Different Types Of Flasks

The Many Types Of Flasks

Whether you want to surreptitiously enjoy a cheeky drink or two at a boring social event or perk yourself up with a hot drink at work, there is a flask for you. Here are some of the different types of flasks that you may come across.

Thermal Flasks For Warm Drinks

The thermal flask is the perfect choice for hot and cold drinks alike.  The thermal drinks flask is designed to keep your drinks at the desired temperature for an extended period of time so you can travel with the flask and enjoy your drink hours after you have prepared it.  They are great for hiking, they are a cost-effective alternative to buying cup after cup of expensive chain store coffee, and they can keep you warm and cosy during the coldest days of the year.

Some thermal flasks may be able to keep liquids cold for twelve hours and hot for around five-fifteen hours. It’s important that you choose a flask which is compatible with your needs rather than just picking what sounds best. If you are planning on taking your flask with you on long hikes and/or journeys then you may want to look for a flask which keeps your drinks warm for as long as possible as you are likely to use it throughout the day, but if you are only planning on using it for a few hours or just for lunch then you will be fine with a shorter heat retention period.

Capacity is another important issue. Flasks which are designed to carry drinks can range from around two litres to less than half a litre. The capacity which is right for you will depend on how much you are planning on drinking throughout the day; if you are taking your flask hiking then you may want a larger flask (especially if you want to share your drink with everyone else), but a smaller flask will be perfectly fine if you are just using it to carry your morning coffee.

Many thermos flasks are made out of stainless steel. Stainless steel is very popular for kitchen products because it is easy to clean, it is unlikely to rust and it is pretty durable. Avoid plastic flasks as much as possible because they do not retain heat well and they tend to be very flimsy.

Thermal Flasks For Soup

Thermal Flasks are also a good choice for soup and other liquid-based foods. These flasks are especially handy for camping, hiking or long journeys, but they also offer a practical way for you to take food to work and avoid paying loads of money for something you could just make at home.

The capacity is as important for food flasks as it is for drinks flasks. The capacity is likely to range from around 250/300ml for smaller flasks to over 700ml for larger flasks. If you are planning on using your flask all day if you don’t want to or will be unable to buy food later on then you will obviously want a larger capacity, whereas if you are just using your flask to carry your lunch you should be fine with a smaller capacity.

The amount of time the flask can keep your food warm for is also important. Some flasks can keep your food warm for 15 hours or even longer, but others are only suitable for 5 hours or less. The heat retention time that is right for you will again depend on what you are using the flask for.

Some thermal food flasks come with a large lid which you can also use as a bowl. This can be really helpful if you are going somewhere without kitchenware (like a forest) or if you just don’t want to carry a bowl around and/or do any washing up.

Flasks For Cold Drinks

Some flasks are able to keep food and drinks cold as well as warm whilst other flasks are specially designed to keep your food and drink cold. This can be really handy during those warm summer days.

If you want to carry water, juice or a soft drink around with you but you want to keep it from getting warm and horrible then you can pop it in a cold drinks flask and ensure that it keeps cold for hours. The flasks product description should explain how long that individual flask can keep your liquid cool for.

Vintage Style Flasks

Whilst the vintage flask was used for carrying gunpowder back in the day, they are most commonly associated with alcohol. Vintage flasks look awesome, they come in loads of different designs and they give you an excellent and lightweight way to carry alcohol around with you.

Maybe you’re going to an extra boring party and you need a little something to get you through it, or maybe you’re going camping and you don’t want to lug a bottle around with you. Whatever your reason for buying a flask, you’re guaranteed to find one that you love.

There are a few different types of ‘vintage style’ flasks which you may want to look into.

Hip Flasks

The hip flask has been used by aristocrats and gentry folk for centuries.  Hip flasks look awesome and may just be classy enough to hide the fact that you’re quite obviously drinking gin at 12 pm on a Tuesday. These flasks will normally have square corners, a curved body and a capacity of around 6 ounces. The design is rectangular and curved which makes it easy to fit the flask in a pocket or strap it into a belt.

Other Flask Shapes

Hip flasks are the most common type of vintage flask that you are likely to find, but you may also come across some other shapes such as the pocket flask (which is similar to the hip flask but has a flatter, more rounded body), the top pocket flask (which is small and slim enough to fit discretely into your top pocket), the purse flask (which is smaller and narrower than the hip flask and has been designed to fit into a ladies purse), and various novelty shapes which you may pick up as a novelty gift.

Silver Flasks

Silver flasks are an expensive and rare collector’s item which are often beautifully designed. Some people believe that silver made the liquor taste better and they were very popular for a time. It can be hard to tell whether the silver flask you are looking at is really vintage or simply vintage in style so it’s a good idea to learn a bit more about the flasks history before you buy it. Some retailers will try and con you into thinking that a flask is older than it actually is, so be cautious and check customer reviews to compare previous consumers experiences.

Pewter Flask

Pewter flasks are another attractive material that has been popular for a long time. Pewter is a durable, resilient material ages well, but if you want to actually drink out of your pewter flask then you should ensure you buy a modern one rather than an old one. Pewter flasks used to contain lead and so a genuine vintage pewter flask could prove toxic. Modern pewter, however, is safe to drink from as it won’t contain lead.

Stainless Steel Flasks

Stainless steel flasks are more modern as stainless steel material didn’t become overly popular until the 20th century. Stainless steel is a great material which is easy to clean, rust-free and durable, but they may not have as exciting a design as some of the other options.

Decorated Flasks

Many retailers will also sell a variety of decorated flasks. These flasks may have hippy-style images and be decorated with vibrant colours, they may feature army-style imagery, they could come in a variety of non-standard shapes (i.e. a gun, a perfume bottle, a heart), or they may feature other non-traditional design choices.

No matter what type of person you are there is a flask out there for you. Whether you want to warm your soup up and drink it on the way to work, you want to add an element of class and style to your street drinking, or you just want a novelty gift for a friend, you are bound to find a suitable flask.

Read more about Different Types Of Flasks on Flask HQ.