Things I've Found That Just Work; Zojirushi Thermos

Zojirushi 20 ounce thermos press photos (click to enlarge)

Periodically, I plan to write about and post information on things that I have found that "just work."  I think this kind of post, on occasion, can be informative and helpful.  We all want to know what products others have found that are well designed, a good value and just work as expected.  Most will be directly photography related and some will be indirectly related to photography.

This is not my original idea but one I'm adopting with assent from my friend and fellow photographer David Hileman, the proprietor of the "Two Lane Touring" blog.  Dave is in the process of visiting every National Park Service property in the United States.  There are 418 of them!  He has now visited more than half.  He then posts images of the Park Service sites with a short narrative.  When traveling, as a nice bonus, he also visits and writes about places that are very, very good places to eat!  Of course, occasionally he posts about things that work well.  At the end of May, he and his wife will be leaving for Alaska for a long trip to Alaska.  They camp along the way, take the smaller roads, for the most part, and really see this country as it should be seen.  I am eagerly awaiting his images and writings on that trip.  I encourage you to visit his Two Lane Touring blog.

(click to enlarge)

Today I want to feature a product that I use regularly and don't travel without.  It is the Zojirushi thermos (SM-SA60-BA Stainless Steel Mug).  You can find it on Amazon.com here.  This thermos works better than any other thermos that I've ever owned.  It keeps my coffee hotter for longer than seems possible.  I have owned and used this thermos for more than 2 years and it has been flawless.

As an example, to gather a bit of data for this post, I placed 128 degrees F (53.3 C) tap water into the thermos, closed the lid and let it sit.  Exactly 12 hours later, the temperature of the water was 111 degrees F (43.9 C)!  In 12 hours, the temperature only dropped 17 degrees F.  I think that is amazing, which raises another issue.  Often times, my coffee stays so hot for so long I have to take the off the lid to allow it to cool as I can't drink it until it does!  But I'd rather allow it to cool than have coffee that gets cold quickly.

The thermos is available in 12 oz (355 ml), 16 oz. (473 ml) and 20 oz. (591 ml) sizes.  I own the 20 oz. size.  Also, you can buy them in about a dozen colors.  The current cost for the 20 oz. size at the time I am writing this is $28.98 US.

(click to enlarge)

The top of the thermos flips open so you don't have to worry about dropping it or losing it.  The top also has a slide lock to ensure it doesn't open when being transported in a backpack, etc.  The top mechanism disassembles easily for cleaning.

I can't say enough good things about this thermos.  I would buy another tomorrow if I lost the one I have.  One other thing—I have not tried it with cold liquids so I can't comment on how cold it keeps liquids for what length of time.

As is the norm here at my site, I buy everything at the same price as you and I'm not endorsed, paid nor get discounts by any company nor do I include click through advertisers so I get a commission.  It is just me finding things that work well and passing on that information for your benefit.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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