Product Inspirations –
Glass Vacuum Carafe
(AH-EAE10)

Did you know that we make carafes? Whether they’re used for home, office, hospitality or other commercial use, our vacuum insulated carafes have always been a big part of our product lineup.

This year, we’re excited to introduce our newest – and dare we say, most stylish – Glass Vacuum Carafe (AH-EAE10). This designer carafe has an iconic style and adds beauty and substance to any table.

The unique vertical, decagonal shape of our carafe was conceptualized by David Tonge of The Division in London, who was inspired by classic Japanese design. According to David, he “wanted to create a unique and sophisticated flask which would have a strong impact on the table.” He studied many different types of carafe designs and realized that most were rounded and had horizontal sections, just as a separate base or top. David explored using a vertical construction for the carafe, and paired with Japanese aesthetic and design principles, resulted in the new AH-EAE10 model.

The carafe is made in Japan, and holds 34 ounces of liquid. It comes in four gorgeous colors: Silver, Black, Red and Gold.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Zojirushi product if it wasn’t functional as well as beautiful. The inside of the carafe utilizes a specialized vacuum liner made of premium, medical-grade-equivalent borosilicate glass, which is durable and stain- and odor-resistant. The glass has been tested by a third-party laboratory and rated EP/USP Type I, same as medical grade glass, ensuring that it’s strong and of the highest quality.

The glass liner also provides superior heat retention, using our vacuum insulation technology. As with our other vacuum insulated products, the air has been removed from between the inner and outer layers, preventing heat transfer and keeping beverages hot or cold for hours.

The carafe accommodates most brewing attachments, for that perfect cup of coffee, and the sturdy handle and easy-to-use large push-button stopper allow liquids to pour out smoothly. Pour over coffees are easy to make with this carafe, and beverages like brewed hot tea, hot water or cold ice water stay fresh and at the optimal temperature.

The smart features designed into our newest vacuum insulated carafe make it versatile to use. At home, use it to keep freshly brewed coffee hot all morning or fill it with ice water to serve at mealtimes. At the office, use it during meetings or in the breakroom. And for any hospitality-related event, be it a conference or wedding or show, use it to serve hot beverages easily.

Check out the new Glass Vacuum Carafe on the product page and let us know your favorite color and how you’ll use it!

Product Inspirations –
Stainless Bottle (SJ-TG08/10)

At Zojirushi, we’re all about designing that perfect vacuum insulated bottle, mug or tumbler, whether you’re taking your favorite beverage with you while you’re out or while you’re sitting at home or the office.

Our latest bottle – the Stainless Bottle (SJ-TG08/10) – is one of our most versatile. Its gorgeous sparkling stainless steel finish and sleek black lid and strap make it stylish. It works on the go, whether you’re outdoors, at work or traveling, and it’s packed with a host of features.

Along with the beautiful finish, this Stainless Bottle is made using Zojirushi’s superior vacuum insulation technology. The air between the outer and inner layers of the stainless steel is removed, so heat is blocked from transferring through the layers of steel, greatly minimizing the temperature change of your beverage. We even guarantee our vacuum insulation with a five year warranty on heat retention.

The extra-wide 2-inch opening makes it easy to fill, even with full-sized ice cubes, and the nonstick coated interior ensures that the bottle is simple to clean. Plus, all areas that come into contact with your beverage are BPA-free.

The bottle’s lid is one of our favorite features. The lid doubles as a standalone cup. You can take a hot drink with you, pour a cup when you’re ready, and keep the rest of the beverage fresh and ready to enjoy later. You can even use the lid to share your drink while maintaining hygiene. And the one-touch button on the stopper allows for smooth pouring through the spout. Imagine going to your favorite sporting event, and being able to not only bring your own sencha tea with you, but being able to sip it just like you would at home.

Because we know many of our customers would use the bottle for hot beverages, as well as cold ones, we’ve incorporated smart design features like a stopper gasket to prevent leaks, and a small taper below the opening of the bottle to indicate the maximum fill line. And the adjustable carrying strap makes it even more convenient.

