Some people have life goals of curing cancer or climbing Everest; I search for the perfect coffee mug. My most beloved non-travel mugs are all handmade pottery, most from North Carolina. Such beautiful and functional mugs are not easy to find, but they are out there at least, awaiting my discovery if I invest enough time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears. The perfect travel mug is more elusive.

While not quite perfect, I have found a pretty darn good travel mug that I commend to your drinking pleasure.

The Contigo AUTOSEAL Stainless Steel Travel Mug is leakproof, extremely insulating, and looks good too. It uses a patented sealing technique that completely closes the lid (that screws on well) until a button is released when you grab it to drink. So it functions as an adult sippy cup. It holds 16 oz, perfect for your grande extra hot non-fat vanilla latte. Some reviews said it’s difficult to wash, but the lid is dishwasher safe and all taller mugs take a little work at the sink. “Wait, is this the perfect mug?” you say. Well, it comes very close, but there’s a few downsides. First, and this sounds petty but it’s true: the mug keeps coffee almost too hot. I like hot coffee, but sometimes I need it to cool a bit before I drink it so my tongue can still taste later.  If the lid is on the Contigo mug it takes several hours for coffee to cool. No joke. That’s usually great — I now just keep the lid off for a few minutes when I get a really hot cup of joe — but it’s worth noting, I guess. The only other downside is that the amount of liquid you get from each sip is a little smaller than I’d prefer.  The flow isn’t as bad as some mugs, but if you’re a big gulper you might notice.

All is all, I really recommend the Contigo mug (I found mine at Target, after hours of internet research) and will take a respite from further life goal pursuing.  By the way, if you’re in the market for a travel mug, do not be tempted by the Starbucks Recycled Tumbler which is a worthless excuse of a travel mug. It’s fancy lid makes a mess and lets out a really small amount of coffee. The whole thing smells plasticy and it doesn’t insulate for anything. Nice try Starbucks, but you need to learn a thing or two from Contigo. Now I’m off to reassess my life goals. Next up: best pair of socks