CES 2023: Ember's New Temperature-Controlled Mug to Support Apple's Find My

[sw1tcher]

Absolutely right! It’s not a price thing. I just don’t feel comfortable buying one and then replacing again and again and again to keep my drink warm over time. It’s just not environmentally friendly to me. I get the convenience of it, sure and I’m sure many enjoy it!

The other thing with an insulated container is that it can perform 2 jobs, namely keep liquids hot or cold for hours which means it can be used year round. So if I want iced or cold brewed coffee during the summer, I just continue to use my insulated container.

The Ember can only keep liquids hot, and only for as long as the battery has a charge. If there's no charge, the liquid will cool down quickly since it's not insulated.

 

[Return Zero]

I got one of the 10oz ember mugs as a gift over 3 years ago. I scoffed at first, then tried it, and now I can't live without it. My wife started stealing it because she discovered the greatness. So I bought her a 14oz version. Then I bought another one to keep at work. Mind you, the original has been used at least twice a day on average, and is still going strong (no finish chipping, only minor battery degradation).

IMO there is nothing -- NOTHING -- on the market like the ember mug. Open top, allowing unimpeded aromatic/vaporous enjoyment of hot coffee/tea. Thin single wall, allowing your hands to be warmed by your drink on a cold day, rapid cooling to drinkable temp, and also comfortable lip contact (almost like a fine tea cup). Integrated warmer, allowing precise temperature consistency and heat retention, without a coaster, for plenty long enough to slowly sip your drink to completion (I don't need it scalding hot for 6 hours... I usually drink within 20 minutes, so I can easily get 2-3 servings on a single charge if desired). Clean, single piece, super quick to hand wash, not breakable like glass or stoneware.

Ember travel mug? No thanks, though the find my feature makes sense. I've lost travel mugs quite a few times before. However, taking a drink on the go already ruins half the experience for me, so I'm much more likely to reach for a basic yeti or whatever.

 

[russell_314]

I think the critics of this are missing the point. It’s not meant to be something practical. It’s meant for a certain group of people to have something techy. Sure you can do the same thing with a $10 mug from Walmart but that’s not the point.

 

[sw1tcher]

I have quite a few, in different colors, various types and sizes, of Klean Kanteen insulated mugs, water bottles, insulated water bottles, plus more of their products.
They never brake, and they are more affordable than these. So I am all good for my great Espresso's 😊

Hmm... worn out pads? Low on brake fluid? Air in the brake lines? Faulty master cylinder? 🤣

 

[InuNacho]

Neat! E-waste cups!

 

[Lioness~]

Hmm... worn out pads? Low on brake fluid? Air in the brake lines? Faulty master cylinder? 🤣

Never had a faulty anything of Klean Kanteen, and I've had different kinds of them for decades. The only thing that happens to them is that some of the paint gets worn off, a scratch or minor dent in the metall. Never compromised the quality whatsoever.

 

[tubular]

The new Travel Mug 2+ will eventually replace the existing Travel Mug 2.

Not my cup of tea, so to speak.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I got one of the 10oz ember mugs as a gift over 3 years ago. I scoffed at first, then tried it, and now I can't live without it. My wife started stealing it because she discovered the greatness. So I bought her a 14oz version. Then I bought another one to keep at work. Mind you, the original has been used at least twice a day on average, and is still going strong (no finish chipping, only minor battery degradation).

IMO there is nothing -- NOTHING -- on the market like the ember mug. Open top, allowing unimpeded aromatic/vaporous enjoyment of hot coffee/tea. Thin single wall, allowing your hands to be warmed by your drink on a cold day, rapid cooling to drinkable temp, and also comfortable lip contact (almost like a fine tea cup). Integrated warmer, allowing precise temperature consistency and heat retention, without a coaster, for plenty long enough to slowly sip your drink to completion (I don't need it scalding hot for 6 hours... I usually drink within 20 minutes, so I can easily get 2-3 servings on a single charge if desired). Clean, single piece, super quick to hand wash, not breakable like glass or stoneware.