This stainless bottle is made of high-quality 18/8 stainless steel and comes in two sizes – 27 oz. and 34 oz.

Check out this bottle to add to your collection, and as always, let us know how you use your favorite Zojirushi bottle!

Design Explained – Our Superior Vacuum Insulation

Zojirushi has been in the vacuum insulation business for over 100 years! The company opened its doors in Osaka as the Ichikawa Brothers Trading Company in 1918 manufacturing vacuum liners, and began manufacturing vacuum bottles in 1948. We’ve been designing vacuum insulated products since then!

Vacuum insulation is a specific type of insulation that uses a man-made vacuum between two panels of materials, such as glass or stainless steel, so that the temperature of the fluids or gases on either side of the panels are isolated and don’t affect each other. The concept of a vacuum insulated flask was originally developed in the West in 1892 by James Dewar, a scientist who was interested in cryogenics and in developing supercooled substances like liquid hydrogen. Dewar needed a way to keep the liquid hydrogen cool, so that it wouldn’t evaporate, and came up with a vacuum insulated flask made of two walls of glass. Vacuum insulated glass containers were at the heart of Zojirushi’s technology, until 1981, when we created our TUFFBOY line and patented the process to make vacuum insulated stainless steel containers.

Vacuum insulation has many benefits, which we’ve incorporated into our bottles, mugs, food jars, and lunch jars since the first vacuum bottle. The first benefit is the superior insulation. Vacuum insulation prevents heat loss through conduction. Since the air which is a conductor  – is removed between the inner and outer layers of stainless steel, heat isn’t transferred. In fact, a gap as small as 1 mm for the air can insulate the food or drink inside your container!

If you remember from your school days, there are 2 other ways heat can transfer: radiation and convection. In a Zojirushi bottle, heat transfer is also prevented by insulating against radiant heat transfer. A thin sheet of aluminum or copper is wrapped around the outer surface of the inner layer to help reflect radiant heat.

And finally, heat transfer through convection is blocked by tightly sealing the lids on each of the products. For bottles, mugs, and food jars, the lid itself is equipped with a gasket to seal it onto the container, whereas lunch jars use a foam-insulated inner lid. Each of these three ways keeps food and beverages hot or cold for hours.

Along with managing heat transfer, using vacuum insulation makes all of our products lighter. Many thermal vessels use polystyrene foam or the addition of other materials to insulate, adding weight and bulk. Our vacuum insulation makes our products lighter and more compact.

Our superior vacuum insulation makes it easy to choose your favorite bottle, mug, food jar, or lunch jar. Pick between a non-stick coated or SlickSteel® interior. Choose the right size and capacity. And select your favorite color. Check out our full line up in the Products section, and be sure to comment with any questions you might have.

Product Inspirations – Stainless Mug (SM-TA36/48/60)

It’s all about customization with our new Stainless Mug (SM-TA36/48/60), the latest in our lineup of vacuum insulated stainless steel mugs and bottles.

We created this mug to be stylish and lightweight, weighing in at 7 ounces for the 12 oz. capacity, 8 ounces for the 16 oz. capacity and 9 ounces for the 20 oz. capacity. The mugs come in Black, White, Pink, Honey Gold, and Stainless, with gorgeous finishing and luster.

The mug comes in an ergonomic, slender shape with an easy-to-clean, double layer nonstick coated interior that enhances the mug’s durability and provides greater protection of the stainless steel against salt-containing beverages like sports drinks. It also features a 1 5/8 inch wide opening that makes it easy to fill and clean, and the rounded lip, made using a special manufacturing process, makes it comfortable to drink directly from the mug.

But the fun is in the lids!

Out of the box, the mug comes with a flip-open lid, and can be supplemented with a low-profile, screw-off lid (SM-S10N), sold separately, depending on your sipping preferences. The screw-off lid covers the rounded lip…simply remove it when you feel like drinking directly from the mug. When you don’t want the screw-off lid, use the flip-open one. You can even mix and match to create your favorite color combination!

