Stainless Steel Cups: Which Type Fits Your Range?
"Stainless steel cup" covers everything from a 160 ml mate cup to a 600 ml travel cup with a lid. The choices that matter for a brand are the wall construction, the lid, the size and the finish. Here is how they compare, with real models and specs.
By Feng, Head of After-Sales Service & Online Marketing Lead
Stainless steel cups are reusable cups made from food-grade steel, sold with or without a lid. Most insulated cups have a double wall with a vacuum between the inner and outer wall, which keeps drinks hot or cold and stops the outside sweating; single-wall cups are lighter and cheaper but pass heat straight through. The common types are compact coffee cups with screw or airtight lids, can-shaped cups, mate cups with a steel straw, kids cups with a soft spout, and travel cups with a sliding or flip lid. BG Drinkware, a drinkware manufacturer in Yongkang, China, makes stainless steel cups from 160 ml to 600 ml, with a 304 stainless steel interior and a 201 exterior as standard and 316 available. Most models start at 500 pieces per colour, and a sample of an existing model takes up to 7 days.
What are stainless steel cups made of?
Most stainless steel cups use 304 stainless steel, also called 18/8, for the inner wall that touches the drink. BG Drinkware's standard build is a 304 inner wall with a 201 outer wall, and a 316 inner wall with a 304 outer wall is available for buyers who ask for it. Lids are usually PP plastic with a silicone seal.
The outer wall never touches the drink, which is why a cheaper grade is common there. If your market or your buyer asks for a specific grade on both walls, put it in the specification, because it changes the price. For the grades compared, see 18/8, 304 and 316 stainless steel.
For buyers who want a light, all-metal alternative, there is pure titanium. BG Drinkware's pure titanium coffee cup comes in 150, 200 and 260 ml; see titanium mugs for how titanium compares.
Should a stainless steel cup be single wall or double wall?
Choose double wall with a vacuum when the cup must keep drinks hot or cold and stay comfortable to hold. Choose single wall when weight and price matter more than insulation, for example for camping or for cold drinks at an event. A double wall without a vacuum is a middle option for a comfortable grip.
In a vacuum cup, the gap between the walls has the air removed, so heat cannot travel through it easily. That is why a vacuum cup does not sweat with iced drinks and does not burn the hand with hot coffee. A single-wall cup passes heat straight to the outside. BG Drinkware makes single-wall cups, and double-wall cups without a vacuum can be made to order.
Vacuum cups must not go in the freezer or the fridge: the vacuum blocks the cold, and the temperature change can harden the seal, damage the vacuum layer or deform the inner wall. For the full comparison, see double wall vs single wall and how insulated bottles work.
What types of stainless steel cups are there?
For a brand range, the useful split is by use: compact coffee cups, can-shaped cups, mate cups, kids cups and travel cups. Each comes with a typical lid and size, and the table lists BG Drinkware models with the sizes and weights from their product pages.
| Model | Capacity | Lid | Listed details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mate cup with bombilla | 160 / 260 ml | Steel bombilla straw | 86.5 / 135.5 g; 100 pcs per carton |
| Mini coffee cup | 200 / 300 ml | Sealed screw-on lid | 6 cm body; 13.5 / 18.5 cm high; 132 / 192.8 g |
| Egg-shaped coffee cup | 360 ml (12 oz) | Clear airtight lid | Compact rounded body |
| Can tumbler with spout lid | 350 / 500 / 600 ml | Flip-up drinking spout | 167 / 220 / 228 g |
| Can-shaped coffee cup | — | Pull-tab lid, carry strap | 19 cm high with lid; 232 g; silicone base |
| Can tumbler, rounded | 510 ml | Removable direct-sip lid | Beer-can-inspired body |
| Kids cup | 12 oz | Splash-resistant lid, soft silicone spout | Fully detachable for cleaning; 210 g |
| Travel coffee cup | 350 / 600 ml | Sliding lid | 265 / 315.8 g |
For larger cups, see 20 oz tumblers and insulated beer mugs. For a handled mug with a lid, see stainless steel coffee mugs with lids.
