I must admit, when I first saw this I thought it was silly and unnecessary, I really did, (Note: I am a person who enjoys tepid tea and cold coffee) ; but even though I thought it was silly I really really wanted one.
The Klean Kanteen products are obviously well-thought-out, practical and not fussy. Their new insulated tumbler is no exception and I think it is just about the nicest looking thing they make. Finished in brushed steel and with a squat stylish form it really does look classy; and on handling one, it was immediately obvious how solid and well-made they are.
So I bought one out of sheer material desire and not because I thought I needed it. Day one: an inaugural frozen margarita (its important to christen new cups in style non?) and then straight into the bag and daily service. I now rarely leave the house without it, and I haven’t used a paper cup in the six weeks since.
This little lifestyle change is particularly pertinent with the recent revelation that paper coffee cups don’t actually get recycled and that in Britain alone we send 2.5bn of them to landfill every year. We really do have to stop this terrible wastage and just using your own cup when you get your coffee in the mornings is a great way to start, even if you don’t save that many cups personally you are at least showing everyone who sees you that it doesn’t have to be this way.
In the past few weeks I’ve had lots of positive feedback about my shiny little goblet from coffee shop staff, ranging from a simple ‘that’s pretty’ to a more in depth discussion of just how horrid it is spending all day handing out paper cups that are just going to be thrown away. And even better than the nice chat, using my own pretty little tumbler has won me some sweet deals in my favourite coffee shops including: extra coffee, money off and even a slice of cake.
This isn’t a bottle, the lid doesn’t seal fully so you can’t put the cup full of coffee in your bag but it isn’t supposed to be that, it just meant to replace the paper cups that clog up our everyday lives. And it does this perfectly. The only change to daily behaviour is that when its empty you just chuck it back in your bag and not in the bin.
My thoughts after a six weeks or so of daily use: I particularly like the way the lip is chamfered, making drinking a pleasure and can happily report that the insulation works perfectly! – it really does keep coffee warmer than a china mug would (some very scientific product testing at my desk was conducted- a race to drinkable temperature tea) and G&Ts cool on even the warmest days. And it’s tough too, a dark life at the bottom of my rucksack hasn’t left a dent or a scratch on it.
Gorgeous, functional, long-lasting and good the planet, what’s not to love.
Available at our Real-life Shop at Netil House, Hackney or Outdoor People Online Shop
All piled up and ready to go!
