A Mug Should Not Take This Much Practice

 My husband and I decided we were going to start bringing our coffee to work because buying it at Starbucks everyday was getting way too expensive.  So we needed travel mugs in which to carry it.

We browsed around and ended up going with the Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug, 20oz., in gunmetal.

Let's start with what I like about it.  I like the look of it.  I like the size of it - it fits well in your hand and in the car cupholder.  I like the non slip rubber grip.  I like the pop button opening.  (I don't like the sliding ones.  I always feel there is stuff between the layers I can never really clean out of there.)  And it keeps my coffee hot for a long time.  (I have never tried it with cold beverages but the principle is the same so I'm sure it keeps things cold too.)

But it leaked.  And the little rubber gasket in the cover fell out a lot.  And trying to get that thing back in was a twenty minute project.  But...

Now I have to give the credit to my husband because he is the one who makes the coffee in the morning.  The cups don't leak any more.  He had to practice putting the covers on and then holding them upside down over the sink to see if they would leak for a while but he figured it out.  You have to be gentle with them.  Turn the cover slowly until you just get resistance and then one small little turn to make it just snug.  Because if you turn the cover to fast and too hard the rubber seal twists and the cup will leak.

Now I like the cups.  But I don't think a mug should take so much practice to use correctly.  I read some other reviews and other people also had leaking problems so it isn't just me.  

Now they work great.  The rubber on the button to open the cup is starting to come off but that does not interfere with the function at all.  (The cups are now a year and a half old and we use them every day.)  And if you do buy them open the cover before you take it off the cup.  It is very hard to open it after.

I will continue to use them until they fall apart on me.  I might even buy more now that I know the secret.  But new customers might be frustrated with these.