Choosing a new stainless steel drinking vessel
There comes a time in everyone’s life where you start thinking about buying a new drinks bottle or tumbler. It’s not the most interesting of shopping purchases you can have but there is a lot more to it than you might think, especially if you’re looking at getting a personalized stainless steel tumbler.
Why stainless steel?
Stainless steel is ideal and thermos stainless steel water bottles are highly durable and will keep their contents cool and fresh. There are so many choices of stainless steel out there as the war on single-use plastic takes hold. You can even get your name or company logo printed onto your stainless steel tumbler.
Why choose a personalized stainless steel tumbler?
With everyone choosing reusable drinking vessels, it’s a good idea to be able to spot yours easily in any situation at work, at school, in the gym or in your sports club. It’s also fun to have a personalized stainless steel tumbler!
If you run a company or a department in a company then why not invest in personalized stainless steel tumblers for your staff? They’re ideal as company gifts or prizes for outstanding performance! What’s more, they will promote your business when they’re taken home and offsite.
What size?
When it comes to buying a new stainless steel tumbler, you need to consider the size. Google says that a cup of coffee is around 6 oz. This is largely inaccurate, however, because many mugs we have at home hold around 10 oz.
You can get tumblers in a huge range of sizes and capacities. If you want something that will last you a long time, a 30oz stainless steel tumbler will do just that. Whether you use it for coffee or ice-cold water doesn’t matter, it’s a great size for your desk in the office. What’s more, a 30oz stainless steel tumbler is quite a common size so you have lots of options available to you in stores and online.
Tumbler or bottle?
Whether you choose a tumbler or bottle really depends on your usage. If you’re going to be putting a hot drink inside for personal use, then a double wall stainless steel tumbler is fine (and go for that 30oz stainless steel tumbler if you want a big drink!). For those who are thinking of using their stainless steel vessel just for cold drinks or for taking on hikes in the countryside, you might be better choosing a thermos stainless steel water bottle. Thermos stainless steel water bottles generally hold a lot more fluid than tumblers and also have a narrower drinking spout at the top to avoid spillages on the move.
If you can’t decide, why not choose both? You could use your double wall stainless steel tumbler for hot drinks in the office and use your thermos stainless steel water bottle to carry your water around! Having both isn’t particularly excessive, after all, you’re saving all those plastic bottles and disposable coffee cups from the landfill! Don’t forget, you can use a double wall stainless steel tumbler for cold drinks too!
What brands are good?
Reduce stainless steel tumblers are excellent. The company is the brainchild of Ken and Ilene Kreafle. Ken was tired of hauling case upon case of plastic bottles of water up and down the stairs of Ilene’s apartment complex and so began working on an option that was sustainable. This company now has 20 trademarks and 12 patents.
Reduce stainless steel tumblers are BPA free, lead-free and phthalate-free. They use 18/8 stainless steel in their manufacture and make the majority of their products to be dishwasher safe.
Reduce stainless steel tumblers are only one brand, there are loads out there, you just need to make sure you do your research and buy a product that is safe and sustainable.
Why is stainless steel better than aluminum for water bottles and tumblers?
Those in the know don’t get the two confused but stainless steel and aluminum do have a similar appearance. They are very different though. Let’s take a look at some reasons why.
Different styles and uses of stainless steel tumbler
Firstly, aluminum is not as strong as stainless steel, typically. However, it weighs about a third of aluminum. This is why a lot of airplanes are made of aluminum and not stainless steel. Secondly, stainless steel is an alloy, unlike aluminum which is a chemical element in its own right and is made up entirely of aluminum molecules. Since it’s an alloy, stainless steel has ‘ingredients’. It is made up of copper, nickel, manganese, chromium and iron. The role of the added chromium is to make the metal resistant to corrosion. It is also non-porous, which helps to reduce corrosion further. Aluminum, on the other hand, has high corrosion resistance and high oxidation because it has something called a ‘passivation layer’. When aluminum becomes oxidized, the surface turns white and might develop pits. In extreme cases or acidic environments, aluminum can corrode quite quickly and quite catastrophically.
Another difference between the two metals is that aluminum is a good thermal conductor while stainless steel isn’t. This means that aluminum is good for air conditioning units and car radiators but not ideal for keeping drinks cool.
Cost-wise, aluminum is usually cheaper. This could be to do with the fact that stainless steel needs to be ‘made’.
Stainless steel is a much better material for water bottles and tumblers because of these factors, although you will see water bottles used in hiking that are made from aluminum.
Why are hiking water bottles made from aluminum and not stainless steel?
A lot of the water bottles hikers use are made from aluminum. You will also see that they are often quite dented from being dropped. Hikers often take aluminum bottles with them as they are lightweight and since these bottles are almost entirely used with water, you won’t get so much flavor tainting. The telltale dents in hikers’ water bottles are due to the fact that aluminum is not as strong as stainless steel.