The Best Reusable Coffee Cup in Australia for 2022
Or how to feel like an earth warrior every time you grab a coffee.
It’s not easy being green (unless you’re Kermit) but there’s an easy way to colour your life slightly more green: say hello to a reusable coffee cup. The best reusable coffee cup keeps your coffee warm, without burning your hand. It also lets you drink as you go, without spilling hot coffee down your work pants. Here are Australia’s best keep cups, chosen from hours of research (and virtual window shopping).
How we picked
With Aussies being a nation of coffee addicts, we were spoilt for choice. We started with CHOICE, Australia’s largest consumer advocacy group, who got 5 coffee fiends to road-test some popular reusable cups. This gave us an idea of how a few cups performed for some people.
We then headed to ProductReview.com.au, Australia’s first consumer opinion site. Here we found the reusable cups loved by Aussies.
Finally, we indulged in some online window shopping, finding the reusable coffee cups that we loved the look of. We were keen to ensure our guide covers all budgets, different material types and offers a #shoplocal vibe.
Think of a travel mug for coffee and bet you think of a KeepCup. KeepCup was established in 2009, which is basically a lifetime ago. There’s a reason the KeepCup Original has stuck around for so long - it’s got some great features. Made out of recyclable plastic, it’s designed to last. And if it doesn’t, all the parts are replaceable, including the lid, plug and silicone band. Plus, all the plastic KeepCup components are made right here in Australia, with packaging and assembly done here too.
To keep your coffee in your cup, not spilling on the pavement when you’re running for the bus, there’s a plug that covers the drinking hole. It comes in a great range of colours and starts from just $15 for a small (8oz / 227ml). The KeepCup Original is loved by CHOICE testers and gets over 3 stars on ProductReview.com.au.
If you’d rather avoid plastic, meet the Cheeki Coffee Mug. It’s made out of stainless steel. Double walled and vacuum insulated, it’s intended to keep your drinks the ideal temperature while also being cool-touch. We really like the pop-up lid, which Cheeki claims is leak-proof and allows for 360 degree drinking. (This means you’re not limited to drinking from 1 place only.) Plus, you can chuck the lid in the dishwasher. To ensure long life, you can buy replacement lids.
350ml, it’s available in 4 colours and is around RRP $45. Cheeki is a proudly Aussie company, although their products are made in China. The Cheeki Coffee Mug gets almost 4 stars on ProductReview.com.au.
For supporting local, we reckon you can’t go past a frank green Original Reusable Cup. It’s designed, engineered and made in Australia from recyclable plastic. It features a 1-handed push button lid that helps create a leak-proof seal and keep your drinks at the right temperature.
It boasts super modern, sleek looks in a range of colours. Buy one through the frank green website and you can customise it with your choice of colours for the button, lid and base. There are even cute extras, like a monogram. The entire thing can be chucked into the dishwasher when it needs a clean. And if something needs replacing, they’ve got a range of accessories, including lids and buttons, to extend its life.
Aussies aren’t quite sold on it. It gets around 2stars from over 100 reviews on ProductReview.com.au. The biggest complaints are that it’s not leakproof, that the outer layer peels and damages quickly and the customer service is poor. It starts at around $33 for a small (80z / 230ml) cup.
Up there with a KeepCup for ‘most iconic reusable coffee mug’ is the Joco Cup. But the Joco Cup favours glass with a silicone sleeve and lid. This means it’s 100% plastic-free and non-toxic. What we love most about it is that it’s designed for lifetime use. If needed (but it shouldn't be), you can buy replacement lids, cups and bands.
Its silicone lid has been ergonomically designed, to support head-tilt-free drinking and no nose bumps. While the silicone sleeve helps you grip your cup, without burning your hand. It comes in a huge range of colours. Even better, it’s all dishwater safe. Designed in Australia, they’re handcrafted in China where they’re “made by artists, not machines”.
