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The Hario Insulated Mug, SMF-300, is the best $10 thermal mug in the world, twenty times over. That makes it all the more unfortunate that this $10 retail mug (in Japan) costs $38 in Canada (almost criminal), and $24 in the USA (still more than 2x. the Japan price).
But first, some history.
I first reviewed thermal products way back in 2002 when Thermos Nissan sent me their entire lineup of thermal products for coffee. I spent a month developing a testing regimen to give them all a fair shake, and wrote out a gazillion page review for the products. (sidenote, I still have that titanium Nissan thermos, as well as a cherished 6oz Nissan mug). I’ve reviewed many thermal coffee devices since, many of them getting even more stringent and strict testing parameters that we developed over the years at CoffeeGeek.
All that said, I am not going to give this product that kind of testing regimen. Instead, it’s all about how the mug feels, how it handles retaining heat, and how it looks.
The mug is Hario’s “SMF-300-GR Mug Bottle” Or more simply, the Hario Insulated Mug. I paid just $10 for it on Amazon Japan but if you want to buy it in Canada, you’ll pay $38 for it at the only importer I could find online. In the USA, it’s listed for $24. My review talks about prices at the end. Here we go!
We ran some basic temperature tests on the mug, measured volumes and also ran it through several dishwasher cycles to see how it stood up to cleaning.
Recently, I placed a large order with Amazon Japan for a bunch of “only available in Japan” coffee related items, including a lot of Hario products. I included this thermal mug because I knew the prices in Canada, and 1300 yen (about $10 USD) made it a quick impulse purchase.
I ordered the grey one, but there is also a black version. The mug arrives in a colourful Hario box, and when you open it up, there’s the mug and its included lid. There’s also a plastic bag, which I’m hoping one day Hario decides is something they should not be using in environmentally friendly packaging. One can hope.
The mug is painted metal on the outside, brushed steel on the inside and has a plastic handle. The insulation is of the vacuum type: that is, two walls of steel and a vacuum of space between. This keeps the inside liquid hot (or cold) for long periods, and the outside never gets more than slightly warm (or slightly cool) to the touch.
The mug includes a lid that has a silicone gasket so it slots into the mug nicely and stays in place. The lid has a sliding drink cover, but even with the sliding cover closed, the mug with lid is not leak proof. The lid’s main job is to further retain heat and prevent sloshing if you’re walking around with a full cup of coffee.
The Hario Insulated Mug has a very “standard” mug look to it. Nothing splashy or unique. To most folks, it just looks like a cheap, standard coffee mug. If you picked one up with the lid in place, you’d be surprised to find out it was a thermal mug made out of steel.
This is because the mug is quite light: 162g (5.5oz) without the lid, 195g with. The size is 12cm (4.75”) tall, with 10cm diameter at the lip. It holds a max of 300ml with the lid in place, a bit more without.
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Again, there will be no intensive Fluke Thermometer datalogging tests on this mug, recording temperature drops, etc. We’ll just talk about day to day use of this mug.
And day to day, the Hario Thermal Mug is fantastic! It just feels like a basic, standard coffee mug, with the bonus of keeping your coffee hot for up to 45 minutes, and warm enough for at least another hour after that to still “enjoy” the beverage (though the coffee quality will degrade!)
I can’t get over how light and unassuming this steel mug is. Your brain plays a bit of tricks with you because the handle is plastic and obviously feels like plastic. The outside body is painted over the steel skin. This also adds to the deception. But if you brewed a cup, then promptly forgot the mug as you got side tracked for 45 minutes (something I’m more and more prone to do), that long delayed sip still presents very hot coffee!
This mug keeps your coffee hot for the entire time it's still tasty to drink.
That’s the second thing that impresses: this mug maintains your coffee heat exceptionally well across the entire average drinking time of about 10-15 minutes, even when 3/4 of the liquid has been drunk. It’s a fantastic thermal device, just based on empirical experience.
The Hario Thermal Mug works with almost all Hario filter devices, including all my V60 #1, V60 #2 size filter holders, and the Hario Mugen. You can’t see how much coffee is being brewed into the mug, but as long as you’re brewing 300ml or less, no worries about overfilling it. The mug also accommodates other pour over devices, like Melitta and the Origami wood base.
The mug works great with small pour over brewers, like the Hario Mugen
I’m so impressed with this mug that I ordered a second one from the Japanese Amazon site, this time in black.
Other than the Hario Stick Bottle (review coming soon!) and my 22 year old Nissan 6oz Star Trek Voyager mug, this Hario Thermal Mug has become my favourite thermal drinking device. I like it so much, my wife isn’t allowed to use it (that hasn’t stopped her).
My Three Favourite Thermal Devices
The Hario Stick 140ml Thermos, the Hario Insulated Mug, and a vintage 6oz Nissan insulated mug (Captain Janeway loved this mug on Star Trek: Voyager)
Look, I understand markups. I understand the cost of shipping goods overseas. I understand inventory costs. I understand that something that is $10 ex-factory price should very well be $25 by the time It’s sitting on a Canadian or US shelf.
But this markup on the Hario Mug, especially with some Canadian vendors is just… too much. The retail price for the mug in Japan (not wholesale, but retail) is about $12.50CAD, or $10USD (1300yen). There’s no justifiable reason this mug is $38 in Canada. Heck, there’s no good reason the mug is $24 through the US Amazon store.
There are, of course, reasons though. Too many middlemen. And too big a markup by the retailers on what should be an inexpensive item.
Because of this, unless you’re buying it from Japan, my advice is take a pass on it. Even if it were $25 CAD / $20USD, I’d recommend it. But not at the current going price. There’s too much plastic, and the lid, while good, isn’t good enough for a $40 mug.
The ratings at the start of this review reflect US / Canadian pricing.
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At 1300 yen in Japan, the Hario Thermal Mug is a no brainer recommendation: I’d give it full stars and my highest recommendation. At nearly $40CAD ($28USD) you’re being taken advantage of.
Such a shame too. I love how unassuming this mug is. I love that it is even “cheap looking” because it punches way above its class in terms of an almost magical heat retention, light weight and how it feels as a mug you drink from.
All is not lost though. Amazon Japan has a pretty decent global shipping program in place that will cost you at least $30 to ship anything, even a single cup, but if you’re buying a lot of stuff, it rarely gets above $70 in total, including duties. I bought about $300 worth of goods (13 items) on my last shopping spree there, and on a whim, added this mug to the order. It increased the shipping cost overall by only $2.50, making the mug’s total cost $12.50 USD.
That’s one way to get one of the best, inexpensive thermal mugs in the world. And the best part is, you skip the middlemen (somewhat) and the excessive local markups.
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One Response
This was interesting. I have the 140ml Hario stick and I love it, i look forward to your review of it.