So can we talk mugs? I tend to make a half liter (~17 oz) of coffee in a French Press in the morning. I run into the problem that I get about a half hour to 45 minutes (I’ve never timed it this number might be wildly off) in before the, “Crap! Its getting cold!” moment and feel like I have to accelerate my consumption to avoid cold coffee when I’d prefer to keep going at a leisurely pace. I realize the most obvious solution is a couple of smaller batches but I’m lazy, easily distracted, and have a bit of a cutoff in the morning as my wife hates the smell of freshly brewed coffee and I catch a bit of drama if I’m brewing while she’s awake or just before she wakes up.
I do have a Contigo Autoseal stainless steel travel mug that I use occasionally for cheap tea and it works well for retaining heat. I can sip on hot tea for hours but the lid has all sorts of nooks and crannies that retain coffee oils that is a pain in the ass to clean and it has a very small drink hole limits the orthonasal olfactory pathway (aka you can’t sniff your coffee). The ability to take my drink somewhere is kinda nice but strictly speaking isn’t critical for me.
So anyone mind sharing their experiences with features or even specific recommendations? Don’t worry about if it is available in the US (where I’m located) I can always look at the features your favorite insulated or travel mug so it can still be handy to share. Or you may have a solution so elegant and obviously I’m going to facepalm when you point it out.
Overdue Update: I ended up going with a Carter Move and I’m quite happy with it. I appreciate everyone who gave me ideas and things to think about.
Get a Hario insulated carafe, they make them in all sizes, and pour multiple small mugs after making 1 big batch. Use cafiza if oils build up or anything.
I’ll admit I hadn’t considered an insulated carafe as a solution. That’s a good idea for a full morning of small cups.
I like it because it lets you control the temperature you drink at. I drink pour over mostly, so the carafe is heated by the water I use to heat the cone, and with the insulation I get a good 4 hours where it’s still too hot to drink straight out of the carafe. So pouring small cups and waiting a minute has been the perfect way to have every sip at the right temperature. And I’ve come to really like the pace of multiple almost espresso-sized mugs rather than working on the same cup all morning.