Customer Reviews

Thermos Nissan 14-Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug, Smoke

5 star:		(317)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have four of these mugs.

Pros:
- Keeps coffee hot for a very long time when sealed.
- Doesn't leak.
- Durable.
- Carabiner makes it easy to clip onto backpack.

Cons:
- A little inconvenient to clean.
- Nissan unresponsive about replacement parts.

Tips:
Make sure the lid is screwed down snugly, but not too tightly. You want to form a complete seal to prevent leaks and retain heat, but the seal gets tighter as the contents cool and shrink.

Don't fill past the raised metal fill-line on the inside of the mug. If you overfill the mug, some liquid will be pushed up into the threads when you screw the lid down, and you won't notice until you tip the mug. (It's easier to see the line if you fill it beneath an overhead light.) If you think your mug leaks, you've probably overfilled it.

If you fill it just right, you don't even have to stir your coffee. Just add your sugar, cream, ketchup, or whatever you put in there, seal the lid, and shake the mug to mix it. (I've never been able to do this with any other mug).

When you wash the mug, remember to remove and wash the silicone rubber o-ring. The lid is hollow and can be pried apart with a spoon for cleaning if some liquid seeps inside.

If you wash the mug in the dishwasher (Nissan recommends against this), remove the plastic base before (or after) washing to remove the water that collects in there.

If you lose the gasket (or cut it on a knife in the dishwasher like I did), I've found these to be suitable inexpensive replacements after a lot of hunting around: 228 Silicone Rubber O-Ring 70A Durometer, Burnt Orange, 2-1/4" ID x 2-1/2" OD x 1/8" W, by Small Parts Inc.

A key fact about this insulated mug--and all similar--for the curious: they are not stainless because it looks cool. The stainless that counts is on the inside, as this is what provides *far superior insulation* of hot or cold beverages than the standard glass vacuum bottles.

I've been drinking from one of these for years. A few months ago I lost mine and replaced it with one we had lying around that was plastic on the inside instead of stainless--I knew this one would not keep my coffee as hot, but I thought perhaps I'd gone overboard and could get by without replacing my Nissan Stainless mug. After a few months, I recalled the lesson I'd learned about these mugs years ago: because they keep the coffee so hot, for such a long time, YOU DRINK LESS COFFEE. It sounds kooky, but I've been overwhelmed by this discovery twice in the last decade. (Here's how: consider that when you take a sip of coffee, you get the smell, the strong flavor, the steam on your nose, and the hot beverage warmth in your mouth. As this coffee gets colder, you will discover that your sips become gulps... because you want that "hit" of the hot beverage and the flavor. Not only are these gulps less satisfying, but even die-hard coffee lovers understand that too much of a good thing means nature calls more frequently, urgently, and your tummy might start to roar.) If you would like to drink less and enjoy it more, you will love the Nissan Stainless Mugs.

Pros of this particular mug:
-The top is ingeniously designed. Lots of thought went into the shape and how well it conforms to your face when you drink.
-It's leak proof, folks. I think some who have reviewed it poorly in this regard have mistaken the claim: it's leak proof if you seal the lid. As for whether you spill it while you're drinking, nobody can account for how one person drinks. If you set it on the car seat or hook it to your satchel with the included clip-thingie, or if you turn it upside down while it's full, NOT ONE DROP will escape. HUGE improvement over the model I bought seven years ago.
-Easy cleaning, rubberized grip and handle, 5 year warranty--this is not your granddad's thermos.

The only thing I'd presume to be a con, in all fairness, is that it looks a bit ostentatious, spacey. However, the handle is nice and makes the whole mug fit very naturally in your hand.

Invest in this mug: you might even save on coffee or trips the bathroom in the long run, and you won't spill a drop unless you miss your mouth.

Thermos is the Japanese company. I have been using their product since 15 years ago. When I found this mug available in USA, I purchased one for my husband as he will take a cup of coffee to enjoy it during traffic jam. He likes the tight lock of this mug. No more spill! He also like the temperature of the coffee. The insulated wall really works!
The first month after using this mug, we found the lid could be separated into 3 parts: The top, the container shaped bottom, and a rubber band. It was very yucky first time we dis-assembled the lid since coffee and cream can get into it through the seam. Ever since, we dis-assemble the lid every time we wash the mug. A little hassle, but for the nice & hot coffee, it can be tolerated!

