Tuff Mug by Zojirushi

My friends have joked that I was more upset when I lost my Tuff Mug than when I broke up with my boyfriend. I’ve been a loyal Tuff Mug fan since 1994 when I moved up north for graduate school. Throughout the fall and winter, it was my constant companion. And now that I’ve discovered it for icee slushies in the summertime, it’s my year-round buddy! When I carried it in the breast pocket of my parka, it was, literally, the only thing that would come between me and my boyfriend!

These are the reasons why I love my Tuff Mug, by Zojirushi (Japan).

• It keeps things very hot for a long time (several hours with patented thermal vacuum technology)
• It has a cool little storage compartment in the lid to keep your tea bag (or a vitamin).
• It lives up to its name. Mine has been dropped, rolled and bounced.

There is one drawback. It’s not a hand-warming mug. It’s so well insulated that the exterior metal layer never changes temperature, cold or hot. When I want a hand warmer, I grab the cheaper look-alike version made in China. Everything has its purpose!