Here at Muddy Towers we have tested plenty of insulated flasks and over the years designs have improved. We were sent this Brew Flask by Ocean Bottle, and after a thorough testing, I can tell you that I have given away all that, at one time or another, were my previous favourites (one to my Dad, a couple to friends, and the local charity shop got any leftovers). Why would I do this?

Well, it’s because I have discovered that this little gem is just perfect in evey way. Let me elaborate…

How easy its it to use?

In the past I have had a variety of styles - there was one that had a flip-up flap that covered the hole, which deposited a lovely drop of drink on the end of my nose each time. One that had a whole flip up section to reveal the spout, but which had a tendency to flip up when it shouldn’t, usually in my bag! The push button one that worked really well, but always left a pool on the top which meant me having to do a very unladylike slurp each time, and the one that looked a bit like the high street style coffee cup, but which had a small hole on the opposite side to the spout to allow air in and liquid out, but which leaked any time the cup went past vertical.

None of these happen with the Brew Flask. The design is ingenious, and a totally new style. All you do to open and close is to swivel the spout section. I know I call it a spout, but actually there is no spout, you can drink from any bit of the 360º leak proof lid. On Ocean’s website it says the top has an “aromadome design that funnels the flow of the flavour to elevate the experience further”, and I’m not exactly sure what that actually means, but I do know that because it opens all the way round, the air flows in quickly which means you don’t get that glugging of liquid coming out which happens quite a lot with the small hole styles, and so the experience of drinking is more fulfilling.

How long does it keep drinks warm or cold?

They say it will keep drinks hot for 6 hours and cold for 18 hours. One day I poured a piping-hot hot chocolate in it at 8.45am, closed it, then set off in my car. 45 mins later I opened it, had a couple of sips (only a couple because it was damn hot), then left it in my car until 5pm (this was an October day in Manchester), and although it wasn’t ‘hot’ it was, happily, still warm enough for me to drink.

What size is it?

What I found with other drink bottles and cups is that most of them don’t hold an ordinary cup’s worth. Pretty much all of my mugs at home hold around 340-350ml, but the standard size of most flasks on the market is 473 ml (16oz), which makes getting the consistency correct in a bigger receptacle tricky - not exactly a hardship, but it annoys me, especially as I prefer hot chocolate to the standard tea or coffee.

I know the saying is ‘bigger is better’, but I like a mug’s worth of drink, and don’t actually want more. I must not be alone in this, as I am forever emptying about a quarter of Damian’s 16oz flask down the sink, because he never drinks it all (with the price of coffee, that adds up to a lot of pennies going straight down the drain).

The Brew Flask holds exactly 350ml, so it’s just perfect, and if you were wondering, yes, it does fit under a Nespresso machine, and it also fits in every cup holder in every press car we’ve had since we got it.

Is it hard to clean?

If you have one of those flasks with a top that is almost impossible to clean because it’s so fiddly to get into the crevices, then this is the one for you.

There are just 3 parts to this flask - the main body, the upper section and the spout. All three have a simple screw action to take apart, and there are no bits that a washing-up brush can’t reach, and it’s also 100% dishwasher safe too.

They’ve got great Eco-credentials

Ocena Bottle’s Brew Flasks are made from 90% recycled stainless steel and have double wall vacuum-insulated recycled materials. Every product that Ocean Bottle sells helps to save the ocean - every Brew funds the collection of 1000 ocean bound plastic bottles.

Specifications

Capacity: 350 ml
Materials: Recycled stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, silicone
Insulation: Double-wall vacuum
Dimensions: 6.8 × 16.8 cm
Weight: 226 g
Care: Dishwasher-safe and easy hand-cleaning
Warranty: 10 years
Impact: 11.4 kg of ocean‑bound plastic collected (1 000 bottles)

Colours - 16 diferent colours to choose from

Price: £35 (If you are looking to give it as a gift, you can have up to 12 capitalised characters engraved at the bottom of the bottle in elegant silver lettering for an extra tenner.)

more at » https://oceanbottle.co/products/brew-flask-ocean-blue

Ocean Bottle’s Brew Flask