DCI I Am Not a Paper Cup 12-Ounce Porcelain Travel Cup with Lid
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List Price: Our Price: $9.99 You Save: $10.01 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of DCI I Am Not a Paper Cup 12-Ounce Porcelain Travel Cup with Lid
Customer Review: Just What I was Looking for
Summary: 4 Stars
I am so pleased with my new I Am Not A Paper Cup. It's exactly what I wanted, for all the right reasons.
I'd had my old Nissan travel mug for years, yikes - decades? And while it's quite serviceable I noticed I had become more sensitive to the slight metallic taste it gives the coffee. At first I thought I was just making bad coffee on the days when I used the travel mug, but I tested the theory by tasting coffee in a regular mug first - yum - then pouring it into the Nissan - yuck. Having proven that I needed a new travel mug, I settled on the IANAPC mug, and I'm glad I did.
It does a good enough job of keeping your coffee warm, although not as good as a metal thermos. I'm happy with warm-not-hot coffee, however, so this was ok with me.
I'm docking it a star for two reasons - first, the name claims that it holds 10 ounces. I measured it, and it will only hold 10 ounces if you fill it to the absolute brim and risk spilling and leaking, so I would only fill it with 8 or 9 ounces (about the size of a regular coffee mug). On top of that, if you miss the size descriptor and only go by the visual, it looks like a 12 ounce cup, so I can see why some reviewers felt short-changed. Unlike the TARDIS, it's smaller on the inside to account for the thermal insulating double wall.
Second reason is the unglazed exterior finish - it's like holding terra cotta in your bare hands! Which to me is a little off-putting (it's a nails-on-chalkboard sort of thing). Not sure why they couldn't glaze the exterior like every other coffee mug in the world.
The lid did have that odd neoprene smell when I first used it, but it went away after two or three uses. The packaging now instructs the buyer to first "soak in boiling water with 3 lemon wedges until clean" - I am guessing they mean to get rid of the smell - then to "wash as normal using toothpaste instead of dish soap." I have just been rinsing it clean with warm water and it's been fine.
I have not had a single problem with it leaking, and I've given it a good jostling. I have a feeling that there was a bad production run that caused the leakage other reviewers complained about; if this should happen to you my recommendation would be to keep returning yours until you get one that works.
Portland is coffee-driven and environmentally-focused. This purchase is right in step with both philosophies, and I would recommend the IANAPC in a heartbeat.
Customer Review: Excellent cup for Keurig users on the go!
Summary: 4 Stars
The DCI "I Am Not a Paper Cup..." is a great choice for Keurig users looking for a quality travel cup that can fit their brewer of choice. I use mine with a Keurig B30 and it not only fits perfectly (after sliding out the drip tray), but it holds precisely the right amount of water to fill the reservoir to the fill line. No more dirtying an extra mug in the morning to fill my old travel mug.
The mug has a clean, matte white exterior with a glazed interior for easy cleaning. I was concerned at first that the matte finish on the outside would pick up dirt and coffee stains which would be difficult to clean off resulting in an ugly, dirty-looking mug. So far, though it does pick up more smudges and black marks from my car cup holders (which it also fits perfectly), they have cleaned off easily. Time will tell how it fares with coffee stains though. The mug is dishwasher safe (microwave safe, too) and the packaging suggests an odd process using lemon wedges and boiling water for cleaning the lid that I have yet to try.
The silicone lid is similar to the snap on plastic lids you'd get at your local coffee shop in that it has a small air hole towards the center of the lid. On mine, the hole was partially obscured on the inside by some excess silicone, probably a side effect of the molding process. After clearing the hole with a pin, air passed freely and the lid worked as it should. Even without the air hole, the lid functions better than the average plastic variety due to its flexibility. The lid forms a good seal against the porcelain rim and I've experienced no leakage so far.
DCI touts a double-walled design to help retain heat. While I haven't actually measured it, it does seem to keep my drink hot enough in my cold car in the frigid Wisconsin winter mornings more than long enough for me to finish it without noticing much of a heat loss. There are mugs and thermoses that are definitely better insulated than this, but for the amount of coffee it holds it seems to work well enough.
I am definitely happy with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone looking for a good travel mug to use with their Keurig brewers.
Customer Review: A nice and fun coffee or tea cup, especially at the sometimes sale price or as a gift
Summary: 4 Stars
Received the cup as a gift and it is a fun and nice coffee or tea cup, especially at the "sale" price sometimes offered by Amazon.com. Definitely unique.
By my measurement, the cup holds about 11 oz. to the brim. In practice, I personally would not put more than 9-10 oz. in it, to avoid spills even with the lid on. Fine for those liking a full cup of coffee; a bit less for those wanting a mugful.
My lid does not leak at all (note: I tried with cold liquid; have not tried hot yet). The lid does not really have any appreciable smell to me. There might be a tiny man-made, rubber-like smell, but I only note that, if at all, when the cup is empty and I'm really trying to smell something right next to the lid; filled with coffee, I wouldn't notice anything at all (and note that I've only briefly washed the lid at this point, as I really don't notice a smell).
