OXO Travel Mug

As a fiscally conscious coffee aficionado (I suspect that may be Italian for "addict") I endeavor to brew my own breakfast beverage in the morning. When this is not possible and I am forced to procure my percolated potion at a commercial establishment, as an environmentally conscious consumer, I try to avoid using disposable containers. In either situation, a trusty travel mug is just what the doctor ordered. I used to have an older model OXO travel mug that I loved like she was my only child but sadly we lost track of each other in a shopping mall one day and I never saw her again. Recently, I adopted what appears to be a newer version of the mug I lost. Its 16 ounce stature is the same; imparting an ample dose of caffeine without hopping you up so much that you enthusiastically volunteer to take on extra work at the office . It has the same sleek handle free contours; allowing it to slide unencumbered in to almost any cup holder. The highly effective spill proof black plastic lid with push button closure butted up against an ergonomic, concave rubberized comfort grip give me vivid flashbacks of my missing loved one. However, this is where the similarities end. Below the grip, where the ring on my finger used to sound a resounding "ping" on a surface of brushed stainless steel, my ring emits only a flat "plunk" on the shiny plastic now in its place. It was enough to fool me in to ordering it from the online catalog but that plastic is a glaring disappointment in person. If it were only an external and therefore superficial shortcoming then perhaps I could overlook it. But alas, the heart of the OXO travel mug is plastic too. With mounting evidence indicating that plastics transfer harmful chemicals to food products especially when heat is involved, this is a design flaw I simply can not abide. After all, this is a mug. Its intended purpose is to hold extremely hot liquids until they are ready to be ingested. I don't want my caffeine laced with noxious petroleum byproducts thank you very much. I am putting the OXO travel mug back on the shelf and holding out for steel blue reason.