This smart mug will keep any hot drink warm for as long as you need it to

The Ember Mug is made for people who have a tendency to make a hot cup of coffee then forget about it, leaving it to go cold. Using the smartphone companion app you can keep that hot drink to your preferred temperature to make sure it stays just how you like it for longer. 

Ember Mug 2: Price and availability

The first Ember Mug first launched in 2010 with the new Mug 2 arriving alongside Ember’s heated travel mug in 2019. At $149.95/£149.99, it’s a pretty expensive way to keep your cup of coffee or other hot drink to the perfect temperature.

You can pick it up from the Apple Store, direct from the Ember website or retailers like Amazon. There’s two size options here too, with the larger 495ml (14oz) version we tested joined by a smaller 295ml (10oz) version that comes in cheaper at $129.95/£129.95.

Ember Mug 2: Specs and features

The Ember setup consists of a mug made from a stainless steel core with a ceramic coating that sits on the charging coaster base. It uses a dual-band microprocessor-controlled heating system along with precision sensors to detect the liquid and measure the temperature of your hot drink. When the drink temperature is starting to fall, the sensors jump into action to heat the mug. Without the companion app, the mug is preset to keep the mug heated to 135F. With the app, you can adjust that to sit anywhere from 120F to 145F. Once you’ve set your desired temperature, you’ll be notified through a phone notification when your cup has hit your preferred temperature level. There’s integration with Apple Health, which means you can keep a closer eye on your coffee intake. It’s a bit fiddly to do, but a nice feature to have nonetheless.

Ember Mug 2: Build and Performance

There’s nothing delicate about the stature of this mug, especially if you opt for the larger 14oz version and while it looks great, it’s a shame that you can’t chuck it in a dishwasher due to those built-in components. Once you’ve completed the pretty painless setup with the companion app (iOS or Android), it’s nice and easy to set your desired temperature, and the notifications to tell you when it’s hot are nicely presented. What’s not so nice is that if you happen to have a few coffees in the morning, the 80-minute battery life feels a touch short if you’re not immediately returning it to the coaster charger after your first drink. If you don’t and it runs out, it can take anywhere from 2-3 hours to fully charge again.

Ember Mug 2: Competition

There are other heated mugs out there including cheaper alternatives to the Ember. The Nextmug by Nextboom uses a similar coaster charging system and also includes a lid to make its mug more travel-friendly. It also offers a longer battery life and that lid boosts warmth as well too. There’s also the Cosori mug warmer and cup that lets you adjust the temperature from the coaster base. Basically, you’ve got cheaper options here.

Ember Mug 2: Should you buy it?

Ember Mug 2: Verdict

The Ember Mug 2 looks great and is backed up by a slick app and notification system that makes keeping your hot drinks to the optimal temperature a breeze. What counts against it is that you’re paying a big price for something that needs to be charged quite regularly and isn’t safe to be used in a dishwasher or microwave. Granted, you shouldn’t need to do the latter, but it feels like you might be able to spend less and get a good smart mug that offers a similar experience to the one the Ember Mug 2 promises and does deliver.