If you've ever stood at a barbecue holding a warm beer in a tired foam stubby holder, then gone home to a cupboard full of coffee cups you don't love, you already know the problem. Australians drink a good coffee in the morning and a cold one in the arvo, and plenty of us own a different bit of gear for each.

A coffee cup and stubby cooler in one sounds like a gimmick until you've used one. Here's how they work, what separates a good one from a can cooler with a lid stuck on top, who they suit and where they fall short.

Quick answer: a coffee cup and stubby cooler in one is a double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel cup that's sized to hold a standard can or stubby and comes with a lid for hot drinks. When choosing a cooler and coffee cup in Australia, check it fits 330 to 375ml cans and stubbies, has a leak proof coffee lid, suits your car cupholder and holds enough for your coffee order.

Why one cup for your coffee and your cold one?

It comes down to how insulation works. Double-wall vacuum insulation slows heat moving in either direction, so the same cup that keeps your flat white hot also keeps a can cold. The only thing that has to change between the two jobs is the shape: a stubby cooler needs to be sized for a can or bottle to sit inside.

Get that right and you can drop a lot of clutter:

• One cup in the car instead of a travel mug, a stubby holder and a loose bottle opener rolling around under the seat.
• One thing to wash and one thing to keep track of at camp, on the boat or at the beach.
• Better cold performance than foam or neoprene. Those holders insulate the sides of a can but they're open at the top and thin all round, so on a hot day the beer often warms up fast. We dig into that in which stubby holders keep drinks cold the longest.

What makes a good cooler and coffee cup in Australia

Plenty of cups now promise to do both jobs. These are the details that decide whether one actually works day to day.

Insulation

Look for double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel. Single-wall cups and plastic tumblers can't hold temperature for long, hot or cold. Check the hours claimed for both hot and cold, since a cup built mainly as a can cooler may not say much about coffee. For reference, our StubCup keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 6.

Lids

The lid is the part you'll touch most. For coffee you want one that seals properly and is easy to drink from while you're walking or driving, because a cup that dribbles in the car won't stay your coffee cup for long. For cold drinks, the can or stubby sits inside the cup and you drink straight from it, so the main job is a snug fit. Check exactly which lids come in the box before you buy.

Fit: your cans and your car

There are two kinds of fit to check, and they pull in opposite directions.

• Can and bottle fit. Standard Australian cans and stubbies are 330 to 375ml, but slim cans, tallies and some craft bottles are different shapes. Our guide to can sizes and slim cans covers the common formats.
• Cupholder fit. A cup wide enough to take a can can easily be too wide for a car cupholder. Straight-sided cups often sit on top of the holder rather than in it. Look for a slim or tapered base designed to fit standard car cupholders.

The small things

A bottle opener built into the base sounds like a novelty until you're at a campsite and nobody can find the opener. A powder coated finish adds grip and colour. And a cup that holds a sensible coffee size means you can hand it over at the café without fuss.

Our take: the StubCup (yes, it's ours)

We'll be upfront: we're Malin and Andre, we make the StubCup, and it's our flagship. We launched it in October 2023 after starting RUGD from our garage on the Sunshine Coast in 2022. Here's how it lines up against the list above, so you can compare it fairly with anything else you're looking at.

• 5-in-1: stubby cooler, coffee cup, can holder, bottle holder and a bottle opener built into the base.
• Double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel with a powder coated finish.
• Cold for up to 24 hours, hot for up to 6.
• Holds 400ml and fits standard 330 to 375ml cans and stubbies.
• Comes with a leak proof sip lid for coffee.
• Slimline base designed to fit standard car cupholders.
• 15+ colours at $49, with 1,000+ reviews.

You can see the full range in our StubCup collection, and if coffee is your main use, our travel coffee mug checklist is worth a read too.

Who a coffee cup and stubby cooler in one suits

• Commuters who knock off for a cold one. Coffee in the car on the way in, a can after work, one cup in the cupholder.
• Tradies. Smoko coffee to knock-off beer without a second bit of gear on the ute. We've written about drinkware for the ute if that's you.
• Campers and 4WDers. Space is tight, so gear that does two jobs earns its spot. See our camping essentials list.
• Beach, boat and backyard people. Water or iced coffee in the heat of the day, a stubby once the sun drops.
• Anyone buying a gift for a mixed crowd. It suits the coffee drinker and the beer drinker equally, and non-drinkers can use it for tea or soft drink.

Limitations to be honest about

No cup is right for everything, and this kind of cup has some clear limits. If you only ever drink coffee, or only ever drink beer, a dedicated travel mug or a plain insulated can cooler, from us or anyone else, may honestly suit you better.

• It's 400ml, not a water bottle. If you want to carry a litre of water around all day, a cup this size won't do it. That's what our StubJug is for: 1000ml, cold for 12 hours and iced for 36, with a straw lid for water.
• It fits standard cans and stubbies, not everything. Tallies, longnecks and larger bottles won't fit a 400ml cup. The StubJug takes 750ml longnecks, tallies and 600 to 850ml bottles.
• It costs more than a foam stubby holder. At $49 it's an investment compared with a few dollars for foam, and it's heavier. The trade-off is that it does a lot more than one job.
• It needs a hand wash. Warm soapy water does the job (more on that in the FAQs below), and a rinse between coffee and beer is worth it too.

Cooler and coffee cup FAQs

Can one cup really work as a coffee cup and a stubby cooler?

Yes, as long as it's vacuum insulated and sized to hold a can or stubby. The insulation that keeps coffee hot also keeps cold drinks cold. You just swap what goes inside, and give it a rinse in between.

Will a cooler and coffee cup fit my car cupholder?

Not always. A cup wide enough for a can can be too wide for some cupholders, so look for a slim or tapered base. The StubCup has a slimline base designed to fit standard car cupholders.

What cans and bottles fit the StubCup?

The StubCup fits standard 330 to 375ml cans and stubbies. For the detail on specific brands and shapes, see our guide to what fits the StubCup. For tallies and longnecks, the StubJug is the better fit.

Does an insulated cup keep beer colder than a foam stubby holder?

Generally, yes. Foam and neoprene holders insulate the sides of a can but are thin and open at the top, while a double-wall vacuum insulated cup surrounds the can with insulated steel. The StubCup keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours.

How big is a coffee cup and stubby cooler in one?

Sizes vary by brand, so check the capacity. The StubCup holds 400ml, which covers a can or stubby, or a decent coffee. If you need more, look at a larger bottle like the 1000ml StubJug.

Is the StubCup dishwasher safe?

We don't list the StubCup as dishwasher safe, so wash it by hand with warm soapy water and let it dry with the lid off.

One cup for the coffee and the cold one is a simple idea, and when it's done properly it earns its place in the car, the camping kit and the kitchen cupboard. Whichever one you choose, we hope it gets plenty of use.

Malin and Andre