my Cold Cup

The suggested retail price is $25 (plus tax). However, myColdCup is being offered through the schools at a reduced amount. The exact cost will depend on the amount each school chooses to add as a fundraiser. The total cost to the parent will range from $20 - $25 (taxes and shipping included).

myColdCup holds 266 ml (9oz or slightly over 1 cup). This is an optimal volume of liquid for a lunch drink. The drink is meant for one meal, not to be left over to bring home. If the volume is too much, the child may fill up on the drink rather than eating their lunch!

However, some children do need a larger volume. A 350ml myColdCup is planned and will be offered depending upon demand. Please send an email to info@mycoldcup.com if you would prefer a larger size.

The freezable insert must be washed off after use and placed in the freezer in order to be ready for its next use. Do not put the myColdCup freezable insert in the dishwasher. This freezable insert is easy to snap out and snap back into the myColdCup lid base.

Hand washing your myColdCup is the best option. However, all parts are top rack dishwasher safe. Over time and many repeated hot/cold cycles in a dishwasher, the vacuum seal, which provides the insulation to keep your drinks cold, may degrade. This is why many manufacturers say their vacuum thermos is not dishwasher safe. If you put myColdCup in the dishwasher, it may appear to be leaking. This is not so. Some water may have gone between the rubber base and the stainless steel cup.

myColdCup has been designed to specifically address this problem with the following features:

• The sealing ring is injection molded. This means the sealing ring that prevents the myColdCup from leaking is actually part of the lid and cannot be removed. As a result, no black mould can build up around the ring or underneath it. The sealing ring is one piece with the cup. Many bottles have a sealing ring that can be removed. This is good for cleaning... but it means that it must be cleaned periodically. myColdCup eliminates the need for cleaning by preventing the sealing ring from getting black mould in the first place.
• The stainless steel inside surfaces of myColdCup are electropolished. Electropolishing is used by industries that require ultra clean stainless steel products such as Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Nuclear and Food Processing. It reduces the roughness of the surface on a microscopic level so there are no nooks or crannies that can harbor bacteria. This results in a hygienically clean surface (much like a glass surface). Research by the USDA has indicated that electropolishing reduces the buildup of bacterial biofilms. Because electropolishing is not a surface coating, there is no risk of the surface distorting or peeling over time.
• All parts of myColdCup have been designed with the goal of easy cleaning in mind. Surfaces are smooth and have rounded corners so there are no crevices to hide milk or go black. The lid screws off and the inside of the stainless steel cup has a large opening so it is very easy to clean thoroughly without needing a bottle brush.

As a quick test to answer this, put several ice cubes in a glass and pour in some milk. Swirl it around and after about a minute, have a drink. 

The milk will never freeze in myColdCup. It is very similar to having ice cubes with your drink. The big difference is that ice cubes eventually melt and dilute the drink. Ice cubes also clunk around and slide in the thermos. There's a greater chance for messy spills!

There are two aspects to making a vacuum bottle, neither of which is visible to the consumer, so it is impossible to know how well a vacuum bottle will work until you test it out.

The first aspect is the level of vacuum that exists between the stainless steel walls. The best vacuum means there are no air particles to transfer the heat across from the inside to the outside of the bottle by thermal convection. A perfect vacuum is impossible to achieve. There are two manufacturing processes for creating a vacuum. One uses a copper tube which is inserted into the area to be evacuated and then the air is sucked out. Depending on the state of the economy, and the price they want to set for the finished bottle, they may not spend the needed time to get a very good vacuum. The other method for making a vacuum involves a huge furnace where the bottles are heated to over 1000°C in a controlled vacuum. This method produces the most consistent high quality vacuum possible.

The second aspect is whether the stainless steel has been coated with a thin layer of copper. This is a lining on the inside of the bottle between the stainless steel walls that you can't see. If you cut the bottle open, then you will know whether it has been copper coated or not. The copper coating prevents heat from entering/exiting the bottle by thermal radiation. For a cold liquid, the copper lining makes a difference of 2°C over 6 hrs. This may not be significant for hot liquids, but it is very important for keeping liquids cold.

myColdCup has both the inner copper lining and the highest level vacuum.

myColdCup is produced by a world-class stainless steel bottle manufacturer, with over 30 years experience in vacuum bottles, whose products are sold worldwide. myColdCup meets the food and safety standards in Europe, the USA, and Canada. Based in Taiwan with corporate headquarters in California, USA, the company's manufacturing plant is near Shanghai, China.

