The only not-so-modern thing about Ember is that there’s no USB charging cord. You’ll also get notifications once the mug has reached your desired temperature and when it needs to be charged. That may sound gimmicky but it is actually pretty useful: On the app, you can set your desired temperature (anywhere from 120 to 145 degrees in single-degree intervals, the most specific control of any mug) and view the current temperature of your drink. It’s the only warming mug I tested that uses an app, connected via Bluetooth. In all-white with a matching saucer charger (it’s also available in black and metallic copper), the Ember mug is the most sleek and streamlined of the bunch. Time in temperature range: 1 hour, 35 minutes By comparison, a regular mug only stayed in that exact range for around five minutes I’ve also noted how long each mug held a temperature from 125 to 135 degrees.

All of the mugs but the Ember have a lid, so I tested them without the lids on to control for that. The product description explains it should stay at around 140 degrees “for hours.” To compare them all accurately, I set the Ember and Muggo to 130 degrees. The Burnout also doesn’t allow for temperature control, but that’s not a surprise, because it’s not electric. Two of the mugs I tested, Ember and Muggo, allow for precise temperature control, while the OHOM Kopi is designed to stay at 130-degrees. To add in a “control” factor, I also tested a regular ceramic mug as well as a stainless-steel Yeti tumbler.

Then, after a few days of trying each, I moved to a slightly more scientific testing method, pouring boiling water into each mug and then checking the temperature with a meat thermometer at five-minute intervals for two hours. At this point, I am ready to drink it, not wait even longer.Īt first, I used them casually for my daily tea, just to get a sense of how they worked and how well they maintained their temperatures.

While I could go through the process of boiling more water, that would also involve waiting for it - and waiting for it to cool back down. By then, my once-steaming mug is usually closer to lukewarm. Although the first step in my work-from-home morning routine is pouring myself a cup of tea, I don’t often get around to drinking that tea until I’ve made breakfast, checked emails, responded to any urgent emails, and gotten distracted chatting with co-workers on Slack.

Ember temperature control mug