Become a Patron!Support our reviews, videos, and podcasts on Patreon!
Cool tools really work.
A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
I’ve tried those insulated stainless steel mugs for keeping coffee hot, but the coffee never tasted right — even though stainless is supposedly impervious. Recently, we discovered these wonderful insulated glasses made by Bodum, best known for its plunger coffee pots. They keep drinks hot, are cool to the touch, and are elegant looking. A latte made in one is rather spectacular, with layers of espresso and milk. There are a few sizes in the “Pilatus” collection, including glasses 6- and 4.75-inches high. Pricey, but high quality. Bodum’s description:
“…a strong heat-resistant glass that weighs less than traditional glassware. Used to make scientific lab glass, borosilicate glass (medical grade glass) is stronger than traditional “soda-lime” glass…. Borosilicate glass substitutes boron oxide in place of the soda and lime used in traditional glassware. The boron oxide acts as a glue holding the silicate together and due to the small size of boron particles, the glass is held together tighter, resulting in a stronger glass.”
I use the taller one every morning for fresh ginger tea. — Lloyd Kahn
We have two active kids who are experts at breaking all manner of things. We also have been a bit concerned about plastics and, in particular, microwaving food in plastics. These lovely glasses solve both problems elegantly. We’ve had the Gigone (nested or stackable in French) glasses for about 6 months and I absolutely love them. Although they are “for the kids,” I find that I use them the most. Beautifully shaped and feeling great in the hand, these are my go-to glasses for wine now. Something about the shape, size and heft makes them special. The impressive durability of the tempered glass is a wonderful bonus. They’re good for hot and cold drinks.
We’ve dropped them several times on our hardwood floor without breaking them. I can say that other glasses have broken on our floors, precisely the reason we sought these out in the first place. After 6-plus months of dishwashing, they look brand new. I haven’t tried their other glassware, but I have it on my list to try for sure. — Peter Lio
The Clean Bottle is a 22-oz sports water bottle with removable bottom. It is one of those products that seems like a no-brainer the instant you hear about it.
Many athletes put electrolyte/endurance/recovery drinks into their bottles. Some of those bottles inevitably get forgotten in the bottom of a bag, under a car seat, or in a closet where they develop lush colonies of mold and bacteria which are impossible to clean out completely, so the bottle gets tossed. With the Clean Bottle you just unscrew the bottom, scrub the pieces and you’re back in business; no moldy residue left to taint your drink.
I train 6-7 times a week, and while I haven’t forgotten a dirty bottle in my car, I did leave one there on purpose for a week. It molded up as expected but was a cinch to clean out. I’ve been using the bottles for about 3 weeks and so far I’m very happy with them, as are the friends I’ve recommended them too.
At $10.00 each they aren’t cheap, but the savings from not having to replace dirty bottles (as well as keeping that plastic out of landfills) offsets the price.
These bottles are a great solution for anyone looking to get away from plastic. In the last few years, studies have suggested that using plastic bottles may be harmful to your health. For instance, plastic bottles made of polycarbonate (#7 recycle code) contain a substance called bisphenol-A (BPA), which acts as an endocrine disrupter that mimics estrogen and has been linked to aneuploidy, adipogenesis, and other scary problems with funny names. Found in plastics with recycle codes 1-5, phthalates (the chemical that softens plastic) can be carcinogenic and act as endocrine disrupters, too. Even water standing at room temperature in a plastic bottle can leach phthalates from a bottle, not to mention a bottle that goes through temperature changes throughout a day.
Granted there’s been great debate over all these studies and whether the levels of leached phthalates in the average plastic bottle are really high enough to merit health concerns. Either way, just think about the toxic byproducts of plastic production: dioxin (a carcinogen) and plastic waste. Enormous amounts of plastic waste from all those bottles that aren’t recycled create equally enormous vortexes of plastic garbage in various oceans, where they wreak havoc on marine life. Moving away from plastic is healthier for the planet.
The Sigg bottles are just a tad heavier than their plastic counterparts. The water-based, polymer coating is taste-neutral and acid-resistant (think fruit juices), and guaranteed for the life of the bottle (5 years according to the manufacturer). They come in a variety of eye-catching designs and sizes. You can also purchase a variety of caps (i.e. the sport top) that increase the utility of the bottle for your specific needs. — Ari Cohn
I make at least five cups of tea daily. Some at home and some at work. Over the years I’ve learned to appreciate nice loose-leaf teas that brew best in a basket that gives them room to “breath.” While I’d love to use a beautiful teapot, it’s not always practical. The usual solution is these tiny mesh tea balls, but they don’t allow the leaves to really expand. There are also tea tumblers with baskets, but I found most of their baskets tiny and hard to clean.
Luckily, I stumbled upon these Finum Goldton Filters (2-pack for $14). They are perfect for making a single cup of wonderfully brewed tea in whatever mug or cup is around. They have ample room and the tea infuses really well through the fine gold chamber. It’s really easy to just spoon the tea in, no wrangling with stray leaves like with a tea ball.
Unlike traditional mesh, the gold walls are very easy to clean and I hardly ever have to pick stray leaves out. They also come with a cap that can allow a stronger brew as it keeps the temperature more constant. After brewing the cap doubles as a stand for the filter, which keeps it from dripping all over the place. Another advantage of brewing a single cup at once is that I can serve guests any type of tea they want instead of sharing one single pot of tea. I originally got these for work, but I bought some for home and use mainly these instead of a tea pot. — Melissa McEwen
Far and away the best travel mug I’ve used is the Contigo Autoseal Stainless Steel Mug. The Autoseal mechanism is the most leak-proof design I’ve found; it seals automatically when you’re not actively drinking from it, so there’s no worry about knocking it over with the top open. This is the only mug I’ll use around my computers now.
I had a terrible experience with the Oxo mug. It was impossible to clean due to the enclosed design of the lid, and eventually accumulated way too much gunk inside for me to be comfortable using it. The lid on Contigo’s mug is fairly open and easy to clean, and the entire thing is dishwasher safe, though they also sell a model with a colored body that isn’t. They sell replacement lids for $7 if you have a problem, but I’ve been using four of them for over a year in heavy rotation with no issues.
Contigo also makes plastic smaller containers for kids and larger water bottles (both of which are BPA-free) with the same Autoseal design. — Adam Fields
