Best Unbreakable, Compact, Stainless Thermos Bottle

Sometimes a product is so perfectly designed to its function that, once you have used it for a while, you cannot imagine how it could have been designed any other way. The  Nissan 26oz Stainless Thermos Bottle is one of these. Made of double wall stainless steel, it is unbreakable and well insulated. Its slightly rounded shape fits the hand perfectly, and shows perfectly clean lines from all angles. At 11" of height, and 3 to 4" in diameter (it is slightly tapered), it is small enough to fit in most typical bottle pockets in a backpack. The snap-off cup at the top takes 6 ounces of liquid, about exactly right for a small cup of hot coffee, which can be poured from a no-drip slot off of the screw stopper. Many reviewers mention having had their bottle survive painful accidents unscathed.

The 26 ounce bottle contains enough for about 5 capfuls of beverage, and will keep your hot or cold liquid at temperature for a solid half day, possibly more -some reviewers mention filling their bottle the night before. To have it work efficiently longer, fill it first with boiling water (if using with a hot beverage), and leave the boiling water in for a few minutes, before emptying it and pouring the hot liquid you will use: this will give you some more hours of use. It will stay warm longest if it is fully filled. Be sure to screw it tight - it might not be sealed unless the screw stopper is all the way in - several reviews mention accidental spills due to a stopper that was not sealed.

Like other stainless products, this bottle is not dishwasher proof. One of the reviewers gives the following cleaning tip: "For stainless steel, a simple method of removing coffee stains is baking soda, i.e., sodium bicarbonate ... it neutralizes the acids and the stains literally strip away from stainless steel. A tablespoon added to boiling water, soak for half hour or longer [for best results, recap the bottle and leave overnight] will restore a new shine with little to no scrubbing." Another review advises: "Oh and make sure you buy a good cleaning brush/wand that has bristles on all sides like a test tube cleaner, only bigger."

The Amazon reviews for this $22 product are outstanding. If the size does not fit you, you can also get the same product in a 16 ounce size for $20 (I find this one too small for me), or in a 34 ounce size for $25, both of which also enjoy an excellent set of reviews. If you want to be able to drink directly from the bottle - particularly if you have a longer nose like me,  I call mine "nobler,"- and to put standard size ice cubes in it, you may need to order the 34 ounce size model. The Nissan stainless thermos bottle is an excellent product, with outstanding packaging and a timeless design, which is sure to become a classic, if it is not already.