Fellow Carter Mugs? Good, bad, other?

#1: Post by **sidpost** » January 14th, 2022, 11:07 am

In my coffee mug research, I came across some posts on the Fellow Carter series of ceramic lined vacuum travel mugs. I have mixed feelings on these based on random online posts and my own thoughts but, as I left them along for a couple weeks I keep coming back to them for more consideration.

The 3 hour "hot" period sounds sub-standard but, upon further reflection seems more than adequate because I won't be drink coffee in my car during the work day on my way home. If I were to try that, most likely I would be using a thermos or grabbing some fresh brew from work.

Then there is the drinking lip itself which looks a bit odd and cumbersome. Without seeing one in person, I'm reserving judgement.

Then there is the MOVE mug itself with its splash guard which looks like a good solution but, I wonder about its affect on capacity of the mug itself. Haveing an "open" top for aroma is enticing but, will it prevent splashes on rough commuting roads?

In terms of the ceramic lining, I have mixed feelings because of I have had some thermal travel mugs that left a strong metallic taste in teas mainly with a lesser taint to coffee and some with no detectable off-flavor notes. This metal 'crapshoot' is just that so, not a total deal breaker or winner for the Fellow Carter ceramic lining.

What are everyone's thoughts on these mugs? Good, bad, over-rated? At a $30~$40 street price, a lot of great coffee cups and travel mugs are within reach so, please let me know what pro's and con's users have experienced!

TIA,
Sid

#2: Post by **txxt** » January 14th, 2022, 11:27 am

I have two Fellows Carters to replace my zojirushi thermos cooking my coffee.

Highly recommend if they fit in your cup holders and workflow. They're nice to do pour overs on and they can be dishwasher cleaned. That was a huge help. The ceramic doesn't seem to color flavor much. My Ethiopian this morning was fantastic even an hour+ after brewing and making it to work. The lip is fine for sipping.

Complaints would be the lip for pouring and the ease of denting when dropped.

#3: Post by **Jonk** » January 14th, 2022, 11:56 am

I've got a Carter Everywhere. Heat retention is above average and it doesn't leak (should be taken for granted but a lot of travel mugs actually leak quite a bit).

I don't want to drink scalding coffee so I like that it cools down some. The large opening also helps with this while improving aroma and the thin lip is probably my favorite part.

The ceramic coating does seem to help preserve the flavor that I get at home, but needs constant cleaning - only rinsing with boiling water is not enough.
The lid is plastic and fit and finish feels a bit cheap. It's advertised that you can brew Aeropress straight into it, but annoyingly their Prismo doesn't fit.

I wish there was a handle, because there's no way for me to comfortably hold it with one hand. Doesn't fit in most cup holders anyway.

Overall perhaps it's a bit overpriced but I don't regret buying one.

#4: Post by **mikelipino** » January 14th, 2022, 12:31 pm

I have the Move mug, drinking from it right now in fact. They are a bit more difficult to clean, and I'd invest in a silicone bottle brush.

But it is an excellent mug. The aroma lid is actually very effective, the best flavor of any cup I own comes from the Move, probably because coffee evaporates off of the splash guard. On the splash guard, it works very well and I have no trouble drinking from it on car rides without splashes (the Move fits nicely in most cupholders). The heat retention is above average, and drinks stay at a good drinking temp from 7am until lunch (less so as its opened and the liquid volume decreases). It's nice to brew directly into, and can be done with a V60, a Clever, or a drip brewer (e.g. the Oxo 8-cup), and the 16 oz version will fit a 500 ml brew. And no issues with the ceramic coating, but I would only use silicone brushes to clean it.

Overall a really nice mug if you are diligent keeping it clean.

#5: Post by **ira** » January 14th, 2022, 12:49 pm

I have a Fellow Carter which I'm extremely happy with other than it's hard to clean because of the small mouth. I use it at my desk without the lid and it keeps my coffee warm much longer than a ceramic mug. The only real downside I can see is because of the rounded bottom, it's easy to tip if you're not careful. I have wiry hands and can with effort and a bit of pain reach the bottom but have a small silicon bottle brush for when I want to clean it properly. The interior ceramic surface is very easy to clean.

Ira

January 14th, 2022, 12:53 pm

Sounds like a good option for me, thanks!

Regarding the brushes, will my current synthetic/plastic "bottle brushes" work or do I really need to buy a silcone version? Any specific silcone brushes I should look at?

#7: Post by **Jonk** » January 14th, 2022, 1:15 pm

It can slide too, some rubber or silicone underneath would've helped.

#8: Post by **ira** » January 14th, 2022, 1:55 pm

As long as it doesn't have twisted wire ends it should be fine. You just don't want to scratch the ceramic coating. The only one I have is silicon so that's what I mentioned.

Ira

January 14th, 2022, 2:04 pm

I have the move mug and love it. No metal taste to my coffee, keeps it nice and hot. I keep mine clean and fresh by using baking soda instead of dishwashing liquids.