekendsIf you are looking for a low-maintenance portable mug, this is not for you. If you dont mind having to do some extra work daily, this is the perfect mug, dare i say best on the market for its class/size.