Zojirushi Stainless Steel Travel Mug SM-JHE48

Great thermos/bottle for daily use and travel – I was looking for a good quality thermos bottle (with lid), and I came across with this Zojirushi Stainless Steel Travel Mug, retailing for $38 on Amazon Australia. I current already have a thermos, but that was lined with non-stick coating; and I am not really a big fan of this for keeping hot beverages for a long time (some concerns about the safety and longevity of such coating). And I was glad to see a decent product from a reputable Japanese manufacturer with stainless steel interior (at a reasonable price).

After a few weeks of usage, I quite like this product. And here are some of the pros and cons of this thermos/travel bottle:

Pros: 1. Build Quality: Zojirushi has been a well known manufacturer in Japan, and unsurprisingly the build quality of the bottle is quite good. All parts fit together well, even after repeated uses and dishwasher cleaning (even with the lid, I know, I am not supposed to put the lid in dishwasher).

2. The lid assembly: It was very nice to see that the entire lid can be dis-assembled and cleaned very thoroughly! This is a great feature, eliminating any hard-to-clean spots unlike other thermos on the market. And most important, no leakage! This design does not compromise the leak-proof nature of the bottle.

3. Insulation: I guess this is one of the most important features of this bottle... The insulation is superior to most other bottles/mugs I have had, and for this price, I do not think there is any competition. It will easily hold a hot drink over night (I tried one night without the lid, and the water was still warm 8 hours later....).

4. Price: For less than $40, you can't even get a frank green bottle, which has worse thermal insulation and arguably worse build quality.

Cons: 1. Made in Thailand: Despite being a Japanese brand, this bottle is not made in Japan, which is a shame.

2. No tea strainer: Really? For a thermos, with stainless steel interior, and not even providing a tea strainer?

3. Mouth piece: It is a great feature not to burn your lips, but this thing is plastic, thus defeating the purpose of having stainless steel interior; and you will burn your mouth and throat instead of lips... but thankfully you can remove this piece.