Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Summary - fantastic performance as would be expected of a vacuum bottle - even a major upgrade from older quart vacuum bottles.... If you're not familiar with vacuum bottle" please read the section at the end for an explanation... So I have an old school "Aladdin-Stanley" quart size vacuum bottle. When this arrived, my wife asked if it was better than the old one. I said "of course not, vacuum insulation has been around a long time.... I was wrong. The insulation performance is similar, but the real difference is that they are now able to roll stainless much thinner and form it within much better tolerances. Manufacturing technology! The result? The old Quart capacity Vacuum bottle weighs 2-1/2 lbs while this one weighs 1-1/2 lbs, fully a pound less!! It's also shorter by a good inch or more (see picture) The new one also holds a liter, about 1.2 quarts so it's smaller, lighter and holds more - can't complain. The only issue I see is while the handle of the older Stanley thermos clips snugly against the body while this one does not. Bummer. VACUUM BOTTLES are double walled containers where the air between has been removed. The vacuum that is created does not conduct heat so it insulates REALLY well. Thermos is a brand name, though, like Kleenex, many people use it as a generic term. When I was a kid, everyone had vacuum bottles in our lunch boxes - these were silvered glass and nary a month would go by without a classmate dropping one and hearing the telltale sound of broken glass. Bummer. For that reason, stainless steel vacuum bottles have become more popular. (Glass vacuum bottles are still more popular in laboratories, etc. since they still provide superior insulation.) On the other hand, we also had Thermos brand (non vacuum) food containers which were plastic on the inside and outside - insulated with styrofoam, not with a vacuum. As a result, food was lukewarm at best when you ate it at lunch. "Thermal" or "Insulated" does not necessarily mean "Vacuum" Although pretty near indestructible, stainless is a reasonable heat conductor so you will probably notice that the neck (where the two vessels are connected) does get warm. Also, since the lid is not vacuum sealed, the large lid is going to let heat through. Therefore, while you can use this for coffee, it is going to cool off faster than if you used a narrow neck bottle TIPS - how can you make sure your drink stays hot (or cold) longer? 1) Pre-treat the container. I rinse out my Thermos with boiling water before pouring in my coffee. 2) Insulate the container with a small towel or other item. If I'm going hiking, I will put the Thermos in the innermost pocket, preferably with a scarf or spare sweater around the top. The body of the container is fine, but as mentioned above, heat can escape through the lid and at the neck. If you have any questions or comments, or found this review helpful, please let me know!