My cup has a faint gray tint to it, especially in comparison to the stark white lid. To my eye, while nice-looking, it doesn't pass as paper upon a detailed look (but perhaps at a glance); more like a sandblasted, smooth, rock-like material. But still nice and a conversation piece. When lifted, it has a real heft--it's rock-like.
If used outside the house or office, I personally would be concerned with inadvertently hitting the cup and breaking it, or dropping it (it's handle-free)--for me, it strictly is for inside use (not for use as a commuter mug), to be treated as considerately as a porcelain mug.
In the end and to my eye, a nice purchase for something different and unique, especially at the sometimes lower sale price. It also makes a nice gift--comes in an attractive, clear plastic box.
By the way and just for the heck of it: I experimented with using regular plastic coffee cup lids on the cup, and it's a trifle too big for a Border's small cup lid--will have to experiment with other sizes ... Also, for the fun of it, I put one of those corrugated brown cardboard bands used to protect your hand from coffee's heat around it; looks cool that way and adds to the illusion (although the bands I had were a tight fit and, as a result, rode a bit lower than they do on a paper cup; will have to try others).
Customer Review: All in all a good cup.
Summary: 4 Stars
This cup holds 8 ounces comfortably. It will hold 10, but you have to fill it up to the rim.
I originally purchased this cup with the hopes of the lid also fitting the "We Are Happy To Serve You" coffee cup. It does not. It was worth a try, though. I just thought I'd pass along the news in case anyone else was curious enough to spend 15.00 like myself.
Despite the previous reviews of the cups leaking, I purchased it with the hopes of the issue being fixed. My cup doesn't leak so maybe it's no longer an issue. I tried to get it to leak. I laid it on its side for 10 minutes with water just out of the teapot. Didn't leak. I plugged the holes as best as I could and left it upside down with more hot water. It did not leak around the seal to the cup. I swirled the hot water inside, like you would with wine, and nothing. This is a brand new cup so maybe a month from now, it could be different.
The biggest complaint I have is the cup itself. It responds very quickly to temperature changes. Never having used a porcelain drinking cup before, other than the "We Are Happy To Serve You" cup, I didn't know how quickly it will transfer the chill from the surrounding air to the hot liquid. The other cup was never taken out of the house and always warmed before adding hot liquid. Those of you in a warmer climate probably won't have too much of an issue. Those of us that get in a car that is 10 degrees will have a cold drink within a few minutes. For now, this cup will not be used to commute until the temperatures come up.
Some have mentioned the cups texture. When I hold it, it gives me the feeling I get when somebody drags their fingernails across a chalkboard or across the paint of an older car. It's slight, but its there. I have a buddy that can't hold cottonballs for the same reason. I'd like to see what happens when he hold this.
My cup doesn't have the smell that some are mentioning.
The other issue I have is the height of the cup. For my cup holders, Mercedes, this cup should be cut in half. The "We are happy to serve you coffee cup" is actually a perfect size for me, except no lid!!
Customer Review: Smart, Art, Fun, and Functional! :)
Summary: 5 Stars
Looks can be deceiving... and this mug proves that sometimes they can be pleasantly surprising too. This thermal porcelain mug called "I am not a paper cup..." made by DCI (Decor Craft Inc.) and designed by James Burgess is a perfect example of "functional art". Although it may look like a normal paper coffee cup, it's body is actually made from vacuum sealed double-walled porcelain (which gives it Thermos-like properties). This "thermal porcelain" will keep the liquids in the mug either hot or cold... just like a regular stainless steel Thermos. The lid isn't quite what it seems either. The lid is actually made of heat resistant silicone. The type that you see on the new spatula's these days. This makes the whole coffee mug (lid and all) completely dishwasher safe. Not to mention that the silicone lid stays on the mug so much better than a plastic lid does... since it has some "grip" to it. I've been having fun using this coffee cup and "tricking" my friends with it too :) Also, this cup is great for the environment because it's reusable. It's a perfect balance of Art, Form, Fun, and Function :)
Pros:
-Keeps liquids hot or cold with Thermal vacuum double-walled Porcelain properties
-Great conversation piece... have fun tricking your family and friends
-Entirely Dishwasher safe
-Fits standard cup holders
-Price is affordable (about $13 at Amazon.com right now)
-Good for the Environment (Green is Good)
Cons:
-Silicone Lid smells... like Silicone. Not that strong of a scent... but still.
-Porcelain is prone to breakage... but product does seem very sturdy
-I wish the cup was just a little bit larger. The Dimensions: 3.5" diameter; 6" tall
Conclusion:
This is a great product. It's built well and a lot of thought was put into it's design.
Using it will help reduce waste and it also doubles as a "Thermos". It seems very sturdy and should last as long as your other ceramic mugs do... as long as you don't drop it on the floor. You really can't go wrong with this thing, so you can have your coffee and drink it too! Buy one for your "Art Nerd" or "Environmentally Conscious" friend... they'll love it ;-)