Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Convenienece and performance November 12, 2002
Ryuji Suzuki (Cambridge, MA USA)
136 out of 137 found this review helpful
Most problems with mugs I have tried in the past are solved in this product. This mug comes with a tight sealing lid so that you can put this mug with hot drink in a brief case upside down and run to a subway station. No spilling, and this product is better than a plain Saran Wrap solution. The sipping lid has a deeply recessed bottom where you have a hole for liquid to come out. That is, the spill risk is very low even in pitching and rolling Boston's subway. So, you rarely need to use the sealing lid unless you want to brew tea in it or put the mug in a backpack. (See the other review to learn how to brew tea in it.) Also because of this deeply recessed sipping lid, this mug is easier to use spill-free while laying on a sofa or maybe even on a bed with a high pillow!Lack of handle presents little inconvenience at any situation I've used this mug. A both handed person like myself needs not worry which way to put the mug, which way to put the sipping lid, and which hand to hold the mug. It's very left hand friendly, more so than having two landles on each side. If criticism is an obligatory part of the reiview, I offer a few. This mug's tea leaf strainer is given enough space for most loose teas, but it is not enough for some herbal infusions, particularly whole dried preparation of chamomile flower. This mug's advertised capacity is 11 ounces, but the line specifying the maximum fluid level is actually 275ml (10 ounces). I wonder if they could make it a bit taller for increased true drink capacity and enough space for chamomile to expand. The leakproof lids depend on silicon gaskets thus they should not be cleaned in a dishwasher, a convenience requirement. Overall, this mug is slim, tall, leakproof, beautiful design, and very functional and compact. The quality of tea made in this mug is as good as ones made in tea pot as long as the leaf is of good quality (sentimental value not included). The diameter of the mug at its widest (around lid) is only 75mm (3in) so it will fit in most briefcases together with a book and couple manila folders. I just wish it was 8.5in tall and 350ml capacity. Unlike so many poorly designed products, you know this one was designed by designers and engineers who love tea and coffee.
Great Tea Brewer April 9, 2003
Hobbes (Sunnyvale, CA United States)
78 out of 80 found this review helpful
This is how you brew tea:
(1) Remove outer cap and tea filter.
(2) Check all gaskets are properly seated.
(3) Twist tea filter onto the cup to seat tightly. Put tea leaves in the tea filter. Be sure the tea filter is seated correctly. You can also put tea leaves directly into your cup if that is your preference.
(4) Pour hot water up to middle of filter. Over fill may scald.
(5) Properly seal the outer cap tightly to prevent leaking when used for travel. Turn upside down for quick brew.
(6) Remove outer cap and tea filter after brewing and replace with slipping lid.
For Best ResultsFor maximum insulation efficiency: preheat or precool your cup just prior to use, fill with hot or cold tap water, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and empty. Note that it comes with 3 lids: (1) Outer Cap (2) Tea Filter and (3) Sipping Lid.
Great insulation, even brews a nice cup of tea! November 13, 2000
52 out of 52 found this review helpful
This is a great product- leak proof with amazing heat/cold retention. For tea drinkers, I just thought I'd add a better description of how the tea lid works. It is actually not a strainer for leaving the tea leaves in the cup (the tea would be so bitter!), but an ingenious way of brewing tea! You put hot water in the cup, then screw on the strainer, add the loose tea leaves, screw the top lid on, and turn the cup upside down for a quick brew! (Since it is leak-proof, you actually can turn the cup upside down easily) After brewing, you just turn it right side up and replace the strainer holding the spent leaves with the sipping lid, and voila- a quick and pretty decent cup of tea! Highly recommended.
 $ave your ca$h and buy a bigger mug without the tea brewer January 15, 2004
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
First off, I agree with all the comments about the mug's nice ergonomic shape, its ability to keep drinks piping hot for hours, and its spill-proof-ness.But, the title of my review says it all - instead of paying thirty dollars for an 11-oz mug, why not get an 18-oz mug for twenty five (or even a 14-oz for twenty bucks)? All are made by Nissan, with the same durability, ability to retain heat, and good looks. The difference in this mug is the third basket, the tea brewer, which has a mesh that is WAAAAY too coarse. This is a serious problem, since I absolutely detest leaves and other remnants in my tea when I drink it. Herbal or spiced teas (e.g. Chai) are out of the question, and even a basic large-leaf tea like Darjeeling escapes through the mesh (and also gets stuck in it, which makes it a pain to clean). Instead, I would suggest buying Nissan's larger 18-oz (or 14-oz) mug, and with the five (or ten) bucks you save, purchase a fine-mesh brew basket, available on amazon.com (ASIN# B0000CFLAP). Remember, you have to remove the built-in brew basket from this mug to fit the sipping lid, so there's no extra effort in removing a fine-mesh, easily washable brew basket instead.
ditto the 5-star reviews September 16, 2003
Byron Gibson (Honolulu, HI)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
I love this thing. I'm in grad school, on campus from 9am-11pm every day but Saturday, and this traveler is perfect. Instead of repeating all the other glowing reviews, I'll just add a few things others missed. In addition to its unmatched insulation abilities, the vacuum seal provides another benefit, and that is that it maximizes interior space. Other types of insulation require thick walls to insulate the contents, but with vacuum sealed steel construction, the insulating steel sandwich can be very thin, making the volume of the inside layer nearly equal to volume of the outside layer. It's a small thermos that carries quite a bit of fluid.One other thing to clarify is that this is not exactly a no-spill container. There are three tops: an inner top that is completely open but for a metal strainer/filter, an inner top that is covered but with a small drink hole in the cover, and an outer top that screws onto both of the previous and completely seals the cup. With the outer top on, the vessel is spill-proof. I carry it in my bookbag all day with nary a spill. But take the outer top off, which is necessary to actually drink out of it, and if you accidentally tip the cup over, liquid will spill out, even out of the sipping hole in the covered inner top. There is no button to push that opens and closes the sip-hole on the covered inner top, like for example on those plastic Starbucks coffee cups. However, the sip hole is recessed about 1 inch below the rim, so while it is not spill-proof, it is certainly splash-proof. Excellent product, I might order a few more, for posterity.
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