Keeping warm is one of the most challenging things to achieve when you’re traveling in a place where it’s freezing cold. This is especially challenging when you have to go on a long car drive. Why? Well, you will not be able to move away from the chilly environment. What’s worse is that hotels and common spaces in airports or trains are usually unheated. It means you will end up spending much time shivering in the cold instead of exploring new places.
To make things better, you can use a self-heating travel mug. It can heat up your beverage. That way, even if the environment outside is freezing cold, at least your drink won’t feel it. A self-heating travel mug works by using a small amount of water and some electrical heating elements tucked away inside the mug to produce heat.
As long as there’s no ice or condensation on the inside of the mug, this heat will remain trapped and warm your drink for hours on end. So, here’s how to choose the best self-heating travel mug for you. Keep on reading!
How to choose the best self-heating travel mug?
What’s the first thing you will want to do when choosing the best self-heating travel mug? Well, it’s to decide how often you think you will be using it. Self-heating travel mugs come in two types. The first type are mugs that use electricity to warm up. And the second kind are mugs that use microwave energy to warm up. If you are only going to use your mug occasionally, it’s probably best to go for the microwave option. The microwave cup is cheaper, and it is also easier to clean.
On the other hand, if you are going to be using your mug a lot, then it makes most sense to go for the electric option. This is because it is more durable and can last a lot longer. After deciding on the type of mug to go for, the next thing you will want to do is consider the mug’s size.
Remember that the bigger the mug, the more room there will be for your beverage. But, also the more room there will be for heat. This means that the mug will be able to retain heat for a shorter period of time.
Material
The material of your self-heating travel mug is going to determine how long it will take the mug itself to heat up. Stainless steel, for example, is a very efficient material when it comes to retaining heat, which is why it is often used in this sort of product. Ceramic mugs, on the other hand, are not very efficient when it comes to retaining heat, and as such, they will take longer to heat up. Additionally, the material of the mug will determine how hot the mug can get. For example, an all-metal mug will usually get very hot, meaning that you will have to be careful when using it and have to find a way to deal with the heat.
Thermoelectric Heating
Thermoelectric heating is the most common type of self-heating technology that you will find. The way it works is that one side of the mug gets connected to a power source, while the other side gets exposed to water, which then gets transformed into energy that warms up the mug. What’s great about this type of heating technology is that it is relatively cheap to produce, and that it is also very eco-friendly, as it doesn’t produce any harmful chemical byproducts to the environment. On the other hand, the downside to this heating technology is that it takes longer to produce heat, meaning that you will have to wait a little longer to have a warm beverage. Additionally, the effectiveness of this type of technology also depends on the outside temperature, as the colder it is outside, the longer it will take for your mug to generate heat.
Microwave Heating
Microwave heating is the other most common type of technology that you will find in self-heating travel mugs. Just like in a microwave, a small electrical magnetron inside the mug converts water into microwaves that then get trapped inside the mug, warming up the whole thing. Just like with thermoelectric technology, the effectiveness of microwave heating depends on the outside temperature, which means that if the temperature is low, it will take a longer time for the mug to generate heat. Additionally, the mug will only be able to retain heat for a set period of time, after which it will cool off. The only good thing about microwave technology is that it is much faster than thermoelectric technology, taking only a few minutes to produce heat.
Conclusion on Self-Heating Travel Mug
These days, there is a wide variety of self-heating travel mugs out there that can help you have a warm drink on even the coldest days. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that not all self-heating travel mugs are made equal, and before you pick one, make sure that it fits your needs and that it is the best self-heating travel mug for you.
