In the last few years, the Stanley—a simple vessel for consuming whatever beverage your heart desires—has taken American culture by storm. The travel tumbler has worked its way into as many kitchen cabinets as possible.
However, unless you’ve read the small slip of directions inside, you may not be properly using your Stanley cup.
What might seem intuitive to some—simply pour or prepare your favorite beverage in the tumbler—is actually missing a key step in the use of the double-walled cup.
In a video that has drawn over 329,000 views on TikTok, user Oliver (@olliebubs09 on TikTok) says he read over the care and use instructions that came with his blue Stanley tumbler, and was surprised to learn there are extra steps one can take to ensure their beverage remains at their preferred temperature.
“If you own one of these, nine times out of 10 you’re using it wrong,” he says in the video. “Did you know that you have to preheat or precool your Stanley cup before using it every time? I didn’t know that.”
Oliver says he decided to actually read the instructions as he was throwing them away.
“According to the instructions,” he explains, “I was throwing them away and happened to read over them. The instructions read as follows: ‘Care and use: for best results, preheat or precool by filling with hot tap water or cold water. Let stand for five minutes with lid off. Empty and immediately fill with your favorite hot or cold beverage.’”
He says he will likely never use this knowledge for its intended purpose, by adjusting the starting temperature of a Stanley tumbler before use.
“How many of y’all do that?” he asks viewers. “How many of y’all preheat or precool your Stanley before drinking out of it? I know I don’t, I never have, and probably never will.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Oliver via TikTok comment, as well as to Stanley via email regarding the video.
Why should you preheat a Stanley tumbler?
By using a hot or cold liquid to adjust the temperature of your Stanley tumbler, you can prevent your beverage from getting too cold or warm for a much longer time than the insulated cup can do on its own, the brand recommends.
Really, it all comes down to physics: beverages placed in a cold cup will cool much faster than beverages placed in a warm one—and vice versa—because of heat transference. The vacuum seal stored in that double-walled build helps significantly reduce heat transfer, meaning that the beverage stays warm, instead of warming the cup.
Viewers weigh in
While warming up your Stanley might be a better way to keep your coffee going all day long, some viewers were skeptical of whether there was a real benefit to doing this—and they aren’t about to start.
“A $80 cup and u have to do all that??” one commenter wrote.
“Ain’t nobody got time for all that,” another said.
“10 times out of 10 I don’t do that and probably won’t start,” a third wrote.
@olliebubs09 Do u do this? #fyp #stanleycup #stanley ♬ original sound – Oliver
Others shared that they do exactly this, prepping their double-walled tumblers from Stanley and other brands for their preferred beverage temperature.
“I do because it’s not rocket science!” one commented. “I pre-heat my plate when I’m feeling fancy keeps the food warmer longer! Well at least in my mind.”
“I have a yeti and do this every use!” another commenter wrote. “Makes it hooter or colder longer.”
“I fill it with ice and put it in the fridge overnight before adding my water,” a further user said. “And the ice won’t melt for at least 3 days.”
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