If there’s a couple of consistent qualities to be found across BuyMeOnce team members, it’s that a) we care deeply about our personal environmental impact, and b) we’re HUGE coffee nerds. So, it should be safe to assume we all religiously carry eco-friendly reusable cups for our morning brew. However, whilst we do avoid disposables and we do all own reusable coffee cups (many of us actually have several), they’re shamefully gathering dust in the back of cupboards. The reason? We just can’t stand the funny taste - any hint of plastic, silicone or metal affecting the flavour of the coffee spoils our experience. Our current solution is to carry around actual ceramic mugs. Not ideal.
That is, until the Sttoke cup caught our attention. Designed in Melbourne and rising in popularity worldwide, this nifty little cup was the Gold Winner in the Good Design Awards product design category in 2018. It looks a little different to the myriad of other products already flooding the market, in that there’s a lot less going on. With a distinct lack of big grippy bits and a totally flat lid, it’s elegant, minimalistic and perfectly designed to fit in the hand. But what really sets it apart is what’s inside. Coating the interior of this stainless steel cup is a layer of shatter proof Greblon® ceramic, which is durable, easy to clean and, crucially, completely flavourless!
By combining the inert qualities of ceramic with durable and light high-grade stainless steel, the Sttoke is able to combine portability with a fantastic drinking experience. Available in a range of colours and 8oz or 12oz size (a regular or large cup of coffee) the cup’s stainless steel body has a double wall of vacuum insulation, ensuring a hot drink for 3 hours, and cold drinks for 6 hours. This heat retention combined with the Sttoke’s neutral flavour ensures ‘the perfect sip of coffee, from the first to last’.
To put this claim to the test, we got our hands on a Sttoke cup and used it for a month. Long story short, we were seriously impressed (you can read our in-depth and honest product review here). We found the cup excelled at retaining the pure taste of a drink - our main gripe with other cups - and stayed hot for hours. Not only that, but it was lightweight and portable, and felt really comfortable to hold. In fact, the whole team was converted! On the negative side, we found the Sttoke required a little more TLC than average, as it was easily scratched by scourers or by being kept loose in a bag. But as big believers in looking after our stuff, we concluded that treating it with care was a small price to pay for performance.
Surface wear and tear aside, we’ve found the Sttoke cup to be structurally incredibly hard-wearing, surviving several drops and other abuse. Sttoke cups are also covered by a 2 year warranty - a fantastic extra assurance. There are certainly some more rugged cups out there, but what good is an indestructible cup if it’s never actually used? By replacing disposable cups, a reusable one does good only once it becomes a habit. It can take up to 100 uses for a reusable cup to offset its own carbon footprint of manufacture! If you’re going to be incentivised to carry your cup around, use it and wash it again and again, it has to provide a great experience. Despite the fact that there’s a huge range of cool reusable cups on the market, this is the first we’ve found providing a clean taste true to the brew. And, it has to be said, it looks great on the job.
