A couple of weeks ago I put out a request on social media for coffee mug recommendations. Not ordinary mugs though, travel mugs, or something that would keep my coffee hot. I have a cheap, ordinary mug at work and my coffee turns ice cold within minutes, or so it seems. I take coffee pretty seriously and hosting a live talk show means I don’t have time to run around and heat it up again. I googled for solutions but I wanted real-life experiences with specific mugs.Â
Comments came in quickly and I looked into every one of them. But due to a 140-character limit on Facebook I hadn’t fully explained my needs. The vessel had to be six inches or less so it would fit under the Keurig dispenser. And it couldn’t feel like a piece of cheap plastic when I drank from it. One of my pet peeves in life is attempting to drink my beloved brew from a too-small hole, and ending up with a mouthful of air. Ooooh I hate that.Â
Many people recommended a mug with a USB heater. Maybe it’s brilliant and I’m missing out but it seems too much like putting coffee on a burner. Blech. Thermos was the brand mentioned most often, for obvious reasons. I personally fondled as many of these mugs as I could find in area stores but couldn’t decide on one that seemed just right. Â
And then I found it. While grocery shopping just before Easter, I strolled down the coffee mug aisle at my favourite Loblaws and there it was. And like most solutions to a pesky problem, it’s not at all what I imagined it would be.
The centre is a removable band of bamboo that stays cool to the touch. The top pops on and off and slides open and closed. The drink opening is generous and it was only $10. Its only downside is that it isn’t dishwasher safe but let’s face it, no one is going to use it but me. I’ll happily handwash it at work and tuck it back in my drawer.
President’s Choice products tend to be all or nothing. They’re either so terrific that you can’t imagine using another. Take their West Coast Dark Roast k-cups, our fave. Or they’re so terrible that you can’t imagine how a product-tester let them through. I’m thinking of a frozen chicken product that had the texture of chicken feet. I’m really hoping this mug holds up because if it doesn’t, I’m back to square one, sifting through the ones with tiny drink holes and plastic cylinders again.Â
Wonderful to see you having found a solution – and at a great price, to boot! Maybe consider getting a few of them (as the stuff you like so often disappears) and you’ll never be in need again!
That’s a great idea!!
Ah yes, President’s Choice. They just can’t leave anything alone. Twenty-five years ago, while working at Manulife, I was having a discussion about the ridiculously priced President’s Choice Decadent Apple Pies when a someone popped out and said “Yes, but they are SOOO good.” Needless to say, next trip I had to get one and it was delicious. Wasn’t long before they were gone. Replaced by a pale imitation (under the same name) and then dropped because they weren’t selling.
Never fear, we found they had an exceptional Key Lime Pie. It wasn’t long before that became “new and improved”. They improved it so much that we haven’t bought one in several years now.
Then they began improving their stores. Their presence here in Cobourg is a No Frills franchise. A while ago we began noticing items disappearing. Stokley’s pumpkin, Kraft Pizza blend shredded cheese to name but two. I asked and was told they weren’t available to them anymore. “Of course they’re available”, I replied, “Metro has them.” It seems that these common items have been removed from some list and Loblaw would rather send us to the competition than carry the products that their longtime customers wish to purchase. They’ve turned us into Walmart shoppers. There was no need for it but they did it to themselves.
By all means, if they have something you like, buy it up because if it’s decent, they’ll find a way to drop it.
Thanks Cavan. I think I’ll be going back to pick up a couple more of these mugs. I must admit that I live in a bit of fear that they’ll get rid of their West Coast Dark Roast coffee because it’s out favourite. Add to that the announcement that Loblaw’s is getting out of the gas station business. The pumps will still be there, but owned by Mobil.