Which lid should a stainless steel cup have?
Match the lid to how the cup travels. A screw-on or airtight lid suits a cup carried in a bag, a sliding or flip lid suits a commute, a spout or straw lid suits kids and cold drinks, and a mate cup is used with its bombilla. Any lid seals only when fitted correctly and fully closed.
Lids are usually PP plastic, because coloured Tritan does not mould as well as PP in solid colours. The seal is silicone and should come out for cleaning. Ask for the closed lid to be tested on the sample in the position the cup will be carried. For the checks, see how to check a lid, seal and straw.
How do you look after a stainless steel cup?
Wash the cup and lid in warm soapy water, take the seal out now and then, and dry everything before closing it. Do not put a stainless steel cup in the microwave, and do not put a vacuum cup in the freezer. Whether a coated cup is dishwasher-safe depends on the coating and is tested on request.
For the full routine, see how to clean a stainless steel bottle. For the microwave question, see microwavable stainless steel, and for coatings in a dishwasher, see dishwasher-safe bottles. BG Drinkware seals its vacuum cups with a lead-free brazing material in a vacuum furnace; see lead-free tumblers.
How can a stainless steel cup carry a logo?
A bare stainless steel cup can be screen printed or laser engraved, but not UV printed. Once the cup is powder coated or spray painted, finished artwork is mostly UV printed, and a laser can engrave through the coating. Colours are matched to a Pantone code or a physical colour sample and confirmed on the sample.
On small cups, the print area is the limit. A 6 cm mini cup leaves far less room than a 600 ml travel cup, so send the artwork early and agree the size and position on the sample. See customisation for the methods and where to place a logo.
What should a stainless steel cup order specify?
Send the capacity, quantity, model, colour, logo method, packaging, payment terms and trade terms. For cups, also say whether the cup needs a lid that seals for carrying, whether it must be vacuum insulated, and which steel grade your buyer requires on the inner wall.
Most of BG Drinkware's stainless steel cups start at 500 pieces per colour, and the minimum is negotiable; the mini coffee cup, can tumbler and travel cup count per capacity and per colour. A sample of an existing model takes up to 7 days, and bulk production takes 7–12 days after approval. Every vacuum cup is temperature-tested unit by unit before shipping. For the range, see coffee mugs and cups.
Stainless steel cups FAQ
Short answers to the questions buyers ask most about stainless steel cups: whether they are safe, how they keep drinks hot, whether they go in the dishwasher and how many to order. Where an answer names BG Drinkware, it uses the details on its product pages.
Are stainless steel cups safe to drink from?
Food-grade stainless steel such as 304 is widely used for cups and bottles that touch drinks. BG Drinkware uses 304 for the inner wall as standard, with 316 available. Food-contact rules differ by market, so tell the factory where the cups will be sold and ask which tests apply.
Do stainless steel cups keep coffee hot?
A double-wall vacuum cup keeps coffee hot because the vacuum between the walls slows heat loss. A single-wall cup does not, and its outside gets hot. A lid helps too. BG Drinkware checks heat retention on samples with 95°C water measured after 6 hours, or by the buyer's method.
Can stainless steel cups go in the dishwasher?
The steel itself copes with a dishwasher, but a coating or a printed logo may not, and the lid seal can wear. Whether a coated cup is dishwasher-safe is tested on request. Never put a vacuum cup in the freezer or a steel cup in the microwave.
What is the minimum order for custom stainless steel cups?
Most of BG Drinkware's stainless steel cups start at 500 pieces per colour, and the mini coffee cup, can tumbler and travel cup count per capacity and per colour. A sample of an existing model takes up to 7 days, and bulk production takes 7–12 days after the sample is approved.
Building a range of stainless steel cups?
Send the capacity, quantity, model, colour, logo method, packaging, payment terms and trade terms for a quotation.
