For 62 percent of Americans, a cup of coffee is an essential part of their day, according to the NCA. For some, it’s all about the ritual of grinding premium beans from a local roaster, carefully brewing a fresh cup, and sharing it with a family member. For others, coffee is all about getting a much-needed hit of caffeine as soon as possible to jump-start a busy day. Whatever your reason for indulging in a morning cup of joe, if you're on the hot coffee (or even tea) train, you don't want your brew going cold. While many mugs claim their construction keeps your drink hotter for just a bit longer, there’s another high-tech solution: Ember’s smart mugs. Here is our Ember mug review.
Ember’s temperature-control mug (10-ounce size) lets users set their coffee at a specific optimal temperature and stay there for hours. So however long it takes to get your caffeine fix throughout the day, you won't have to worry about the shock of an ice-cold sip.
What is the Ember Mug?
The Ember mug is a ceramic container with a built-in battery-powered heater that keeps its contents hot. Users can operate the mug with a corresponding smartphone app via Bluetooth. The app allows you to adjust the mug’s temperature to any degree from 120°F to 145°F. When the mug is charged or on the charging coaster, full of liquid and connected to the app, it will maintain that temperature all day long.
Design
The Ember has a sleek minimalist design that’s both functional and attractive. It comes in a classic coffee-cup shape with a modern look and feel. A hooked handle and rounded edges give the smart cup a comfortable and cozy vibe, despite its high-tech features.
Seamlessly worked into the design is an LED light that lets you know what your mug is up to without having to check your phone. A pulsing colored light indicates that the mug is charging. A pulsing white light lets you know that the mug is working hard to heat your drink. Solid red means that the cup needs a charge, while solid green indicates the mug is fully charged and ready to heat.
The mug comes in three collections: original, metallic, and travel. The original and metallic mugs come in 10- and 14-ounce sizes, while the travel mug has a 12-ounce capacity. Ember also released a "cup" designed for espresso-based drinks that clocks in at 6 ounces.
The original Ember Mug2 is made from smooth matte ceramic and comes in three colors: grey, white and black. The flashy metallic version has four color options: copper, rose gold, gold, and stainless steel. The travel mug is only available in black. Prices start at $99.99 for the 6-ounce cup in black, and go up to $179.95 for a 14-ounce copper version.
Setting Up the Ember Mug
Because the Ember smart mug doesn’t have a ton of features, it's quick and easy to set up. The mug comes with a charging coaster and a long power cord, which is convenient to plug in at your desk or kitchen counter without having to be right next to an outlet.
Once you get the mug on its charger, download the Ember mobile app. Then you’ll be able to connect the mug to your smartphone phone via Bluetooth. The app has a straightforward functionality that lets you dial in the temperature to find your sweet spot. You’ll also get friendly push notifications when the mug reaches your desired temperature and when the mug needs charging.
The app allows you to personalize your mug with a colored light, which can be useful if you’re in a multi-Ember household. You can also check the battery level and adjust your temperature units.
During testing, we did have some trouble keeping the mug paired to a phone. If the mug doesn’t seem to be heating or maintaining temperature, you may need to open the app and re-pair it.
Does the Ember Mug Keep Coffee Hot?
The Ember coffee mug does its job very well. As long as it has enough battery power and maintains its Bluetooth connection, the mug will reliably keep your drink at the exact desired temperature. However, because of the mug’s small size, the battery can drain pretty quickly, especially if it has to work hard to bring the contents up to temperature (for example, if you start with a cold drink).
For this reason, it’s best to keep your electric coffee mug on its charger when in use. On battery power, the 6- and 10-ounce smart coffee mug will keep your drink hot for 90 minutes. The larger 14-ounce model can hold its temperature for 80 minutes.
If you like to move around the house with your coffee, you can purchase an extra charging pad for your desk or bedside table for $40.
Comes in a Variety of Sizes
The 6-ounce cup is compact, coming in at 3.3-inches high and 3.3-inches wide, including the handle. It weighs 11.514 ounces empty.
The 10-ounce mug is mid-sized, measuring 4.2 inches high and 4.3 inches wide, including the handle. It weighs 14.5 ounces empty. The charging coaster for the 6- 10- and 14-ounce mugs is 4.4 inches in diameter, about the size of a large coaster.
The 14-ounce mug is 4.6 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide, including the handle. It weighs just over a pound when empty, which is heavier than most mugs. The heftier weight comes from the battery, and it’s something most users get used to after leaving normal mugs in the dust.
Can I Use the Ember Mug for Travel?
While the ceramic and metallic Ember Mug2s are not built for travel due to the open top and shorter battery life, Ember technologies has a newer travel mug that’s designed for on-the-go use.
This 12-ounce mug has a tight leak-proof lid and a three-hour battery life. The mug can also be controlled with one-touch buttons that increase or decrease the temperature of your drink without needing your phone. To amplify the experience, Ember's open halo lid and limited-edition, 24-karat-gold-plated halo lid allow you to inhale the aroma of the brew.
To keep your mug powered up when you're on the go, Ember makes a charging coaster ($40) and a car charger ($40) that are compatible with the travel mugs, a great investment or gift for commuters and road trippers.
How Do You Wash an Ember Mug?
Despite being electric, these mugs are easy to keep clean. All of the Ember devices can be submerged in up to one meter of water. While they’re not dishwasher-safe, you can easily hand wash your coffee cup with hot, soapy water after use. Just be sure to thoroughly dry the bottom of the mug before replacing it on the charging dock, as the battery prongs can corrode or rust if they get wet.
Can You Use Other Hot Beverages in the Ember Mug?
The Ember Mug2 and the Ember Travel Mug are high-value products for anyone who loves hot drinks and is particular about them staying hot. Anyone who likes to savor their favorite hot beverage over a long period of time will love how these mugs keep their tea, cocoa, or coffee at its freshly-brewed temperature for hours.
While the smart coffee cups are pricier than your average ceramic mug, they’re also built to last and easy to maintain, so you can look forward to years of piping hot drinks every morning.
The Ember mug review is also featured in our roundups of the Best Tech Gifts for Everyone on Your List and the Best Last Minute Gift Ideas for Every Personality.
This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.
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