Capacity: 1 litre (33.8oz) / Temperature test: 0 hrs 90°c, 90 mins 86.5°c, 4 hrs 81.6°c, 6 hrs 78.1°c, 8 hrs 74.7°c, 24 hrs 53.7°c / Plastic-free stainless steel and silicone construction / 18/8 food-grade stainless steel interior doesn’t retain or impart flavours / Integrated double-wall construction cup / Twist and pour cap with 360° pour-through design / Internal Thread Design for increased thermal performance / Durable Klean Coat finish. BUY NOW: KLEANKANTEEN.CO.UK Heat Retention is a major factor determining the usefulness of a thermos flask. It directly affects how long your drinks or food will stay warm or cold.

Like almost any decent bit of outdoor kit, a good vacuum flask should also be robust and durable. All the flasks we tested are made of high-quality 18/8 food-grade stainless steel that resists dents, dings and scratches. The trade-off with steel flasks is that they can be heavy, although modern designs are shaving weight all the time, and in some cases, they now weigh little more than a standard plastic drinks bottle. Hydro Flask are a fashionable US company who have made reusable flasks and water bottles immensely cool over on the West Coast of America. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth is a quality vacuum flask employing some great tech, a lovely powder-coated exterior surface for great grip as well as excellent heat retention properties. The downside is that they are a touch on the expensive side – you don’t get this sort of style for free girl!

S’well Roamer 64oz Flask

Capacity: 750ml (25oz) / Temperature test: 0 hrs 90°c, 90 mins 85.2°c, 4 hrs 79.5°c, 6 hrs 75.3°c, 8 hrs 71.4°c, 24 hrs 48.4°c / Made from 18/8 stainless steel / Leak-proof / Insulated lid doubles as a cup / Dishwasher safe / Lifetime warranty.

You should carefully consider the required capacity of your flask before buying one. Have a think about how many people will require a drink from it, and who will be the person carrying it around. Is it for home use (some people take a flask to their home office in the garden), or carrying on a walk for rest and recuperation? To get maximum performance from your flask, you should always pre-warm it before use. Fill it with boiling water and leave to stand for five minutes or so before emptying and refilling with your chosen brew – such as tea, coffee, soup or hot chocolate. Filling your flask right to the top will also help minimise heat loss. Temperature Test: Method We hand-washed each flask with hot soapy water and let them air dry overnight, then ranked them on smell. This is definitely one of the best thermos flasks for solo users due to the size of 21.8cm x 6.5cm and weight of only 0.33kg. This is light!The space between the two flasks creates a vacuum, as labelled above, preventing heat transfer. The wall of the inner flask is silvered to prevent heat radiation deflecting heat away from the flask. Slurping soup is great fun from the Milu – in fact, we’ve started using it at home because it keeps your minestrone piping hot, unlike a cold china bowl from the cupboard. When single-use plastics started getting a bad rap, S’well became the drinks bottle of choice for a host of celebrities and ‘influencers’. But they’re not all style over substance – the design consists of a triple-walled construction incorporating a copper layer for improved insulation. This flask is lightweight and practical – the ergonomic shape makes it easy to hold, the really wide mouth makes for easy drinking, filling and cleaning, and the grooved lid makes it easy to open, even if screwed on tightly. It’s sure to draw admiring glances if you leave it on your desk at the office. It’s just a shame that the capacity is a bit small, and it’s relatively expensive for a little flask. Full Specifications This flask has a familiar design with a classic ‘pop’ stopper that makes for easy pouring. With cheap, inferior flasks these are often prone to leaking but with this Outwell version the component seems well-made and reliable. It certainly didn’t leak on test. It’s a simple, inexpensive flask that makes use of a classic tried and tested design. The wide mouth makes the flask easy to fill and clean, while the cup’s plastic liner ensures you won’t burn your mouth. On the other hand, it is fairly bulky for a 750ml flask, with a small cup compared to some other designs. The external finish is also a bit slippery and prone to scratching. Full Specifications