Cosier writer and co-founder Sarah (that’s me) has a Joco Cup. It’s been punished by daily use for over 18 months and still looks brand new. I love that the silicone sleeve is held in place by cut outs in the glass - it doesn’t go anywhere. Although the lid is easy to take off, it doesn’t feel the most secure when it’s on. I’m not sure I'd trust it to stay on while legging it for the train. Plus, the drink opening isn’t covered so liquid can splash out when I’m moving around.
I’m not the only one impressed by it, it gets almost 5 stars on ProductReview.com.au. A Joco Cup starts around $25 for a small (8oz / 236ml).
The Sttoke Ceramic Reusable Cup is the ‘world’s first shatterproof ceramic cup’ (apparently). It’s also a global design award winner (twice) thanks to its minimalist design. Available in a range of modern and (mostly) neutral colours, it’s a sleek, timelessly good looking reusable coffee cup. There are no quirky colours or patterns here.
Sttoke reckons ceramic is a good choice to maintain your drink’s taste. They’ve made it shatterproof so it’s not fragile like ceramic usually is. It’s been ergonomically designed for easy holding, with its narrow base and wider top. The lid is made of recyclable plastic and has a slider to prevent splashes when you’re moving quickly. You can buy replacement lids when it wears out.
Designed in Melbourne, it’s responsibly made in China. It gets a solid around 3.5 stars on ProductReview.com.au. The biggest issue seems to be scratches on its surface. A Sttoke Ceramic Reusable Cup starts around $40 for a small (8oz / 236ml).
The Fressko Reusable Coffee Cup really looks like the takeaway coffee cup you’d get from your favourite cafe. But, result, it’s reusable, not disposable. It comes in a great range of modern, muted colours. You also have an option for a sleeve. There’s no silicone here - it’s a luxury leather sleeve with a finger hook for easy carrying. (Which is a bit of an odd choice as it excludes vegan coffee addicts or animal lovers.)
Made of stainless steel, it’s lightweight and insulated to keep your drink at the perfect temperature without burning your fingers. A nice touch is the internal barista measurement lines at 8oz and 12oz. The lid is spill-proof, screw in and lockable, with a spout to prevent splashes. Annoyingly, although you can buy replacement lids, you have to contact customer service to arrange. Designed in Melbourne, it’s responsibly made in China.
It gets a huge 5 stars on ProductReview.com.au. A Fressko Reusable Coffee Cup starts from around $35 for a small (8oz / 236ml), without a sleeve.
There’s not a whiff of plastic anywhere in the IOco Glass Coffee Traveller - it’s a handblown, full glass travel cup. Even the lid is made of glass. Which means you won’t get that plasticky / stainless steel taste and it’s easy clean. The glass has been toughened so it’s stronger than normal glass. (But probably still won’t survive being dropped on a tiled floor.)
The lid has a large drinking hole so you can enjoy more of the coffee crema. If you need to replace the lid, you can but the lid and seal are sold separately. Because it’s glass (and slippery), it has a silicone sleeve for grip and comfort. You can throw the whole thing in the dishwasher for a clean. It’s also recyclable when you’re done with it. IOco is an Aussie company, but we’re not sure where this is made - we’re guessing overseas.
Aussies love it - it gets 5 stars on ProductReview.com.au. It comes in 2 sizes (4oz / 120ml and 12oz / 355ml), tonnes of colours and starts from around $32.
If plastic, stainless steel, ceramic and glass aren’t working for you, meet the Ecoffee Cup. It’s made of natural, sustainable bamboo fibre. Because it’s made of bamboo, it’s lightweight and doesn't have a plasticky aftertaste. Plus, when you’re done with it, it’ll biodegrade. Note: due to recent EU law changes, Ecoffee Cup can’t claim that it’s biodegradable because it doesn't biodegrade 90% within 6 months. It takes more like 24-36.
