Black Hot Mug

Good at keeping drinks hot but unfortunately a bit too wide for most vehicle cup holders.

I've just received this mug, after having searched for *years* for an insulated mug that you could put in the microwave - and which *wasn't* made of ceramic, which makes it prone to shattering if dropped (this finally happened to a ceramic mug I'd had for some time yesterday and renewed my determination to find a mug that *wouldn't* shatter if dropped).I don't know if the spec of the Zyliss mug has changed over the time since it first went on sale, but to my mind, as long as there's no metal in an object you want to put into a microwave, there should be no issues.The mug has a plungeable filter for filter coffee and the netting of said filter is indeed, I believe, made from metal. However, it can simply be removed (I use the mug for normal instant coffees/lattes since I don't use filter coffee at all; I just wanted an insulated, *microwavable* mug) thereby eliminating the danger of the microwaves reacting with any metal.The process of insulation works by there being a vacuum between the inner and outer walls of a mug or flask, which prevents (well, reduces; there are still going to be gaps around the lid through which heat will escape) the heat of the Zyliss mug's/flask's contents leaking through its walls, therefore there is no metal here either.As many buyers have pointed out, they've put their mugs in the microwave (*WITH THE FILTER BEING REMOVED!!*) and have experienced no issues reheating its contents.I have several Thermos mugs whose inner surface is made from metal, so these are very visibly unsuitable for use in the microwave.However, the inside of the Zyliss mugs are plastic, so again this presents no issues wrt the microwave.I suppose it is possible that the plastic components that make up the upper portion of the cup and the lid *could* deform over time, but this would require *very* frequent use of the cup in the microwave - and for unnecessarily longreheating periods. (Eg. Thin plastic takeaway food containers & their lids eventually become deformed if repeatedly used to heat food for excessively long intervals).Also, one or two people have reported that there are holes in the lid through which the heat will escape. As stated above, unless the design has changed since these reviews were written, there is a single slot in the lid in which the filter sits. But this has to then be removed in order to drink from the mug, as there is only a prick of a hole at the opposite end of the lid (which is necessary to allow the liquid to smoothly flow through the filter/drinking slit).The lid is also surprisingly tight fitting (way more so than the Thermos mugs I have), so this will further reduce the aforementioned heat loss through the top of the mug.Apologies for the length of this review, but I wanted to highlight the brilliant (and *microwave friendly*) insulative properties of the mug, given the reparotted/ill-informed information that other users have reported in their reviews.I will, of course, provide addenda to this review if/when anything else comes to light which may invalidate the above findings...

Technically a great design and when it works, this is fantastic. It feels sturdy enough, the handle is nice to hold and it is just the right size for a decent mug of coffee made from ground coffee.It looks and is very easy to keep clean and dry. It does keep the temperature well too.As others have mentioned there is that elephant in the room of how well it keeps separation of the granules from the coffee you end up drinking....and it's a mixed bag.It can be done, you can pretty much have success when plunging the filter down to have zero granules but there doesn't seem to be much method to it. I've made a few coffees using this cup now and it seems that sometimes those pesky granules just sneak through.I've tried slightly different pressures and angles when pressing the plunger down. I normally end up withdrawing it to the top to check on the situation of the granule collection before resuming.If i see granules I pull it out, give it a rinse and try again and I am usually lucky.Perhaps as other say you have to be super slow when first plunging.I think there really should have been an additional seal/gasket on the plunger mechanism. After all they put a thicker three ringed gasket on the lid, yet only one very soft gasket on the actual plunger where it matters just as much.So, close to being amazing but for that issue. Perhaps with practice it will get better and I will review accordingly up to the 5 stars. For now, just the 4 due to that.When you get it right though...WOW amazing cup of coffee to be had and I will be using this A LOT!

This is a fantastic cup for making good coffee on the go just need a flask for hot water I’ve used this on picnics and it’s just great easy to use and makes a great cuppa coffee.

Overall, this is a decent cafetiere-mug, with some nice features: the thermal insulation keeps hot drinks hot for longer, and the lid with sip hole helps even more. The lid makes it easier to travel with, but it must be kept upright. The main flaw, as others have pointed out, is that there is a purpose-built hole in the plunger through which liquid and coffee granules can travel from below the filter to above the filter, i.e. it lets more granules through into the drinking section than a standard cafetiere. I imagine this is to let the plunger be pushed down more easily. But no cafetiere does a perfect job at keeping granules locked away, and it's not a massive grievance to get a few extra granules in your drink. I'm not convinced that hole is really necessary, but perhaps it is.Suggested improvements: aside from removing that hole, it would be nice if the lid could be placed without pushing down the plunger so that you can let the coffee brew while travelling. As it is, before the lid can be placed, you have to plunge all the way down, preventing the granules from mixing with the water, or fully remove the plunger.

Ideal for those of us who like real coffee but can do without the faff .. I should have bought one years ago ... go on buy one you won't be disappointed !