Best Ceramic Travel Mug With Lid Reviews in 2023

If you like your coffee on the go, you need a travel mug. This handy companion will ensure your coffee does not go cold when you forget to sip on it for a while.

But not all travel mugs will preserve the flavor, and sometimes the coffee or other drinks starts losing their flavor. If that bothers you, which it should, you want the best ceramic travel mug.

In this article, we will give you a quick rundown of everything you need to know about this handy little appliance in a way that is easy for you to absorb. So, without further ado, let us jump in.

How we know?

Ceramic travel mugs are a life-saver in keeping your favorite beverages warm whenever you need them the most. They come in great designs and different sizes to hold your preferred amount of tea or coffee.

They can be a great companion on your way to work. But buying a ceramic travel mug only to discover that it does not even keep your beverage warm enough, can be seriously frustrating.

Indeed, you can do your part of the research to make sure your money is going in a good place. But how many products will you skim through?

To make the shopping process easier, we surfed the market to save your time and energy and found the best ceramic travel mugs, only for you!

How we tested our Best Ceramic Travel Mug?

We tested out the ceramic travel mugs by putting three beverages inside them:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Hot water

Our team of experts set up an area devoted to meticulously test them on their performance in various aspects, such as:

• How long they were warm for
• Tightness of lid
• Ease of grip
• Durability
• Ease of cleaning
• Leaking

Having a handle on your ceramic travel mug can make gripping easier for you just in case the exterior of your mug gets hot. Rubber-coated mugs provide an excellent alternative to handles.

Rubber is also a good insulator and does not let the heat pass through to the mug’s exterior. This way, it is also ensured that your favorite beverage stays warm for longer!

Coffee and tea can leave behind stubborn stains if not washed correctly. We would not want to have stained mugs to carry everywhere. So, ceramic travel mugs which are easy to clean can come in handy if you intend to use them daily.

After extensive examination, our team of experts has exclusively presented you with a list of the best ceramic travel mugs. Choose any of them that fits the best, and you will always have your beverage of choice whenever you are on the go!

Editor’s Recommendation: Top 5 Ceramic Travel Mug

5 Best Ceramic Travel Mug Reviews

Let us not waste any time and start right off with the list of products. To ensure you get the best value out of your investment, here are our recommendations for the best ceramic travel mug that you can find in the market.

1. Shades of Indigo Flowers and Butterflies Ceramic Travel Coffee Mug 

We will start the list with a beautiful little unit by the brand Cypress. This travel mug features eye-catching artwork on the body, making it the perfect travel partner. However, it is not all about looks. This mug does an excellent job when it comes to keeping your beverage hot or cold.

The thick insulation on the mug is partly responsible for its high heat retention capacity. In addition, a double-lipped plastic lid lends a hand in keeping the heat inside, thanks to its three silicone rings. It also promises not to spill a drop of your beverage even when it is inside the backpack.

The durable ceramic construction will not let you down when it comes to construction quality. This unit is also microwave compatible, allowing you to reheat the drink if it gets cold. It can hold 17 ounces of your favorite beverage, ready for you to sip on it whenever you wish.

2. Asobu Ultimate Stainless Steel Ceramic Inner Coating Insulated Mug

Next up, we will be looking at an excellent unit by the brand Asobu. It features a simple and underwhelming design but delivers a fantastic performance in keeping your beverages fresh. If you want a low-key travel mug, then this unit might be right up your alley.

The ceramic inner coating of the unit comes with double-walled vacuum insulation. To put it simply, you do not have to worry about losing the flavor of your coffee or its temperature because of this combination. In addition, the push-on lid perfectly fits the mug, preventing spillage or heat from escaping from it.

Since the outer layer of the unit comes with stainless steel construction, you get the full benefit of its durability. The round handle on the unit does not transmit heat, and you will have a comfortable grip on it all the time.

It is a highly durable travel mug that gives excellent performance for any beverage you keep in it.

3. CeramiSteel Ultimate Insulated Travel Mug

For people who want a simple travel mug that fits in any cupholder while giving you a decent carry capacity, this unit by the brand CeramiSteel is worth consideration. It comes in a fashionable turquoise color that looks quite appealing in your hands.

The smooth ceramic lining on the interior ensures the perfect taste for your beverage of choice. Its double-walled vacuum insulation acts as an excellent heat barrier, keeping the interior temperature controlled. Also, the acrylic lid on the unit keeps the beverage sealed and prevents spillage.

This travel mug features sturdy stainless steel construction with rims lined with ceramic. The result is a lightweight travel companion that does not ruin the taste of your favorite beverage. You also do not need to worry about accidentally dropping it as it is quite sturdy and durable.

4. Ello Ogden Ceramic Travel Mug with Friction-Fit Lid

The following product we will review is the Ogden travel mug by the brand Ello. This unit features a beautiful design and efficient heat retention capacity to protect the richness you want from every sip of your coffee. It is the perfect unit for people who make zero compromises with their beverages.

