Choosing The Best Travel Smoothie Cup - And How to Keep it Clean

You've made the perfect, healthy smoothie, so now all you need is the right travel cup to get it out the door with you. Well the perfect travel smoothie cup should have the following features.

- It should be made of vacuum insulated, double walled stainless steel. Stainless steel is a little bit more expensive than plastic, however it is more durable, easier to clean, keeps you smoothie cooler longer and doesn't pose any risk of leaching dangerous chemicals into your healthy smoothie.

- The lid should provide a secure, leak proof seal. The last thing you want when you finally make the train or the office is a 'bag 'o smoothie'.

- Your travel smoothie cup should also be easy to clean, you don't want pieces of the delicious smoothie you made yesterday finding their way into your yummy new creation.

- And finally it should keep your smoothie cold, as cold as it was when you first poured it out of your blender as you rushed out the door.

A few more tips on finding the perfect cup.

- If you use the cup in your car make sure it fits in the on board cup holder.

- If you use it whilst walking, get one with a sturdy, slip proof handle.

- Always make sure any plastic parts are BPA free.

- Ensure the size of your travel cup is appropriate for the smoothies you make.

- Remember, most stainless steel cups need hand washing to ensure that they retain their manufactured capabilities. If you must use a dishwasher, ensure your travel cup is dishwasher safe.

I love this green smoothie as it is low in calories, has no fat and it is delicious. The combination of cranberry juice, blueberries and spinach makes it a great energy booster to start the day!

A tumbler is a great way to transport your smoothie around the home or office. My favourite travel smoothie tumbler is a large mason jar with a screw on lid and an extra wide straw, which makes it perfect to drink smoothies.

A double insulated mason jar will not only keep your smoothie cold it will also ensure that there wont be any smoothie related accidents with its secure screw top lid.

Cleaning mason jars is also a breeze as they can just be popped in the dishwasher, after which they are ready to receive your next creative smoothie masterpiece.

There is nothing worse than going to all the trouble of making a delicious smoothie and finding your travel smoothie cup still has gunk left over from the day before. I have discovered that owning a travel smoothie cup can be fantastic to get you out the door on time with either a healthy smoothie or a nice hot cup of coffee, however it can be a genuine pain to actually get the cup clean.

This can especially be a problem if you are swapping between beverages. A coffee flavoured fruit smoothie or fruity flavoured coffee just isn't the way to start the day. So I went searching for the best tried and tested methods to get a travel cup clean.

A fantastically healthy Bamangocot Smoothie. Easy to make, good for you and absolutely delicious. 6 out of 5 on the five star Yumometer scale.

Apart from the obvious technique of using hot soapy water and elbow grease, there are several ways you can get the inside of your stainless steel travel cup as shiny as new.

Hint: Don't put the vacuum sealed body in the dishwasher as it could damage the seal and render the cup useless. It can also damage the finish on a coloured mug.

Denture Cleaning Tablets

Whilst I have never tried this technique, there are people who swear by this method. Just pop a denture cleaning tablet such as Steradent in your cup, fill it with water and leave for a few hours. Wash the cup thoroughly and it should be as shiny as new.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and vinegar with some warm water in your cup. Put the lid back on and give the cup a good vigorous shake, the mixture will fizz up and get into all those hard to clean places. After about a minute allow some of the mixture to run out through the drinking slot to make sure it is also as clean as new. Once you have done this, rinse the cup and lid thoroughly in hot soapy water. This will ensure you don't end up with any vinegar after-taste.

Bleach

Using a 1 part bleach to 10 parts water mixture, fill your cup to the top and allow it to stand overnight. Rinse thoroughly in hot soapy water the next day and you should have a nice shiny, stainless steel travel smoothie cup to go.

Nylon Brush

As I said at the start, a good nylon brush used with warm soapy water mixed with a little elbow grease should do the job on a daily basis.

The plastic lid of a travel smoothie cup can be the hardest place of all to clean, especially if your travel cup has a clever auto sealing function. The best way to clean one of these cups is to jam the button open with a toothpick and place the lid unit in your dishwasher, however, not everyone has a dishwasher, so here are a few more manual techniques.

Hot Steam

Do you have a coffee maker at home that blows a nice steady stream of hot steam to heat your milk? Or even more conveniently, do you frequent a local coffee shop for your morning caffeine fix? Then get your lid clean with a nice hot jet of steam. Hygienic and convenient. Just don't forget to give the barista a tip at Xmas!

Nylon Brush

Get yourself a nice set of nylon brushes, a sink of hot soapy water and get to work. This is where that small thin brush will earn its keep as it gets into all those nooks and crannies.