The flip-open lid which comes standard with the mug uses a two-step release process. This process helps prevent excess condensation on the stopper from being flung off when the lid opens, and an air vent in the spout allows beverages to flow out smoothly, without gushing or overflowing. It’s great for using when you’re in a car or want to control the flow of liquid from the mug.

The flip-open lid also features an oblong-shaped safety lock, which prevents the lid from accidentally opening. It’s easy to know when the lock is engaged…just listen for the click. The lock makes it safe to carry in a purse, backpack or bag…no worries about the lid opening on its own and spilling your drink!

Both flip-open and screw-off lids are BPA free, cover the sipping area to maintain cleanliness, and can be easily disassembled for convenience and thorough cleaning.

As with other Zojirushi bottles and mugs, this mug is constructed with durable and high-quality 18/8 stainless steel, and uses Zojirushi’s superior vacuum insulation technology. By removing the air between the outer and inner layers of the stainless steel, heat is blocked from transferring through it, greatly minimizing the temperature change of your beverage. Your drink stays hot or cold for hours.

The Stainless Mug (SM-TA36/48/60) is so versatile that you can carry everything from water to Iced Black Tea to a lovely and warm Spiced Rooibos Tea. No matter what you drink from this bottle, it’s sure to be a great addition to your own lineup at home!

The Stainless Mug (SM-TA36/48/60) is so versatile that you can carry everything from water to Iced Black Tea to a lovely and warm Spiced Rooibos Tea. No matter what you drink from this bottle, it’s sure to be a great addition to your own lineup at home!

Find out more about this mug on our website and definitely check out our beautiful product video!

Design Explained – Our SlickSteel® Interiors and Nonstick Coatings

Which is better? Nonstick coated or not coated? At Zojirushi, we know they’re both great! This month we’re excited to share the design and engineering behind our nonstick and SlickSteel® bottle, mug, and food jar interiors. Both interiors are easy to clean. Both interiors have been proven durable. And both interiors are hygienic and repel stains. So why have two types of interior finishes?

Well, as usual, we believe in customer-centric design, and offer our products in both nonstick and SlickSteel® finishes to satisfy your requests.

Customer-Centric Options

Nonstick

As cleanability is important to our customers, many Zojirushi products are nonstick coated. Our nonstick coating is made using PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, a polymer that is applied in a two-step process with a primer and a topcoat. It is nonreactive, inert, ultra-smooth, hydrophobic, and resistant to abrasions, corrosion, and heat. It’s ideal for use in containers that hold food or beverages, since it doesn’t stain or absorb odors. In Japan, our nonstick interior mugs are highly prized for their durability and cleanability. This is very important, since they are primarily used for holding coffee and tea, which tend to leave odors and stains. Some of our newer bottles, such as the Stainless Mug SM-TA and Stainless Bottle SJ-JS, even utilize double-layer nonstick coating. This provides additional protection against salt-containing beverages such as sports drinks. Materials like salt will corrode stainless steel.

Nonstick Interior

SlickSteel®

The SlickSteel® interior finish was introduced for our customers who prefer to avoid PTFE nonstick. We’ve electro-polished the interior, resulting in a surface that resists corrosion and repels stains without the use of nonstick coating. Electropolishing works using the principal of electrolysis. The stainless steel is immersed in an ionized, electrolytic solution which is subjected to an electrical current. The reaction that results from the charged solution removes the microscopic peaks and fills the microscopic valleys in the stainless steel. As a result, the surface is ultra-smooth surface without any mechanical smoothing, grinding, or buffing.

SlickSteel® Food Jar Interior

Because eating out of Food Jars would require a utensil to be used, we use our SlickSteel® interior in all of them so that the nonstick coating is not scratched. Some of the other products with SlickSteel® interior are the Stainless Bottle SV-GWE50, our Stainless Mugs in models SM-JHE, SM-KHE, SM-SHE and our Travel Mug SM-YAE48.

SlickSteel® or Nonstick: Either Way, You Win!


Zojirushi SlickSteel® Products

No matter what your preference is, both of our interior finishes showcase the same smart design and expert engineering you’ve come to expect from Zojirushi. Feel free to call our friendly customer service with any additional questions. We would love to help you select your next mug, bottle, or food jar!