Moreover, the insulation level of the unit is top-notch, thanks to the double-walled vacuum design. The friction-free lid also comes with a slide for you to insert a straw or take sips at your leisure. You no longer have to worry about your coffee getting cold while you are driving or stuck at traffic.

With its durable ceramic construction, the taste of your coffee is uncompromised. Although the lid fits snugly, it does leak if you handle it too roughly. However, despite being a ceramic unit, it is entirely dishwasher friendly, eliminating some of the annoyances of cleaning a travel mug.

5. Bubba HERO Elite Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug with TasteGuard

Whether you are a coffee connoisseur or just someone who likes the taste of their coffee to be perfect, the Bubba Hero Elite travel mug will give you a satisfactory experience. It promises to protect the flavor-richness and aromatic effect that you can only get with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

This product’s insulation, termed TasteGuard, acts as a barrier against outside temperature, perfectly keeping the heat trapped inside the mug. And since it has a ceramic interior, the taste is also unaltered. To top it off, it comes with a tight-fitted lid that is completely leak-proof.

Because of its stainless steel exterior, the durability of it is never questionable. Its bottom surface comes with a skid-proof design ensuring the mug will not slip wherever you choose to place it. Furthermore, you can clean it using your dishwasher too for an easier time.

5 Best Ceramic Travel Mug Comparison Table

Things to Consider before Buying the Best Ceramic Travel Mug

A travel mug will be your constant companion, whether you are stuck in the traffic or on a big adventure. So you should never compromise on the quality and features that you get with the mug.

The good news is that you already know which material you want. But for the rest of the features, here are our recommendations for the things that you should consider before buying the best ceramic travel mug for coffee.

• Size

The most obvious factor when choosing your travel mug is the size. It correlates to how much coffee you want to drink and keep near you on the road. Although more giant coffee mugs may sound like a no-brainer, it also has the obvious flaw of being harder to carry.

Besides, some mug holders in cars can only hold small or medium-sized cups, making it more convenient to invest in a standard-sized travel mug. However, if you do not need to worry about any cup holders and want the most amount of drink out of your mug, an oversized mug is the best choice.

• Insulation

Insulation is another critical aspect of your travel mug. Without proper insulation, your travel mug will not be able to retain appropriate temperature levels. If your mug is not well-insulated, your coffee or other hot drink you keep inside will get cold and bitter.

For ceramic mugs, you sometimes have the option of double-walled insulation. It is an excellent option if you do not want to compromise on the temperature. With this type of mugs, your hot drinks will retain the smoking temperature while your cold drinks will remain ice cold.

• Lid Quality

No matter the size or insulation quality, the travel mug is no good unless it comes with a decent lid. You want a challenging and tight cover with rubber lining or other suction to grab the mug tightly. It must be leak-proof to throw it inside the backpack without worrying about spillage.

In addition, look at the access point of the lid. Does it require you to take it off completely, or can you push in a straw? Usually, people tend to use a straw for cold drinks and prefer to sip hot beverages. If your lid allows you to push in a straw without any hassle, you might get more use out of it.

• Ease of Cleaning

A travel mug is not like a disposable coffee mug that you throw away. After your day out, you want to go home and clean it up to use another day. But consider the shape of a travel mug. It is not that easy to get into the nooks and crannies of a travel mug to clean it thoroughly.

However, some units come with a dishwasher-friendly design. You can simply place it in the dishwasher and let the washer take care of all the cleaning. It gets most of the residual drinks out of the mug, and you can rinse away anything that remains. A dishwasher friendly travel mug will make cleaning a lot easier for you.

Ways to Keep Coffee Hot for Longer in a Travel Mug

Unless you take a sip every few seconds, the coffee will last quite a while when using a travel mug. Near the end, the coffee starts getting cold and tastes bitter. But there are some ways to keep it hot for a more extended period.

The following tricks will make sure your coffee remains piping hot anytime you take out the travel mug to take a sip.

• Wrap it with a thick material

The easiest way to ensure better heat retention for your mug is to wrap it with a thick material that can trap the heat. Something as simple as a thick scarf can ensure that the contents of the cup remain hot.

Any type of thick fabric around the mug will provide better insulation and heat retention ability. And to keep your coffee hot, extra insulation is never a bad thing.

• Use a cup sleeve

If your coffee keeps getting cold in your travel mug, maybe it is time to invest in a cup sleeve. The principle is pretty much the same as wrapping it in a scarf, but a cup sleeve is made specifically to provide better heat retention.

Furthermore, because of the affordable nature of this material, there is no reason not to buy one if you enjoy hot coffee. As a bonus, your hand will not come in contact with the mug, which means you will not be absorbing any of the heat coming from the travel mug.

