Straw or no straw, that is the question.
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As an iced coffee lover, there is nothing more refreshing than a crisp glass of that bean juice that helps you feel energized. For me, preparing the iced coffee is as meaningful as what vessel I’m going to put it in. Some days, I don’t mind drinking an iced coffee from a more traditional cup with a spout. That said, I personally prefer to reach for a cup with a straw/ I’m a team-straw person myself. So, to find the best cups for iced coffee, I wrangled the help of former barista turned coffee-based content creator Johny Morrisson to pick his brain on what qualities to look out for when selecting the perfect cups for iced coffee.
If you have an iced coffee lover close to you, any of these would make a killer "little treat" to give them.
In general, there are cups, mugs, and tumblers. Cups are what you think of with an iced coffee cup from the shop that doesn't need a straw. A mug has a handle – and oftentimes a straw. Meanwhile, a tumbler is more of a tall cup with a lid and a straw. But, in reality, they’re all some form of a cup. That said, “avoid cups with hard-to-reach areas or small openings that can get very difficult to clean,” warns Morrison.
“An iced coffee cup needs a lid that seals tightly to prevent leaks,” says Morrisson. So, when you’re driving or walking with your precious iced coffee, it won’t get all over your car or bag. It should also have long-lasting insulation and an open mouth for easy ice access, according to the former barista. Ice is pretty important for an iced coffee so you’ll need enough room to put cubes of all sizes. Plus, the long-lasting insulation will keep your chilled beverage cold for hours-on-end. Another helpful feature is a handle. It will keep your hand away from the container so you won’t feel the chill of your iced coffee. And, if the cup is dishwasher safe, that’s an added bonus.
Morrisson emphasizes “choosing an iced coffee cup that's durable and made from food-safe, non-toxic materials.” The former barista named stainless steel, borosilicate glass, and quality plastic as materials to shop for. Plus, a double-walled product is the best for iced coffee. Double-walled means that there are two layers of material with a bit of air in between the layers – think of a cup within a cup. That construction is less likely to prevent all the watery sweat from reaching your hands. In testing, the best combination is a stainless steel cup with double-walled insulation. That will keep you drink colder for much longer than any other material and the outside of your cup won’t be wet.
Based on Morrisson’s tips, we selected the best iced coffee cups based on body, material, drink style, and spill resistance. For the purposes of this story, “body” refers to the shape of the cup. “Drink style” is how you drink out of the vessel – a spout, a straw, or both. Material as in what the actual cup is made out of. And, spill resistance is in reference to how much iced coffee spills when the cup is naturally knocked over.
Each tested cup was put through a few different scenarios: a knock-over test, an eight temperature test, and a multi-hold test. For the knock-over test, all of the cups tested were knocked over when filled to the top and filled about 75 percent of the way. The temperature test observed how long the ice cubes lasted in each cup over the course of nine hours. And, if the iced coffee stayed cold for nine hours. The multi-hold test involved holding the cups at different angles. They were held vertically, on a 45-degree angle, and upside down. Check out our favorite iced coffee cups below!
This tumbler is a Beast! Jokes aside, there are a number of features that set this cup above the rest. First of all, it’s completely dishwasher safe. It also features a leak-resistant lid that flips open to reveal a sippable spout – that can still fit the two straws it comes with.
Yes, this cup comes with a straight straw and a curved straw, along with a brush to clean it. And, although it’s sold separately, there’s a handle attachment to turn it into a travel mug. Plus, there's no metal taste imparted into the coffee.
I love this iced coffee cup not only for its stunning ability to keep your beverage inside your cup cold but also because it's not too big that you feel as though you've drowned yourself in coffee. It's a pretty economical choice as well, making it the best overall. Plus, the vibrant colors really only need a bow to be given as a gift.
The only thing is that these stainless steel straws do not have silicone tips. So, no chewing on your straw between sips.
ColoVie’s lets you sip your iced coffee for the cost of a couple of iced coffees. It features a lid that can be used to hold a straw, sip from, or completely closed. And, it comes with two glass straws and silicone tips for comfortable sips.
However, this glass tumbler is relatively fragile since it’s made from a single layer of glass. So, as you prepare your iced coffee, add a layer of coffee-only, then, add your ice and finish it off with more coffee to prevent anything from breaking.
This Insulated Tumbler by Simple Modern lets you customize your sipping experience. It comes with two completely different lids. One lid flips up, and seals shut, for more of a traditional coffee experience that also happens to be spill-resistant. And, there’s also a straw lid included.
While these lids are interchangeable, for some, they can get stuck. That's not uncommon for a lot of brands, but when you have interchangeable lids, it feels more annoying.
This Tronco Glass Tumbler boasts a simple design that’s easy to clean and grip onto. There’s the removable straw, borosilicate glass, and silicone sleeve. All of which come apart so you can clean each piece.
The sar is the silicone sleeve that covers a majority of the glass. It offers an easy grip when you reach for a sip. That said, this tumble is still partially glass. So, if you drop it off of your desk it’ll likely break. Reviewers note that you really have to try to break this one thanks to the heavy-duty silicone surround.
Most tumblers with straw are prone to some level of spillage. But, this Fellow barely leaks according to most reviews, thanks to the genius design featuring multiple gaskets and a tight-fitting straw.
