The Classic Travel Mug French Press is a 16 ounce travel mug from Stanley with a built-in french press. Not only you can carry your coffee hot for hours but make it in the same container.
Pros
- Leakproof
- Built-in french press
Cons
- lid threads don’t line up sometimes
This review is part of the recent Best Camp Mug test. See the other reviews:
- Yeti Rambler 532 with HotShop Cap
- Klean Kanteen TKWide Coffee Tumbler
- Miir Tomo Insulated Bottle
- BrüMate Pour Over Mug
- Snowpeak Kanpai Mug
- Corkcicle Commuter Cup
What is the Classic Travel Mug French Press?
The mug itself is painted 18/8 stainless steep and the lid and press are BPA-free plastic. The whole package can go in the dishwasher and has a lifetime warranty.
The french press is a plastic frame with mesh on the bottom and a seal on the outside. The mesh is quite fine for finer grounds of coffee.
The french press can be removed as well so if you’re making coffee another way, then just leave it at home and you have a regular travel mug.
Size and Shape
The mug weighs just over a pound and is about 9.6 inches tall. It’s a straight cylinder shape about 3 inches across so it fits in most cup holders.
The lid is held on with a hinge so you can’t lose it with a stainless steel cary handle on the outside. It’s great for tying a backpack or just for one-finger carrying.
The top and bottom are plain stainless steel. Any scratches and drops usually hit these corners so they shouldn’t scratch or peel the paint.
Pouring and Drinking
A small drinking hole in the top of the lid keeps the liquid flowing at a decent rate but doesn’t splash out or let much heat out. A small air hole in the middle is plugged by a silicone tip in the top of the lid.
Screwing the lid back on can take a couple tries. The hinge let’s the lid be at any angle which is required for getting it on and off but also let’s you line it up wrong. It’s usually pretty quick to screw on.
The edges of the mug itself under the lid are rather pointed. They’re not sharp but not as comfortable drinking straight from the mug.
Is it Leakproof?
The mug is definitely leakproof. Solid seals below and inside the lid keep things inside. Just make sure the lid is screwed on tight!
Hot test
With all the mugs in our recent camp mug roundup, we ran a 12 hour hot test. Those that were over 120 degrees Fahrenheit by 12 hours kept going for another 12.
Each mug was filled with boiling water around 200F and closed. I checked the temperature every 1-2 hours with an Accuchef thermometer. Each cup/bottle was open for about 20 seconds when I was measuring the temperature. Temperature outside the bottles was warm room temperature.
| Miir Tomo | Snowpeak Kanpai (Hot lid) | Klean Kanteen TKWide Coffee | Yeti Rambler with Hotshot Cap | Snowpeak Kanpai (Sip lid) | Stanley Classic Travel Mug French Press | Brumate Pour Over Mug | Corkcicle Commuter Cup | |
| 7:45am | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 10am | 189.1 | 185.4 | 177.6 | 179.1 | 167.2 | 161.8 | 160.0 | 149.2 |
| 12pm | 179.2 | 173.8 | 162.1 | 164.8 | 148.3 | 144.0 | 138.9 | 127.6 |
| 1pm | 175.5 | 168.8 | 157.6 | 158.4 | 142.3 | 136.2 | 132.6 | 122.2 |
| 3pm | 167.2 | 158.4 | 146.5 | 148.1 | 130.6 | 125.2 | 120.0 | 111.0 |
| 5:30pm | 159.1 | 148.1 | 136.6 | 136.9 | 120.9 | 114.6 | 110.1 | 102.9 |
| 7:45pm (12 hours) | 152.1 | 139.6 | 129 | 128.8 | 113.7 | 107.4 | 103.8 | 97.5 |
| 7:45am (24 hours) | 127.4 | 111.2 | 104.5 | 102.0 |
Stanley advertises 4 hours hot, 5 hours cold, and 20 hours iced for the Pour Over Mug. In my testing, we got down to a still-drinkable 120 degrees shortly after the 7 hours and 15 minute mark.
Cleaning
Cleaning is pretty easy with the french press and the mug, it’s all dishwasher safe. The mug is as well but there are a couple silicone seals in the mug that I take out and hand wash. I find the dishwasher gives the silicone a soapy taste over time. There isn’t anything else to take apart in the lid. The mesh bottom to the french press can unscrew from the rest of the press if you want to clean it that way but I usually leave it on.
Durability
The mug is extremely durable. Stanley builds things very tough. The paint is in good shape still. The bottom is bare stainless so if it gets dinged or scratched it won’t start to peel the paint. The lid is thick plastic and stainless steel so I don’t think there will be problems there. The hinge my break eventually but so far has felt very sturdy.
Who is Stanley?
Stanley was founded in 1913 by inventor William Stanley Jr. when he invented stainless steel vacuum insulation that is everywhere today.
Their Built For Life™ motto is still going strong and it can mean 2 things.
Stanley stuff is built strong. Their bottles have been found in decent condition after a building has collapsed, a bomb exploded or being dropped from a skyscraper.
Because they’re so tough, it takes a long time to end up in the landfill. When a bottle can last 50 years or more I don’t have to throw them in the garbage as often or buy more of them. Win win.
Conclusion
The Stanley Classic Travel Mug French Press needs a better name but nails the important things: holding coffee. Not only can it make coffee, it can make coffee all in one package. The build quality in the steel and plastic is top notch and I haven’t seen any durability issues with all my testing. The mug is easy to clean and you can’t lose the
If you like french press coffee, then this one is a great option for you.
Verdict: Highly recommended
Usual price: $36 USD ($40 CAD)