There are no stainless steel bottle manufacturers in North America. If there were, the cost would be considerably higher per bottle. For example, to manufacture one small part for myColdCup cost $2000 in China; the same piece would cost $20,000 in Canada. This difference existed for other aspects as well. So the development cost in Canada is 10 times more. Production costs would also be much higher. Most likely the bottles would retail for $60 to $100 each.

The key, no matter where the manufacturing takes place, is for a quality product to be produced. Quality requires diligence in selecting the manufacturer and also in continuing to test the products to ensure they meet the desired specifications.

Using myColdCup for hot drinks is not recommended. myColdCup is designed specifically for cold drinks. The drink hole for the liquid is larger, so the flow will be faster. (Hot drink bottles all have smaller holes so there is less chance of injury from hot liquids.)

The vacuum bottle technology for myColdCup is the same as for any other hot/cold thermos. What differs is the design of the lid which is geared for cold drinks.

The freeze stick is HDPE (#2 plastic) which is BPA free and the best plastic for use with foods, water and beverages.  It allows 10 times less moisture to pass through than PP (polypropylene, #5 plastic).  HDPE is currently used for plastic milk containers and bags.  HDPE is considered the best food grade plastic material available.
The gel inside the HDPE container is a non-toxic, food grade, FDA approved freezer gel. 
The freeze stick should be hand washed before placing in the freezer overnight for use the next day.  Do not put the freeze stick in the dish washer.
Do not continue to use the freeze stick if it is cracked or punctured.

myColdCup has a number of features included to help address this issue.

• The non-slip rubber grip around the base has been designed with a smooth recessed area on the underside specifically with space for writing the child's name and phone number or other contact info that could be useful.
• myColdCup bought through the school will come with two silicone bands. When myColdCup is distributed to the children, the child will be allowed to pick their choice of two bands from a number of different colours. This silicone band can be put on the myColdCup however they like so that they can easily recognize their myColdCup, even in a classroom where many children have one.
• myColdCup is the right size to fit into lunch bags so it can be kept there and only come out for lunchtime. If it has its own place within the lunch bag, then it is less likely to be left behind somewhere and forgotten.
• just having a thermos that keeps milk tasting fresh and cold for lunch may be its own incentive to not lose it!

You could contact your school or school council to see if they are interested in signing up so that other people at your school can also order myColdCup.

Alternatively, you can buy one at a local store or online. See "Where to Buy".

You may purchase myColdCup either at local stores or online. See "Where to Buy".

If your school decides to offer myColdCup in September, myColdCup will be delivered to the school for an event, such as "Greet the Teacher" evening, when you will be able to purchase it. Your School Council will send out flyers or email letting you know when you will be able to purchase myColdCup.

Any school can sign up.  If your school is not already in the list, let your School Council know about this product and that it can be used as a fundraiser for the school. 

We will ship to anywhere in the world. Shipping fees may be added, but it will be by the most reasonable rate. Send an email to info@mycoldcup.com. 

Yes. Pricing for this will soon be available. Please send an email to info@mycoldcup.com

There is no minimum. Your school can actually order just one, but hopefully that won't be the case!

This could be a possible result of introducing the myColdCup ordering program, however, consider the following points:

• Even if a school has 60% of the students on the milk program, there are still 40% who are not. An estimated 10-20% are bringing their own milk anyway, and often in plastic bottles which are not keeping the milk adequately cold.
• For schools on the balanced day, there are two eating times and most likely even if children are on the milk program, they are bringing a boxed drink for the second eating time.
• Many parents love the convenience of the milk program and will continue to use it; even if they buy a myColdCup for other uses
• Offering myColdCup increases the options of possible revenue for the school council
• myColdCup is minimal volunteer effort for the funds raised

Contact me, Gwenda, either by email or phone 1-800-874-8554. Together we may be able to work something out. There are different ways of approaching this.  Hopefully we can figure out something that works for your school.

The silicone bands are a decorative option which allows each child to individualize their own myColdCup. Each child will be able to choose one silicone band from 9 different colours. They can put the band on their myColdCup however they like. And they can change the look whenever they want.

This helps the child to quickly identify their own myColdCup if a number of children have one in their classroom.

Each shipment of myColdCups will come with a package of coloured silicone bands.  When the student receives their myColdCup, they may choose a silicone band at that time.  The number of silicone bands is greater than actually needed for the number of myColdCups so that each student, even the last one to pick up their myColdCup, still has a choice of silicone band colours.