Along with its impressive lid, there are a few other highlights to this iced coffee cup. The inside of this tumbler has a coating that prevents any odd flavors or odors from popping up. Not even a metallic taste will make it into your iced coffee. But, several customers wish that this tumbler came in a bigger size as this one only holds 16 ounces.
The Outlander Premium Stainless Steel Travel Mug is truly satisfying to hold while you take sweet sips of some iced coffee. My large hands are thankful that the handle is comfortable to hold. And, I can hold it in multiple ways without feeling like I’ll drop it. Plus, the top of this travel mug boasts a couple unique features.
On one side, there’s a sipping spout and a straw hole. The sipping spout has a seal that slides closed when you don’t want the chill to escape the plastic lid. Meanwhile, the other side has a removable straw that features a silicone band at the bottom. So, if you knock your mug over, the straw won’t go flying. There’s also an attached stopper that plugs the straw hole when you do choose to remove the straw.
However, even with all of those seals, a few drops of iced coffee do escape when this stainless steel mug is knocked over – with or without the straw inserted.
Tronco’s Tumbler fits in your car's cup holder but still lets you have up to 32 ounces of iced coffee. And, it has a unique silicone sleeve. It has windows and time stamps so that you can plan your sips accordingly. Plus, it follows the contour of the glass – which tapers down at the bottom – so that you can put this cup in your car holder. But, this silicone sleeve does sweat, which is expected, but still kind of a bummer.
Albeit, there is another unique feature to this tumbler. It has a stainless steel straw with a silicone tip so that your lips don’t get cold while you’re sipping on an iced coffee.
A crisp iced coffee is so refreshing. So, when you want that crispness to last all day give Morrisson’s pick a try. It’s this Yeti tumbler. “It has excellent insulation that retained cold temperatures for over 12 hours in my testing,” exclaims the former barista.
Built like a cooler, this multi-layered iced coffee cup separates the outdoor temperature from the indoor temperature, so that not only is it cold hours later, it doesn't sweat.
When you want the best bang-for-your-buck, reach for this set of four NETANY cups.The set comes with four 16 oz glass cups, four bamboo lids, four glass straws, and two straw cleaners. All for under $23. Also, you don’t have to wash out your iced coffee cup every single day.
Users enjoy that these cups fully come apart so that you can easily clean every crevice. However, these are still glass containers so treat them with care. But, at least if one breaks you have three more for backup.
The Owala SmoothSip Insulated Stainless Steel Coffee Tumbler gives you the feeling of drinking out of a traditional cup, only this one is completely travel-friendly. Its simple design features a strawless spout and a small steam release hole (for when you do opt for a hot coffee) on the lid. Also, even though the lid has two open holes, when knocked over I found that barely anything spilled even when it’s filled to the top. So, if you’re on your last sip and knock this cup over, it’s likely that your last bit of ice coffee won’t spill.
As for the main vessel, it is round towards the top and square on the bottom. I found that the square sides help my slippery hands get a grip on the cup. However, I wish that there was some grippy silicone for some added piece of mind.
When you want your iced coffee vessel to match your outfit, grab a few Kodrine tumblers. It comes in a vast color range of 42 sleeve colors.The sleeve even has windows so that you can see when you’re running low on iced coffee.
That said, this tumbler is mostly glass, which can break when dropped. While the sleeve also provides grip, it does sweat. So, if you don’t prefer reaching for a damp cup, try another option on this list.
When you want to drink your iced coffee, without freezing your lips off, try this Tronco cup. It has a long stainless steel straw that comes with two silicone tips. The silicone prevents your lips from freezing. And, if you like to nibble on the end of your straws, you can take a few bites without hurting your teeth. Plus, the tip is slightly larger near the hole. That helps reduce the amount of spilled coffee when knocked over.
This iced coffee cup was designed for boba, so if you're a fan of boba in your iced coffee or tea, this straw is big enough to accommodate those delicious pearls.
This Owala water bottle doubles as a handy vessel for large portions of iced coffee. It has two spouts. One is larger for swigs of coffee. And, the other smaller is attached to a removable straw for easy sipping. Plus, when it’s time to clean the bottle, everything comes apart. Even the silicone stopper at the top pops out so that there’s no residue when you want to switch from iced coffee to water.
I’ve also found that when filled about half way with standard sized ice cubes, there will still be ice cubes left after more than eight hours. Plus, with the cap fully closed, it doesn’t spill a single drop of iced coffee when knocked over. And, to my surprise, no dents on the main bottle.
However, there’s one thing I’d change. I’d add a silicone band to the lower-half of the bottle. Why? Because my leather-like hands could use some extra grip when I want to fish my ice out for some chomps.
Try this SOMA bottle if you want to craft your pour-over iced coffee in the same vessel you plan on drinking it from. This bottle has a removable stainless steel filter that holds the coffee ground in place as you pour the energetic goodness into your bottle. The filter is great, not even allowing small grounds through its hold.
However, this bottle could benefit from a protective sleeve. Since the body is entirely made of glass, one drop and you’ll end up saying bye-bye bottle.
Angelica Wilson is a freelance writer with expertise in group fitness instruction, social media content creation, writing, and UX design.
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