Reddit reviews Thermos 12-Ounce Stainless-Steel Tea Tumbler with Infuser (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I CAN BE SO USEFUL TODAY!!!

The Libre Tea Mug has the exact same design as the mug you describe, but has glass on the inside, and plastic on the outside. Here's a video. There's a 10 oz version and a 14 oz version, and a 9.5 oz handled version.

However, I bought one of these and decided it's not the best thing in the universe. There were plenty of good things about it, but it had some flaws:

1. It won't keep drinks hot for very long, because plastic & glass apparently don't keep things as warm as stainless steel (not sure if this is totally accurate), but you also have to remove the lid every time you drink, and it's all the way open, as opposed to a sippy lid or other designs that have small holes or whatever, and lots of heat escapes. It also means that you get a face full of steam every time you try to drink.
   
   
2. When brewing black tea, you stick the leaves in between the two top lids (see video) and brew upside down. However, when you turn it upside down, the surface tension of the water actually retains the ENTIRE volume of water that was in the lid. Seriously. I don't know what the deal is. This happens even with zero tea leaves. This means that when you remove the two lids to drink (you need to remove both lids simultaneously if it's black tea, since the leaves are between the two lids), there's still lots of boiling hot water in the lid, and if you tap it, or bump it, or angle it, all that water falls out. You really have to tap the lid to dump this excess water before you drink; if you don't, you run the risk of spilling lots of hot water all over yourself. Someday you'll forget, and probably burn yourself.
   
   Aesthetic problems:
   
   
3. You can hear the plastic creaking against the glass, and it makes it seem cheap. Purely psychological, but it probably could be fixed.
   
   
4. The larger size and the handled mug version have the company's website printed address on the side of the lid. Pretty ugly in my opinion.
   
   
5. The lid has a picture, but it's a physical object (a tiny carving or something) and it actually moves. It's somehow not secured in place, and it moves off center and looks awkward and cheap. Plus, I can see a couple parts of it bent the wrong way.
   
   I can't really recommend it, but if you've used the Activitea and found it usable, you might be happy with the Libre. The design looks pretty much the same from the photos, as far as I can tell. But I have continued searching for the perfect tea mug.
   
   Contenders thus far:
   
   
6. JoeMoXL: Entirely stainless steel, with a removable infuser basket, a push-button seal, 360 degree drinking, sipping that doesn't require removing the entire lid and draining heat away, leak proof, etc etc. Good stuff.
   
   
7. Timolino infuser mug: Theoretically similar to the JoeMoXL, but no push-button seal, and the infuser basket has some plastic. Oh well though. Adds a hidden compartment in the very top lid where you can store sugar. Smaller than most travel mugs (12 oz instead of the usual 16), so I think it's more practical to fill up, drink, then fill again and get a 2nd steeping out of the tea, as opposed to 16 oz over the course of the day and then getting home or whatever and not making use of the leaves until the next day maybe. There's also a carabiner version. Note that Timolino makes 2 tea mugs; this one, plus another that is ONLY good for green tea, with the leaves steeping inside the main chamber, with no removable infuser basket.
   
   I've been shopping around for quite some time. These are the two winners as far as I am concerned, though they skip out on being see-through and hiding the tea in the lid, but I can't see any well-designed options out there with those traits (although this Thermos mug has the infuser in the lid, but I wasn't so excited about it), so I'm giving my seal of approval to these. There are other contenders I think, but these are equal or better compared to anything I can find. I might also just go with a Contigo and brew in a teapot and just deal with the fact that the mug has no internal tea infuser.
   
   OCD FTW!

Just go out and buy a cheap kettle ($10 or so) and keep it in your room/kitchen. I used to fill mine up from the bathroom sink I had in my room. Makes tea at breakfast time, and makes the water for instant noodles at lunchtime. And then at dinnertime it makes the water for instant noodles again.

Ninja edit: This was with simple tea bags but you can get thermos cups with loose leaf mesh things that fit inside. You can take your thermos of tea to your 8am class that way (I've put mine on my bike and ridden 25 mins to uni and the tea was still hot)

For example: http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV

I love my Nissan Thermos and post it all the time.

