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May 4, 2008
Thoughts on my Klean Kanteen
With all the uncertainty about Bisphenol-A going around, I decided to ditch my plastic water bottles. This makes me sad, because I have a few cool ones. In choosing something new, I did a fair amount of research and decided to go with a Klean Kanteen. Why?
Well, for one, Guyot Designs has been out of their Commuter style bottle for ages and that's what I'd been eyeing previously. It has such a nice shape, but it wasn't to be, I guess.
I considered the Sigg bottles, to the point of handling them in the store and not being able to choose one before I decided to think on it more. But self-knowledge won out there - for starters, the idea that it would dent if I dropped it horrified me, and not because I don't know what's in that epoxy liner and if it could crack. I like things to look pretty and new for as long as possible and I would probably get depressed the first time I nicked my beautiful bottle. Secondly, it looked hard to clean, which is a problem. I often like to drink flavored water, which means the bottle needs to be really washable. Old officemates might remember me trying to clean my Nalgene with a stick and a paper towel to get the Crystal Light residue out. That would be near-impossible with a Sigg. I checked their website for cleaning instructions and apparently, you're supposed to clean it every so often with special tablets that they sell. No, thank you.
I didn't really consider other plastic bottles and I don't know why. I know Nalgene makes some non-polycarbonate products and plenty of other people make plastic water bottles, too. I probably already own a couple from mountain biking and going to the gym. But for inexplicable reasons, I was fixated on getting a metal bottle.
So, my Klean Kanteen and I seem to be a good match. I got a polka-dot Built NY sleeve to go with it, so I can insulate myself from the cold touch and sweating that occurs when I fill it, plus it looks pretty. With the sleeve on, the bottle is a little big for my stroller cup holder, but the sleeve has a loop at the top that I can hook to the stroller instead. I keep forgetting to try it in the car, but I expect it is either a little big to fit, or a very tight fit with the sleeve. My car has small cup holders.
I got a sports cap and a flat cap for my bottle. It came with the sports cap, which is handy probably for walking. I find that to make it work well, you have to make sure that the little vent nub is pointing up, so air can enter the bottle while water comes out. And keeping it a little looser is helpful for flow as well. But, even with those tricks, I drink much more from the bottle at a time when I have the unrestricted access of the flat cap. Yes, it makes a little metal-on-metal noise when it's being opened and closed. I've been meaning to see if a little olive oil or other lubricant around the rim would help that. It doesn't bother me much though.
The bottle has a sturdy feel to it and it's not too heavy. I have the 27 oz size, which weighs 8oz. Add 27oz of water (a pint's a pound the world around) and it comes to 35oz, which I think is probably close to the weight of a large, full Nalgene. The mouth is a good size for drinking and wide enough that I can work a bottle brush in there and scrub it clean.
The only real downside I see is that there is a little metallic taste when drinking. But I don't think it's the water that tastes, as I didn't notice it until I switched to the flat cap. Pouring the water into a glass, I don't notice the taste either. So, I think it's the result of my tongue touching the metal bottle when I drink. I'm trying to keep my tongue out of the way and see if that helps. There may also be a bit of a taste because it's time to replace my water filter cartridge. I know Philly has a really good water supply; people keep telling me. But I think the water has an odd taste to it, and sometimes a smell, too. I suspect old pipes. But I digress.
Overall, I'm happy with it. I'm going to keep using my Klean Kanteen and use my Nalgene bottles to store things like spare change and straws.
Posted by Janice Ryan at May 4, 2008 10:58 PM
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