EMBER REVIEW

A two year owner’s perspective.

What is an Ember Smart Mug?

The Ember keeps your drink constantly at a set temperature, and that is pretty much it. You charge it by placing it on top of a charging coaster. The battery on the first Ember lasts about an hour, and the Ember²’s battery is supposed to last up to three. It’s not a closed system like a thermos, but instead has sensors and a heating element at the bottom to make sure the temperature is correct at all times. This means that the drink will start to cool off the second the heating element doesn’t get electricity.

It is a kind of ridiculous product, and the 100 USD price doesn’t make it less ridiculous.

Even so, is it worth it?

Let’s go over some pros and cons of the Ember experience.

Before we begin, I should probably mention that my experience is with the old Ember mug. But the new one is pretty much identical to the old one. The only changes are a smaller charging coaster and better battery life.

 

Pros of the Ember Smart Mug

  • It does as advertised. As long as the Ember has wall juice, the beverage will be kept at a set temperature. It is also very accurate, at least according to my thermometer.

  • You can connect the mug to the Ember app and adjust the temperature between 50°C and 62,5°C. It will even notify you when that temperature has been reached.

  • If you like things that feel solid, you’ll love the Ember. Matte stainless steel on the outside and a scratch-resistant ceramic coating on the inside. It feels great in your hand.

  • Even with the heating elements, the cup itself doesn’t get hot, which is nice. Unless you have cold hands in need of some heat.

 

Cons of the Ember Smart Mug

  • It’s expensive. The 295 milliliter costs 100 USD, and the 414 Milliliter costs 130 USD.

  • Even with the IPX7 water-resistant rating, it still can’t be put in the dishwasher. That is true even for the new Ember², which is somewhat baffling.

  • The coaster design. It’s plastic, and they went for having the gold-plated leads exposed instead of standard wireless charging. This means it’s more a charger than a coaster, as you really shouldn’t spill liquid on it. This design decision has left me skeptical about leaving the mug on the coaster when I’m not around.

  • The power adapter is just too big. It’s one of those that potentially takes up two spots. Not great when trying to neatly cable manage your desk setup.

  • Even with the three-hour battery life of the Ember², you are tethered to the charging coaster. It would be nice if it had a second way of charging the Ember through USB. That way, it would be easy to carry around.

  • Because of all the components at the bottom, the mug looks like it holds more liquid than it does. It is also difficult to know how much beverage you have left by just picking it up.

  • If your beverage is already cold, it’s no use relying on the Ember to reheat it. In my experience, the mug shuts itself off instead of starting the heating process.

If you have the Ember at a place with carpets or other stuff charging up static electricity, touching the mug will shock you. But only while on the coaster.

Should you buy the Ember Smart Mug?

The Ember Smart Mug was made for two types of people. The ones who are easily distracted (like me), and people who are very particular about hot beverage temperature.

If you are in the distracted category, you may justify the purchase by telling yourself you’ll save in the money eventually. In my experience, that excuse worked very well, and I can’t say I regret buying it.

A word of warning, life will be different if you invest in an Ember. For example, cold coffee will no longer just be a slight annoyance but a rage-inducing incident. Especially if the reason is that you forgot to put the Ember back on the charging coaster and the battery ran out.

So before buying you should ask yourself one question:

Do you want yet another potentially annoying thing in your life that needs charging?

If you can see past The Ember Smart Mug’s limitations, you might, like many others, find yourself strangely in love.


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