I use this one and like it a lot.

Could you just use the cafeteria's hot water to steep your tea? This thermos with an infuser also comes to mind if you go with the cafeteria's hot water.

It’s not perfect, but this has been one of my favorite tumblers:

Thermos 12-Ounce Stainless-Steel Tea Tumbler with Infuser (Discontinued by Manufacturer) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004S1CV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bE6uDbCD2RPSA

It keeps the water at scalding and has two inner lids to choose from. The strainer lid is for me too small to do a regular steep, so I will either pre-steep, pour in, and use the standard drink lid, or add the leaf directly to the tumbler and drink using the strainer lid.

http://amzn.com/B00004S1CV

I have that one. It's great, and keeps liquid so warm that I usually have to let it sit open for a while to even make it drinkable. The only problem for me is that the filter is a separate piece and if you want to keep your leaves for a second resteep then that means finding a place to store it in your bag/backpack when its hot and wet. Thats why I'm considering buying the below one.

http://amzn.com/B001Q3L9P0

Some that I know of:

Number One - Good price, great insulation (Thermos brand), but the basket is pretty tiny

Number Two - I've heard good things in general about Davids Tea's selection, lots of options

Number Three - Heard a lot of praise for these, but not sure if /u/puerh_lover will be getting any more in stock

Number Four - These are also nice pieces, only one here that I have had experience with personally. Basket on this one is on the smaller end to, but its not too tiny

Hope this helps!

I use this one.
http://smile.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426206900&sr=8-2&keywords=thermos+tea+infuser

It is the same one that they sell at Teavanna, but isn't as nice a color. However, it is much cheaper, so there is that.

I like my tea the temperature of the sun and ceramic can never hold heat long enough. A double-walled stainless steel thermos is where it's at.

The cup as a lid isn't hard to find in the least, nor is one with a strainer. It's just finding them both in one package that's tough.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Nissan-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler/dp/B00004S1CV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376626848&sr=8-1&keywords=thermos+strainer

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-40-Ounce-Beverage-Midnight/dp/B0017IHRNM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376626753&sr=8-1&keywords=thermos

I got mine at Teavana. Amazon carries the same one here http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00004S1CV/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449560546&sr=8-3&keywords=thermos+tea+tumbler

I've had this one for a few years. It does. Not. Leak. It's wonderful! Keeps my tea hot for hours, super durable.

Edit: damn amazon links get me every time.

My wife has the Nissan Thermos 12-oz tea tumbler amazon link. It does have an infuser basket which is why we got it, as we usually drink loose tea. It has very efficient gaskets in the lid & infuser and will never leak (if the lid's on correctly, which can be tricky). The only drawback is that the volume is a bit small.

Nissan travel mugs are the best. THE BEST. I've used two different ones, and they have both astounded me. My coffee will sit in a cold winter car for 24 hours, and still be warm. Not even close to hot, mind you, but warm to the tongue. It literally defies reason.

GET A NISSAN TRAVEL MUG and never go back.

Edit: Apparently they are owned by Thermos? These are the two I've used...

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1419011141&sr=1-6&keywords=nissan+thermos+stainless+steel

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-16-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Backpack-Bottle/dp/B000K604P0/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1419011141&sr=1-2&keywords=nissan+thermos+stainless+steel

I use this one and completely love it. I've tried others and nothing has worked so well. It has two separate pieces, one infuser and one sipping top, so you just swap them out when your tea is done brewing.

This is the one I have that I really like http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV. The lid isn't meant to be a strainer lid but it can totally be used that way!

wow, that aladdin page is terrible marketing
no photo where the tea basket goes, water fills, etc.
it just looks like a double insulated plastic cup with lid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10_xRQPFKYE
BTW this demo person lies about a 2 hour warm time,
that duration is simply not possible with 2 wall plastic.
2 wall is to protect your hand, not keep the tea warm.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV
to keep tea hot 2hrs you need a "travel mug" which is
basically a heat sink metal surrounded by insulation.
i don't like this product either, because combining
seeping and travel mug is a bad idea. you should
make your tea, then carry it in an insulated tube,
two steps two vessels.