Ember Mug — a heated coffee mug that changed my life.
I drink my coffee slowly; I’ve always done so. For years, when people would ask, incredulously, if I was still drinking my coffee, I would reply that I enjoy cold coffee. It’s only now, many years later, that I understand I was a filthy liar.
Room temperature coffee sucks.
Now, I’m not a wealthy person. When I first saw the price of the Ember Mug, I scoffed; even as I said how incredible the concept sounded. It wasn’t until months later I saw one on sale while browsing with my wife. Apparently, I was acting so much like a tween excitedly rambling to a friend about a new [thing tweens are into], that she insisted I get it.
Zero regrets.
When you first open your new Ember Mug, you need to do four things:
Wash it
Plug in the coaster
Download the app and pair it with your phone
Add your favourite hot drink
Within the app, you can set the exact temperature you want your mug to sustain, saving multiple pre-sets, if you like; I have one for coffee, and one a bit hotter for tea. Once you’ve selected your temperature(s), you’re ready to go.
The mug itself.
The mug and coaster themselves are very well built. The colours are consistent, and hold up well to time and many washes; I’ve had mine for about 2.5 years now. There’s also a nice rubber ring on the bottom of the mug, so when it’s not sitting in its charging coaster, it lands on any surface soft and silent.
There’s really not much more to it than that. Oh, it’s got a battery inside the base of the mug, so it’ll stay heated for a while, even when you’re away from your desk — 1.5 hours, according to the website.
I have the black one, but hope to get this brass one… someday.
Ok, so is it worth it?
The ability to have coffee stay at the perfect temperature from first to last sip, for people like me who drink their coffee slowly, is incredible. Each time I take a sip of my coffee, I’m benefiting from this purchase. It makes the time working at my desk much more enjoyable, which, if you consider how many hours that adds-up to, is a significant portion of my time.
For me, it’s absolutely worth it — there is zero doubt in my mind. I enjoy my coffee more, which makes me more comfortable, and makes my work time better overall.
For those who prefer to look at the numbers, let’s do some math for one year of ownership…
Cost of Ember Mug: $200
Weekdays at my desk: 260
Coffees at my desk per day: 1.5
Coffees at my desk per year: 390
Cost of Ember Mug per coffee over one year: $0.51
*I used one year in the example, but I’ve now had my Ember Mug for far longer than that; I think I’ve had it for about 2.5 years now. Taking that into account, I’m now averaging $0.21 per cup.
When I look at it this way, it doesn’t seem like that outlandish of a purchase2. If I tell people I spent $200 on a coffee mug, they’re likely to immediately begin mentally strategizing on how to get out of that conversation. If, on the other hand, I tell them what it does first, and how it allows me to enjoy every coffee that much more, and then tell them the price, it’s not as hard of a sell — to some.
“Has almost every coffee you’ve ever drank had one half nice and hot, and the second half increasingly close to room temperature? Do you drink a good number of coffees while sitting at your desk?”
Ask yourself this:
Has almost every coffee you’ve ever drank had one half nice and hot, and the second half increasingly close to room temperature? Do you drink a good number of coffees while sitting at your desk? If you answered yes to both of those, you should consider adding this mug to your wishlist.
The Ember Mug has become an integral part of my desk. It’s become just as important as any of my other accessories which aren’t necessary, but make the many hours of work and play much more comfortable. If mine broke today, I’d happily order a new one immediately.
You can look into the Ember Mug line here: https://ember.com (I’m not affiliated in any way).
If you enjoyed this post, and would like to buy me a coffee, you can do so here.
