Mid afternoon breaks on a blue bird ski day calls for a caffeine injection. Your rubbery feeling legs need energized for the tail end of the day session. If you planned, an insulated bottle is stashed in your ski pack and hopefully the scalding coffee that you savored in the morning is still piping.

If your insulated bottle is not keeping mountain drinks hot, time to look for a new one. Stainless-steel BPA free insulated bottles from Stanley, Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen were exposed to the rigors of the OutdoorInformer.com testing lab to see how each performs.

The Test

The test was simple. Place twelve ounces of piping-hot water in each bottle, seal it tightly and crack open each in eight hours and see how hot the water is. Three trials were conducted to ensure accuracy. The starting and ending temperatures listed below is the best result for that insulated bottle.

Testing occurred indoors so the room temperature was consistent through the eight-hour testing period. Though, each of the bottles uses vacuum technology in the insulation design, so the temperature outside should not matter.

Hydro Flask 21 oz Standard Mouth Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle

MSRP $25.99

Beginning Temperature 184

The Hydro Flask 21 oz Standard Mouth Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle is a mouthful to spit out and say. And the bottle’s standard-sized mouth is easy to pour liquids in and out without a fuss.

Ending Temperature 109

Stanley Nineteen13 2-Cup Vacuum Bottle

MSRP $28

Beginning Temperature 177

The Stanley Nineteen 13 2-Cup Vacuum Bottle holds 16 ounces of refreshment and has a finger loop on the side. An old-school stopper seals the bottle and Stanley designed a dual-cup external lid.

You don’t have to pack cups for you and your girlfriend to enjoy a late morning cup of hot cider. The Dual-cup screws on the top of the bottle and protects the stopper.

Ending Temperature 124

Klean Kanteen 20 oz Wide Insulated Bottle

MSRP $27.95

Beginning Temperature 189

The Klean Kanteen 20 oz Wide Insulated Bottle is easier to fill because of its extra wide mouth. Save some space in your pack for overnighters on the trail. The bottle’s universally threaded mouth adapts to most backpacking water filters without having to lug around a separate adapter.

The separately purchased café top accessory converts your bottle into a splash proof coffee sipping vessel for moving and grooving throughout the day.

Ending Temperature 103

Conclusion

Stanley and Klean Kanteen touts the insulated bottles tested keep liquids hot for six hours. Hydro Flask boasts 12 hours.

All performed admirably in the OutdoorInformer.com testing lab. Each bottle will serve your coffee addiction if you are doing some backcountry laps and are far from a coffee shop with a skilled barista.

The Stanley Nineteen13 2-Cup Vacuum Bottle excelled in its ability to retain heat. The Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen models offer greater versatility than the Stanley insulated bottle with its accessories.

These can be used for a variety of hot drinks, but coffee is the obvious choice to fill your insulated bottle. The National Coffee Association’s Web site says that coffee should optimally be drank at a temperature range of 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Would you want to drink coffee that is Luke-warm? Not usually but when you are craving caffeine, who can resist.