• Preheat the mug

Preheating the coffee mug seems like such an elementary concept, but you would be surprised to know how many people do not know it. By preheating your travel mug, you optimize the interior compartment to hold a specific temperature for an extended period.

The process of preheating is also relatively easy and fast. All you need to do is fill it up with boiling water. After a few minutes, you can simply pour it out when the water starts to cool down. Then after filling it with coffee, the heat will distribute across the mug and stay at that temperature for a much more extended period.

• Use a cup warmer

Consider investing in a cup warmer if you like to sip your coffee from the travel mug when driving the car. This handy gadget plugs into the 12V outlet of your vehicle and can hold your travel mug, maintaining an even temperature.

And since it can hold cups of all sizes, you should have no trouble finding a model compatible with your travel mug. It is a small electronic device that does not cost much but gives you massive benefits.

Why Ceramic Mugs Are Better in Terms of Durability

For many reasons, ceramic travel mugs are among the best choices for travel mugs. Here are a few key factors you need to know about in terms of its durability:

Plastic and coffee cups are not very good choices for the environment. For one thing, paper cups are a primary reason for deforestation, and plastic is downright toxic for the environment. These are not as reusable as ceramic. So, any environmentally conscious person should avoid these materials.

Additionally, plastic contains BPA, which is highly harmful to your health. A plastic mug having hot drinks releases this chemical over time. Even if you overlook the health factor, coffee that you drink from plastic cups does not taste good, as the hot coffee absorbs some of the plastic taste from the mug.

With plastic and paper cups out of the way, your only other choice is stainless steel. However, this material also has a significant issue in keeping hot drinks. Like plastic, it also adds a metallic taste to your coffee. The metal coating that keeps the drink hot in a stainless steel mug also ruins the taste.

Now when you look at ceramic, the material is inorganic and non-metallic. As a result, you do not need to worry about changing the drink’s flavor. Ceramic travel mugs do not have any internal coating that can wear out over time due to heat.

You do not need to worry about replacing it soon by investing in the best ceramic tea travel mug. And with our tips on how to keep your coffee hot for longer, you should be able to make full use of your mug.

However, do not drop it or mishandle it as it is prone to breaking or shattering.

In-Depth Comparison: Ceramic vs. Stainless Steel vs. Plastic

Although it might seem like we are all about ceramic travel mugs, there are some flaws. In fact, none of the travel mug materials are perfect, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each of them.

To give you a better idea of where each material shines and its shortcomings, here is an in-depth comparison of the three materials, ceramic, stainless steel, and plastic.

• Plastic

Let us start off with plastic, as it is one of the popular choices because of its price. The advantage of plastic travel mug is they do not break as easily as ceramic ones. You also get the added benefit of lightweight construction and the affordable price tag that usually comes with it.

However, plastic mugs do not perform that well when it comes to insulation. Additionally, toxic plastic chemicals can seep into the drink with hot drinks like coffee. In some cases, the plastic walls of the mug can even absorb some of the aroma and richness of the coffee. It can completely ruin the taste.

• Stainless Steel

On the other hand, stainless steel travel mugs provide excellent insulation and heat retention. The temperature of your drink will remain stable for a much extended period when you are using this type of travel mug. However, it has some severe flaws.

Often, coffee that you store in a stainless steel mug often comes with an unpleasant metallic taste. Although it is not harmful to your health, nobody wants a metallic taste in their coffee. Besides, stainless steel mugs are pricier and can be quite heavy when you want the best insulation.

• Ceramic

Ceramic travel mugs sit comfortably between the price of a plastic and a stainless steel unit. It is, in most cases, affordable and provides excellent value to the user. Since it is a natural material, it does not impart any bad flavors on the coffee, nor does it have any health implications.

However, Ceramic is not as strong as the other two materials. Although it will not break on its own, dropping a ceramic travel mug is not generally a good idea. As an added bonus, the insulation in most ceramic travel mugs is quite good, and it can maintain a stable temperature for a decent period.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use a travel mug for iced tea?

Yes, you can. Not only does a travel mug keep your drinks hot, but it also can keep cold beverages, like iced tea, cold coffee, cold drinks, etc.

2. Can a travel mug keep my coffee hot overnight?

It depends on the insulation capacity and the overall design of the travel mug. If you go with a ceramic travel mug with double-walled insulation, you can keep your coffee in it overnight to drink the next morning.

3. Is ceramic the best material for retaining heat for longer?

Yes, a ceramic travel mug is one of the best choices if you want to retain heat for a more extended period.

Final Thoughts

A travel mug is an excellent investment, whether you are a traveler. Many people have hectic schedules and cannot enjoy a coffee in the morning because of time constraints. You can take your coffee to go with a travel mug without worrying about losing its taste and flavor.

We hope you enjoyed our article on the best ceramic travel mug and could find a suitable unit for your needs.