It has a silicone lid and sleeve (neither of which is replaceable) and is fully dishwasher safe. The lid has a covered drinking hole to help prevent splashes. It comes in 70+ designs so you’ll be sure to find one that suits your taste. Ecoffee Cup is an European company and it’s not obvious where they’re made.
It starts from just $17 for an 8oz / 250ml cup.
Common questions
What should I look for in a reusable coffee cup?
Here’s what to look for when shopping for your reusable coffee cup:
- A well-fitting spill-proof lid. This means hot coffee won’t come flying out when you’re running for your train. Ideally it’s got a covering over the drinking hole too (again, to avoid splashes).
- Lightweight and shatterproof. Using your cup daily and carting it around on your commute? Make sure it’s lightweight. Accidents happen so a shatterproof cup is a good option (if you’re accident-prone, maybe steer away from glass).
- Double-wall insulation. If you like to savour your hot drink, go for a double-walled cup to help your coffee stay hot for longer. Bonus - double-wall insulated cups also work as a cold drink cup, keeping your cold drink stay, er, cold. So, it’s 2-in-1.
- Hand protection. With hot coffee inside, a reusable coffee cup can get hot. Look for cups that have sleeves to help prevent burnt hands. It should be wide enough to fit your entire hand on and not move around.
- Material choice. We’re touching on this more below. But for now, know that different materials can cause different tastes. Stainless steel can give a metallic aftertaste. Plastic absorbs smells and flavours, even after thorough washing. Ceramic and glass are good options because they don’t absorb or cause flavours.
- Replaceable parts. Some reusable coffee cups are designed for lifetime use, like the Joco Coffee Cup. Others offer replaceable parts. This is a great option to extend the life of your cup, rather than having to replace the whole thing. Choosing a cup with replaceable parts is good for you, your wallet and the planet.
Oh, and make sure your cup fits under a barista coffee machine. Some of the larger ones won’t.
Are reusable coffee cups better for the environment?
Yep - they’re a lot better than disposable coffee cups, which are largely unrecyclable. The best environmental benefits come from you using it all the time.
Sure, there are lots of different environmental costs related to different materials and their production and manufacture. But by using the same cup again and again, you’re helping to spread, and minimise, these costs.
Once you’ve got one, you can continue to spread these environmental costs by:
- Replacing parts that wear out, rather than buying a whole new cup.
- Handwashing it or only putting it in the dishwasher once you’ve got a full load.
What material is best?
Reusable coffee cups come in many different materials, including plastic, ceramic, stainless steel, glass and bamboo.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.
- Plastic is lightweight, recyclable and affordable. But it can give you a plasticky after-taste, which isn’t ideal after spending 5 bucks on your artisan coffee.
- Ceramic is great at retaining the heat of your hot drink and doesn’t absorb, or give, odd odours. But it’s easily damaged, especially scratched.
- Stainless steel is amazing at insulating your favourite hot or cold drink. It’s also easy clean and long-lasting. But it can give a cool, metallic taste and can scratch or peel.
- Glass looks sleek and stylish and can be recycled when you’re done. But it can be fragile and isn’t great at insulating, so either your coffee gets cold or your hand gets hot.
- Bamboo is a great eco-option as it’s biodegradable. It’s also lightweight and taste-free. But most bamboo cups also contain melamine, which although safe normally, can leach chemicals into your cup if exposed to high temperatures. This is why you shouldn’t ever put a bamboo cup in the microwave.
Are reusable coffee cups dishwasher safe?
Not all of them. In this guide, the Sttoke Ceramic Reusable Cup and the Fressko Reusable Coffee Cup are handwash only. The rest of them are dishwasher safe - either the whole thing or just certain parts. If being dishwasher safe is a priority for you, hop online and check before buying.
Sources
- 'Best reusable coffee cups', CHOICE
- 'Best Reusable Coffee Cups / Travel Mugs', ProductReview.com.au
- ‘How do I recycle the cup?’, Ecoffee Cup