In 27 years as a bus driver, I have drunk a lot of cold coffee, and spilled a lot more, from many brands of so-called insulated, leakproof coffee mugs. I first found this cup at the Brookstone store in the local mall and thought the price a bit steep but it is without a doubt the best insulated cup I have ever owned. It was absolutely leakproof and remains so after three years of daily use. This cup is also manufactured under a "high vacuum" process that maintains the temperature of the contents better than any other I have used, bar none. The trick is to "season" the cup...fill it with HOT water, let it sit overnight, empty it out, and then fill it with your hot coffee. It's good for 4 to 5 hours at a very drinkable temperature! Season it with ice cubes and water for cold drinks. The other handy feature of this cup is its handle.It is wide-spaced from the body of the cup, allowing you to carry your briefcase, purse, or umbrella in the same hand as the cup. In my case, buses have no cupholders and the non-slip handle fits easily over the sun visor, keeping my hot coffee within easy reach. The only two drawbacks to this cup are (1) the price tag and (2) after the contents of the cup cool off a bit, the lid can be somewhat difficult to remove due to the vacuum created...a small price to pay for the only vacuum insulated cup that REALLY IS what it says it is. I wish I had a commission for each of these cups bought by my fellow drivers!

I bought this for my husband nearly four years ago after months of research and it's still a reliable, leakproof mug that goes to work with him whenever he needs that second cup. He attaches it to his backpack with a carabiner and aside from a few dents, it's the only travel mug we've found that truly doesn't leak. Forty-five minutes after leaving home, he sits down in his office chair to 14 oz. of very hot coffee.

As another reviewer noted, it can be difficult to know just by looking when the lid is on tight; one of my co-workers discovered this one day when, eager to show off her new mug's leakproof feature, turned it upside down in front of the CEO and dumped an entire mug of coffee onto his feet.

The Nissan Leak-Proof works better as a travel mug than a commuter's mug for two reasons: first, there's no smaller opening on the lid that allows the user to sip slowly...the lid is on or it's off. Second, it doesn't fit well in most cup holders, making it harder to access on the road without the driver becoming seriously distracted. But if the intent is to simply transport a hot beverage to be enjoyed at a later time and place, this mug is ideal.

It's fairly easy to clean, but requires a long bottle brush to get to the bottom of the mug; there's also a fair-sized gap between plastic and metal inside the mug that needs scrubbing, but for its reliability, durability and heat insulating properties, it's worth the extra care.

I have to give this one star because it says leak-proof and it is not. I put coffee in it, well below the fill line, screwed the top on tightly, turned the mug sideways, shook lightly, and coffee drips fell into my sink -- not from the lid, but from a seam in the middle of the mug.

The mug initially seems to have just two parts - the threaded lid top and the base - but the base actually has several parts and they aren't sealed well. I found this out because when trying to screw on the threaded top, the entire upper section (handle included) rotated slightly. This was not expected. Trying to find the source of the leak, I grasped the handle and pulled, and off popped the black upper part.

As pictured, there is the black upper part of the base (the handle, and where you drink from), and it is seated on top of the silver/black lower area. A very thin rubber gasket sits between the two parts. It is unclear why they didn't just make a solid base, since this is what leaks, and I imagine you'd also have to clean in there to avoid a gross mug. It may be a product safety thing where they're afraid of boiling liquid, sealed up, creating an exploding mug, but then why not have the seam be part of the threaded top instead of somewhere separate?

I tried reseating the rubber gasket several times but it never seemed to make a difference; light use always resulted in a drip or two coming out of the seam.

The mug would be useless as a travel mug if it leaked from the lid (and it doesn't seem to), but it would be, and is, completely useless in general as a mug when it leaks from the seam. It is very similar to those days you get a Starbucks cup with a bad lid that doesn't totally seal - you can drink from the lid, and coffee goes in your mouth, but a drip or two runs from under the lid, down the side of your cup, and onto fingers or your pants.

