It's damn cold out. -8C this morning in fact. The car didn't want to start and the dog didn't want to go out for a wee. It was one of those mornings where the side roads were icy and cars were abandoned at angles which would make a parking warden jump for joy. It was a 2 cup of tea morning - the second one "just in case" accompanying me in the car to be drunk whilst waiting for recovery from a ditch or when stuck in that horrendous traffic jam which comes with sub-zero temperatures. And it sat in Aladdin's Challenger Flask, nicely insulated from the world around and piping hot by the time I made it to work.

Made from a double-walled stainless steel there's no delicate glass inner bottle to break, but the insulation properties of the Challenger seem to be on a par with my old glass-innered Thermos flask which serves me well for longer breaks.

The 1.8L capacity of the Challenger is enough for a day's worth of hot chocolate for one, or if you are a couple and want to utilise the two cups which screw on to the top of the flask, there's a secret compartment in the bottom so you can store your herbal and builders' teabags and brew to order.

The Challenger has a large handle and is easy to use with gloved hands. The twist-top is chunky and positive, and locks closed with a satisfying squish of the screwthreads.

Chunky plastic bumpers keep the matt stainless steel from getting scratched too easily. Not that that matters too much because, well, it's steel!

I'm not sure there's much more to say on this flask. It's a flask, it looks good, keeps drinks warm and has two neat cups and a decent storage tin for teabags etc.