Zojirushi Dura Bottle. One hot babe.
Written: May 19 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Stainless steel, durable, good ergonomics, great insulation.
Cons: Cost.
The Bottom Line: This is a great product. It keeps your coffee fresh and hot for a long time. If you don’t mind spending an extra $10-15, then this is a great buy.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Zojirushi Dura Vacuum Bottle SAA-10 |
With a product like this there really can’t go very in-depth, but after reading an interesting review of a tape dispenser I felt I needed to give it a go.
I bought this at REI because I needed a carafe for my home and on the go. I don’t need a carafe when I entertain so I felt this would serve dual purposes. My other problem is I needed something durable that would deal with my abuse I give every possession I own. So what I needed was something lined with stainless steel instead of glass.
Reason why I bought this particular model
First off, this was at REI. I buy way too many things there so I said “why stop now.” Besides, REI usually stocks high quality products. They had 3 models, all stainless steel. One was their brand with a handle that felt a little too uncomfortable. There was another model that was half a liter, which was too small for my needs. So that left this model. After I discovered the handle was easy for me to hold and it appeared durable enough, I picked it up.
The exterior
The bottle is basically a cylindrical piece of stainless steel that is capped with plastic on both ends. A piece of plastic that acts as a handle secures both ends together. The plastic is wider than the steel body so the plastic can protect the metal in certain situations.
The main reason I chose this model over the other two was the handle. It felt good in the hand and did not pinch my fingers like the other handles did. I have long fingers so I needed something that would fit me.
The look is nothing special. It looks like a simple container for coffee. I wouldn’t serve tea in it to my Grandmother, but I wouldn’t be embarrassed walking around with it. Maybe even a little proud because this is one of the more expensive bottles out there. You too can walk around with this and look like you spend too much money just like me.
The stainless steel interior
My previous two carafe’s were glass lined. This is good because it is a non-reactive surface. Had it been aluminum or something else, a residual taste would be present. Glass is also good because it’s cheap. But I’m sure you know glass also breaks. Both of my carafe’s broke on me within 6 months, so I just stuck with my lidded, stainless steel coffee mugs.
Stainless steel is also non-reactive. That is why the good, and expensive cooking pots are made out of it (the cheap alternative being coated aluminum.) But stainless steel is also more expensive.
Pour spout
The pour spout lid is a simple design. The top has the open close latch that is fairly easy to push. There isn’t any leakage or escaping air when it’s closed. Underneath it has 2 rubber rings. One nice thing about the design is that you only have to turn the pour spout 2 rotations to secure it.
When pouring there is no leakage or spray. I don’t have to worry about making a mess or worry about it leaking out of places it shouldn’t be.
The attached cup/lid (8oz capacity) goes over the pour spout. The only reason it is there is for looks or if you forgot a coffee cup. No other practical purpose.
How about that insulation?
I filled the container with coffee one morning and totally forgot about the coffee. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized I forgot about it. I was going to dump the whole thing out until I decided to try a little of the cold coffee to see how bad the taste was. I poured my self a cup and found it was still hot. I was floored. And even the taste wasn’t that bad. But since I still like fresh coffee, I dumped the rest and made more.
The stats on the REI web site state “Heat-retention rated at 171° Fahrenheit for 10 hours, and 122° Fahrenheit for 24 hours” But I did a little test for myself.
I filled the container with hot water at 8 pm at night (note: I did not preheat the bottle.) The temperature was 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is pretty close to boiling and probably hotter than your coffee will be. At 12 am the temperature was 175 degrees Fahrenheit. In the morning I checked the temperature at 8 am and it was 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty neat hua.
Dimensions and boring specs.
Capacity: 1 liter or 33.8 fluid ounces
Height: 11.6 inches
Width: 3.5 inches
Weight: 1 lb. 10.7 oz (plus liquid)
Cup/lid capacity: 8 ounces
Mouth width: 2 inches
$45-rei (minus member dividend)
The good:
-Stainless steel
-Great ergonomics
-Terrific insulation capabilities
-Wide mouth for stews and stuff
-Good ergonomics
The bad:
-Cost
Summary:
I highly recommend this product. For what it does I think it’s perfect and the price is not unreasonable. You can probably get this product online for $32 plus shipping. I personally have not had good luck with glass and I’ll never buy another glass lined bottle again. The only people I can’t recommend this product to are people that don’t have money to spend or treat glass lined products better than their cats.
Recommended:
Yes
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