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Thermos/Travel mugs causing off taste

anyone else find certain Thermos's and or Travel mugs/spill proof mugs cause an off taste in there coffee? If so any recommendations for models that don't

I choose to take a Thermos of coffee to work daily (stanley thermos) as the free coffee at work is about what can be expected of free coffee, we are forced to use spill proof cups or mugs where I work so I also use an all metal travel mug, I have taken and cleaned both with coffee pot cleaner (cleancaf) until spotless but still the coffee just doesn't taste as fresh as just out of the pot and lately I have started drinking it within an hour of brewing to see if that would make a difference
 
anyone else find certain Thermos's and or Travel mugs/spill proof mugs cause an off taste in there coffee? If so any recommendations for models that don't

I choose to take a Thermos of coffee to work daily (stanley thermos) as the free coffee at work is about what can be expected of free coffee, we are forced to use spill proof cups or mugs where I work so I also use an all metal travel mug, I have taken and cleaned both with coffee pot cleaner (cleancaf) until spotless but still the coffee just doesn't taste as fresh as just out of the pot and lately I have started drinking it within an hour of brewing to see if that would make a difference
I think that just about anything other than porcelain or glass causes an off-taste in about any beverage -- particularly those with subtle tastes (e.g. - coffee, tea). It's only exacerbated by hot drinks.

I think that any metal, even stainless, is gonna be somewhat reactive. And who knows what a given plastic is gonna add to the brew?

Do they make glass thermoses any more?
 
I think the culprit is the metal travel mug - this has always been my experience.

Off - thread for a second - I am always on the lookout for a shallow insulated mug to use as a shaving bowl - does anyone know of one?

Cordially, AvT.
 
Metal mugs will most likely impart a metallic flavor to the drinks in them, so I avoid them and use plastic mugs. They may impart a mild flavor when new, but this should likely fade over time. I don't notice any difference when I use my plastic mugs now.
 
I feel your pain.
The Starbucks, (yeah, I know...) near my house sells travel mugs with a ceramic insert and a plastic lid. As far as getting a thermos with a glass liner or lined insert I don't have any idea. Years ago I used a thermos with a glass liner, dont drop it, I dropped mine once and then it was time to get a new thermos.
 
I also think it is coming from the metal travel mug. I have been using the Urnex Tabs to clean my mug and carafe. I am not sure what the difference between this product and the Cleancaf is but here's the description from Sweet Marias.

Urnex has a special formula to remove coffee oils and mineral deposits from brewers and vessels of all kinds . If it's something with liquid coffee in it, this will clean it. The best way to see if your thermos needs cleaning is to use hot water, let it cool, then see if there is a taint of coffee or an off flavor. If so, you probably need some cleaning, even if there is no visible residue. For brewers, you can run a brew cycle with a TABZ™ tablet in the basket and simultaneously clean both the brew basket and carafe. You can clean the inside of additional servers (mugs, thermos bottles, carafes, airports, etc) with one TABZ™ per 64 oz (2L) hot water.

I hope this helps.
 
Wow. I drink lots o' coffee out of my Bubba Keg, and I never noticed a difference. I must not be as sensitive to these subtle differences as you folks. :blushing:
 
I like the Thermos Nissan Model JMT-401 so much I bought a second one. That way when if forget the traveling coffee cup at work I have a spare to fill up for my drive to work. It is stainless steel and works great.

Coffee after taste? When my traveling cup is empty I simply rinse it out with hot water.

I don't know what "cleancaf" is but I'm guessing it leaves a residue after it is used. Just rinse you cup with hot water. I've never had a reason to clean any of my cups/mugs with chemicals!
 
Yeah, same problem with tea. I can carry soup in a stainless steel thermos or mug, but tea in it always has an off taste, no matter how thoroughly I clean it.
 
I like the Thermos Nissan Model JMT-401 so much I bought a second one. That way when if forget the traveling coffee cup at work I have a spare to fill up for my drive to work.

I have a couple of spare mugs too...they're all on my desk at the office :frown:
 
One thing to check is the lid. If it is like the lid on one my cups, there are places that are impossible to scrub and I need to rinse it a lot. I learned that the first time I put some tea into the cup and it came out tasting like coffee. Removing the lid revealed the culprit, it was old coffee in the lid!
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
I like the Thermos Nissan Model JMT-401 so much I bought a second one. That way when if forget the traveling coffee cup at work I have a spare to fill up for my drive to work. It is stainless steel and works great.

Coffee after taste? When my traveling cup is empty I simply rinse it out with hot water.

I don't know what "cleancaf" is but I'm guessing it leaves a residue after it is used. Just rinse you cup with hot water. I've never had a reason to clean any of my cups/mugs with chemicals!

I was thinking this also, that it would be best to let the coffee react with the metal and leave it alone. I know some metals will build up an oxidation barrier, I'm not sure if stainless steel does.
 
Thanks for the links, it turned out to be the stainless Starbucks mug it kept the coffee nice and warm for a long time but once I replaced it the coffee tasted much better, it probably detected I wasn't putting there coffee in it :lol:
 
I also think it is coming from the metal travel mug. I have been using the Urnex Tabs to clean my mug and carafe. I am not sure what the difference between this product and the Cleancaf is but here's the description from Sweet Marias.

Urnex has a special formula to remove coffee oils and mineral deposits from brewers and vessels of all kinds . If it's something with liquid coffee in it, this will clean it. The best way to see if your thermos needs cleaning is to use hot water, let it cool, then see if there is a taint of coffee or an off flavor. If so, you probably need some cleaning, even if there is no visible residue. For brewers, you can run a brew cycle with a TABZ™ tablet in the basket and simultaneously clean both the brew basket and carafe. You can clean the inside of additional servers (mugs, thermos bottles, carafes, airports, etc) with one TABZ™ per 64 oz (2L) hot water.

I hope this helps.


I have been using this product as well with good results, Thermos, airpots, brew baskets ect.
 
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