I've used this mug for close to two years now. This is one of those products that starts as a luxury splurge, but a year in you realize just how essential it's become to your routine. It will sneak it's way into your favorite things if you are a regular coffee or tea drinker at all, and it's role becomes undeniable. The thought of no longer having it genuinely makes you feel a tiny bit sad.
I could beam all day about how much I love this ridiculous mug. So, instead I'm going to rant about all the dumb things about it that detract from using it.
The form factor is good enough, but the handle is poorly designed. The edges are too squared off, the shape isn't made for human hands being so thin, and because the mug is so bottom heavy it takes these minute design flaws and emphasizes them. I've not had any issues with the coating, but I am careful not to use metal utensils to stir things in it. While the bottom looks a bit scuffed up, the coating is just fine. Positively, the outside of the mug does not get hot so you don't need the stupid handle to hold it. Handle is pretty at least.
The way the mug charges uses two prongs that connect with a ring on the bottom of the mug. It's not inductive charging and I'm not sure it could be given the threat of liquids. I don't have much of a problem with it being contact based and it nestles nicely into the base. The issue resides in the prongs themselves. They are tiny little spring loaded prongs that are predisposed to break if you do not baby the coaster. Sideways pressure of just putting the mug on the coaster from too flat of an angle over and over can jam the springs or break the prongs. I understand the need to have it be spring loaded to ensure contact, but must the contacts be so small and fragile? It just seems like there's so many better solutions to this problem than small aftermarket parts. Although, it does mean more replacement coasters sold. I gifted my mom one of these for Christmas and she's been through two coasters with broken prongs.
The app is modern looking, and is just fine. Just fine like everything else. They want the app to look clean and minimal so instead of just having simple things like an on/off on the app home screen, you have to swipe in an unintuitive way to find that basic function located among temperature favorites instead of on the screen with your base temp and adjustment. There's nothing indicating you can swipe to see a screen of options. Nor can you control the sleep timer on the mug through the app for inactivity. It's just not using the space it has available all that well so everything feels like it has one too many steps involved for basic interaction. Prime example of form over function and the entire thing could use a redesign. If I only have a single mug registered to my device, why make me click the mug to connect and control each time the app starts up. Just default to the one thing it's linked with and auto-connect until more devices are added.
And these features would be useful because the mug just doesn't detect empty or almost empty all that well. Many times I've had an empty cup and it just keeps on trucking, burning whatever last remnants have evaporated and been left in the bottom. Most of the time it works as it should, other times, you need to hold the mug completely upside down for a few seconds for the accelerometer inside to figure it there's no possibility there is anything in the cup. If you use cheap flavored creamers you will quickly learn of the burnt smell of sugars. With no control over an inactivity timer it's a bigger problem than I would like.
These minor issues all add up, because no part of the product is undeniably extraordinary. The battery has degraded relatively quickly with heavy use and no longer lasts more than 20-30 minutes off of the coaster. It burns things all the time when I've not noticed it hasn't properly triggered the sleep function. With the heater being in the bottom, the temp feels progressively hotter as you drink more and more. And now more recently, the rubber ring on the bottom of mine has deformed under the heat of normal handwashing and no longer can seat properly. It's only a matter of time before repeated washing has done away with all the glue that secures it. It wants to have that marriage of luxury form and function that Apple-like products have, but when the function is so simple, it finds these odd ways to come up short. Like the LED indicator only being on one side of the cup, sorry lefties, or lack of optional auditory cues for the sake of convenience and accessibility.
It is still just a mug. It does keep things wonderfully warm. I use it everyday, and often several times. The minuscule comfort of a hot coffee or tea keeping it's temp as I toil away at projects is annoyingly priceless. It has injected an unexpectedly strange joy in my day to day life that makes the absurd price of a cup feel entirely justified. I've not touched another mug in my home since receiving it just about. I just hope the next iteration is a bit smarter and the cost saving measures aren't as apparent.
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Product Description
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 | Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, 10 Oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Mug with 80 Min Battery Life and Improved Design, Black | Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug, 14 oz, 1-hr Battery Life, Black - App Controlled Heated Coffee Mug | Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug, 10 Ounce, 1-hr Battery Life, White - App Controlled Heated Coffee Mug | Ember Temperature Control Smart Cup, 6 oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Cup, Espresso Mug with 90 Min Battery Life, Black | Ember Charging Coaster 2, Wireless Charging for Use with Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug, Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (8357) | (8003) | (991) | (3007) | (160) | (697) |
| Price | $109.46 | $99.99 | $149.95 | $129.95 | $79.99 | $39.99 |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Certified Brands | Certified Brands | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| Color | White | Black | Black | White | Black | Black |
| Material | Ceramic | Ceramic | Stainless Steel, Ceramic | Stainless Steel | Ceramic | Copper |
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Peter Evans
Sent first one back, but definitely keeping the replacement
Reviewed in Belgium on December 26, 2022Size: 14 ozColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Jason Broderick
Great Idea: Poor Execution! I Really Want To Love It.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2021Size: 14 ozColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Anon
Very cool mug, does everything I needed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2022Size: 14 ozColor: GrayVerified Purchase
Anon
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2022
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avalanchefan95
A lot of money for what you get
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2022Size: 14 ozColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Joe Schmo
80min battery life is for default 135F setting
Reviewed in Canada on February 19, 2023Size: 14 ozColor: BlackVerified Purchase