I can only imagine this getting worse, since the handle is going to get the most action, either when you grab it or in using the carabiner to attach it to something. Any pressure while the mug's tipped and you can hear the seal gurgle - drips en route. The gasket is also so thin, and it sits on top of the lower base's relatively sharp metal lid, that I can't imagine it lasting very long with repeated pulling off, washing, and putting back on.

Depressing! Lots of good reviews and so I asked for it for a present for my birthday (today :-/). Instead, I poured my coffee from the "leak proof" mug into a regular ceramic coffee mug, sat down, and wrote this.

My friends are getting bored about how much I talk about my new travel mug. I spent days researching it because I had been disappointed by so many coffee mugs in the past. I bought many of the metal-type mugs from Starbucks which were very leaky, prone to dents and generally messy. I even spent around $30 for a Japanese thermos (Hitoichi? the one with the elephant logo) that I thought for sure would be my last; however, it leaked too, even though it had two caps! This Nissan mug I can vouch is totally leak-proof and I feel perfectly safe putting it in my bag on the go. If the mug isn't leakproof, it's probably defective and you should return it. No worries there.

Usage note: A previous review mentions that you can take apart the lid into three different parts. This was very helpful information! I was tentative at first, but you can just take the rounded tip of a dinner knife, wedge it between the top and bottom part of the lid and the top will pop off. It's good to wash the insides, or else a damp smell will lend itself to your coffee. Take the same knife, gently stick it under the rubber ring which will also pull right off, and there will be no coffee dried in any hidden crevices of your mug. The mug resists getting the weird taste/smell (if you keep it clean) much better than any of the other mugs I've tried.

On the value it lends to everyday use: the mug holds approximately the same volume of coffee as a medium sized coffee from Starbucks. I can see why people would want it to hold more coffee, but an added bonus to making your coffee everyday is that you can treat yourself to better coffee beans. I used to spend $10-13 each week on coffee at Starbucks. Now I buy a half pound bag of coffee beans which lasts me at least a week or two (depending on whether I just take coffee in the a.m., or have more in the evenings). I buy a half pound of coffee ($12-$18 per pound) from Peets Coffee or Stumptown Coffee. The coffee is incomparably better than the regular drip at Starbucks, but it's still cheaper than buying your morning coffee everyday. Buy expensive coffee and feel frugal! Awesome. Or just buy the regular beans, it would cost even less!

The coffee does stay hot and flavorful in the mug. In fact, sometimes it can even be a little too hot and I just loosen the lid for it to cool down.

If you get this mug, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

My fiance spent a lot of time looking around for a coffee mug that would work for me, and he picked marvelously! The best features of this are the most important ones: convenient size for car drink holders, holds enough volume to be worthwhile to bring it with you, keeps coffee very hot for a long time (I can fill the mug and cart it to the gym with me and 2 hours later, drink it and the temperature is perfect!), is comfortable to hold AND DOES NOT LEAK when closed!! There are very few products I love the design of enough to write about, but this is one of them. I know I sound like a hired Nissan advertiser, but it really is worth the [money]. I use it everyday.

I've had this mug for less than 2 years, and the rubber seal on the lid has stretched, allowing the mug to leak. I guess this is due to the fact that I have had to remove the rubber ring to completely clean the lid. I always have milk in my coffee, and even after regular cleaning, the lid would start to smell like spoiled milk after a few days. I soon realized that I had to take apart the lid to fully clean it, and it seems this has shortened the life of the lid.

However, a friend who takes his coffe black has had the same mug for several years with no complaints.

I really love this mug.

The manufacturer claims that it will keep coffee hot for one hour. HA! Three hours is more like it. The lid can be screwed down to form a very tight seal, or it can be opened with 1/2 of a turn to permit drinking and still provide good insulation.

My only complaints are minor:
1. It takes two hands to unscrew the lid once it has been sealed.
2. One time, I had the lid on so tight that it actually formed a tight vacuum seal, making it very difficult to open.