I published an article on November 28, 2023, celebrating the fact that I had not broken my Hario v60 coffee glass in more than five years. I was tipped off by the fact that Amazon noted I had last purchased the glass on June 27, 2018. Alas, as remarkable as my streak was – all good things must come to an end.
As you can see, my glass was in less than optimal condition on the afternoon of April 16, 2024. I reached for something on the right side of my desk, where I had placed the glass on a coaster, forgetting that my empty glass was still there and knocking it over. While I had tipped my glass over on previous occasions without breaking it, I helplessly watched it roll off my desk before shattering into many pieces.
I moved quickly to purchase a new glass. While the Hario v60 glass remains an appealing option to go with my v60 02 size dripper, I was open to considering alternatives after spending a good 15-20 minutes picking out small pieces of my now-former glass from my carpet squares. In considering alternatives, I thought about two of the v60’s weaknesses. The first weakness is that it breaks if you look at it the wrong way (hence my having celebrated not breaking one for more than five years). The second weakness is that it does not retain heat at all.
I decided to turn over a new leaf and try a 16 oz plastic coffee glass by Tervis.
This double-walled glass is unbreakable (because it is plastic), supposedly has good heat retention, and is patriotic (made in the United States). As you can see in the photo, it has a lid. While I do not plan to use the lid often, it is neat that I can also use it to bring a drink on short walks. Let us try making a coffee.
The Hario v60 cone fits perfectly over the Tervis. While glass feels better in the hand than plastic, my first test indicates that the plastic cup is better for coffee temperature purposes than glass (the same is true of my plastic Hario cone vs the glass cones I used to use). I washed the “glass” immediately after drinking in accordance with how I handle my plastic Hario cone (I always rinse immediately after using to keep it from warping or picking up stains).
My initial impression of the Tervis tumbler is positive. I will keep using it and see how I like it while keeping my eye out for a sale to add a Hario v60 glass back to my collection.