You may have seen small vacuum flasks by Thermos or other brands, but even at their smallest, you're not likely to find anything much smaller than 10 inches tall and 10 ounces in capacity, and those are usually kids' bottles. For example, Thermos' Foogo bottles are 9.5 inches tall and have a 10 ounce capacity.

But what if you could have a tiny vacuum flask that fits in your pocket or bag, and which you could customize with any design of your choosing?


Poke Mini Bottle

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, TOA Corporation, an Osaka-based company specializing in cutlery, bottles and other household goods made of metals, is launching a new line of stainless steel vacuum flasks which are all of 14.3 centimeters (5.6 inches) tall.

Called "Poke Mini Bottle", the first term being a portmanteau of the Japanese words for pocket ポケット and mini ミニ, this stainless steel bottle is a fully-functioning vacuum flask which will keep 140 milliliters (4.7 ounces) of your favorite beverage hot or cold wherever you go.

At only 14.3 centimeters tall, it's the smallest size class in the world.

Usage Scenarios

So, what would you put in this lilliputian liquid holder? Here a few scenarios we can imagine:

  • A caffeinated beverage. For example, a few shots of espresso, a modern macchiato, a Galão or a flat white, all of which are usually under 140 ml. A strong shot of matcha or black tea could also fit the bill.
  • Hot alcoholic beverages like Irish coffee, hot mulled wine, grog, etc.
  • A cocktail. Cocktail glasses are usually 120 ml, so you could carry around a margarita or a whiskey sour.
  • Chilled white wine or rose. American wine glasses usually contain between 120 and 180 ml, so 140 ml would be perfect for one glass (although Europeans who are used to 210 ml to 310 ml in their glass may be unsatisfied).
  • Hot miso soup or broth.

And if you think 140 milliliters is not worth carrying around, you may still want one for the design:

Design Options

The Poke Mini Bottle comes in several cute designs by naminami land:

You can also get them in natural silver or in solid colors white, pink and mint:

Customization

Finally, you can choose to send in your original design and have it printed, so you can truly make it your own.

To send in your design, which will be printed at 6.4 cm (2.5") x 8.4 cm (3.3"), you'll need to send in a request for a template. All the details are included on the Rakuten online shop page here.

Customization means you can buy these bottles not only for your own personal use or as a gift (they print lots as small as one) but also for promotional goods or commemorative goods.


Product Details

  • Name (JP): ポケミニ ボトル
  • Name (EN): Poke Mini Botle
  • Dimensions: Height 143 mm (5.6"), Diameter: 45 mm (1.8")
  • Weight: Approx. 130 g (4.6 oz)
  • Materials: Body: Stainless steel, Cap: Polypropylene, Seal: silicone
  • Temperature Retention: Heat over 47°C (117°F), Cold under 13°C (55°F) for up to 6 hours
  • Country of Manufacture: China
    • Pre-printed designs

      • Price: 1,200 JPY (approx 11 USD at current exchange rate)
      • Availability: To be sold in specialty shops, mass retailers, etc. throughout Japan

      Customized version

      • Price: 2,480 JPY (approx. 23 USD at current exchange rate) (excl. tax and 500 JPY shipping)
      • Retail Date: Mid July
      • Days from order to delivery: 7 business days
      • Rakuten online shop: Poke Mini Bottle
      • Note: Can only be delivered to a Japanese address, so you may need to use a forwarding service such as Tenso if you wish to receive it abroad.

By - Ben K.