Ember travel mug? No thanks, though the find my feature makes sense. I've lost travel mugs quite a few times before. However, taking a drink on the go already ruins half the experience for me, so I'm much more likely to reach for a basic yeti or whatever.

Coffee flavor deteriorates in open-top containers, especially when kept heated, just like your coffee maker does to coffee when you keep it on "warmer" mode after it's been brewed.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I think the critics of this are missing the point. It’s not meant to be something practical. It’s meant for a certain group of people to have something techy. Sure you can do the same thing with a $10 mug from Walmart but that’s not the point.

So you're saying the only advantage of this $200 device is that's it's techy? Which group of people? Rich people?

I think it is meant to be something practical, but the value factor overrides it.

A self-cleaning Q-tip would be practical too -- it serves a purpose. But the cost isn't worth it when the traditional method (throw it away) makes more sense because it costs next to nothing.

 

[anjinha]

Yeah, three hours doesn’t seem like much. I have a cheap mug that I use and I go into my office, my coffee it’s still sometimes too hot after a few hours, and I have to be careful not to burn myself.

But that's the thing: the Ember mug doesn't just keep drinks hot for hours, it keeps them at drinking temperature, which I find way more useful. I've had the same issue with thermos-type things, where my drink would be too hot for drinking for hours and then when it finally cooled down a bit it would cool down too fast.

 

[DeafMacMobile]

Ember Travel Mug 2 and Mug 2 I have for two years. I love it as it keeps my Irish Breakfast Tea last all morning, then Earl Tea for the afternoon. If you keep sitting with the charger, it will last a day. I have an extra charger for both. I enjoy sipping my tea the rest of the day. Problem solved! Apple quality-like Ember. Never mind "Thermos-alike" anymore.

 

[Born Again]

I'm not really sure who this was aimed at, but I live in a city with loads of amazing small cafes owned and staffed by baristas who know and care about coffee. There's not a straight dichotomy between owning your own grinder and drinking Starbucks coffee, although tbf maybe that is the case in the US where I hear the coffee situation is still pretty poor.

Starbucks doesn’t have very good coffee

 

[bousozoku]

How? It's a $199.95 mug. It would suck to lose it. If I already owned this mug, I wouldn't upgrade just for Find My support, but it's a nice bonus for future buyers.

EDIT: Unless you mean the entire concept of the temperature-controlled mug.

There are two smaller versions at $149.99 and $99.99.

 

[surfzen21]

And, it never tastes the same after microwaving, really.

LMAO

Not even close but its easier than making another cup, most of the time 🥲

 

[CoMoMacUser]

Just get a Yeti mug. Those things are spooky amazing.

I got one of those as a holiday gift from a client, and a similar Asobu one from my GQ Box subscription. Both don't hold heat very long. Have to hand wash, too. Not very practical for me.

 

[j0nblayz]

Wowza, my yeti coffee mug keeps my coffee warm for hours, plus I’m done my coffee within 3hrs and refill, good to go again for hours . I thought yeti was expensive, I couldn’t justify spending this much on a mug.

However being a techie geek, I spent money on more useless stuff so I could see my myself ending up with one of these in the future just to try it out, lol.

 

[msackey]

Neat! E-waste cups!

Yup! Nicely sums it up. In this day and age when many are recognizing the harms of climate change, depletion of natural resources, and electronic waste, why is this kind of a cup being invented/produced?

 

[Sayewhat]

A great solution for a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[LlamaLarry]

Coffee flavor deteriorates in open-top containers, especially when kept heated, just like your coffee maker does to coffee when you keep it on "warmer" mode after it's been brewed.

Except this doesn't just hot plate warm your drink all day like a coffee pot; it maintains the temp the drinker sets, based on preference/beverage. Mine are set to 125F for example. Maybe the new versions is why the Travel Mug 2 I bought for a stocking stuffer last month was marked down to $139.

 

[Return Zero]

Coffee flavor deteriorates in open-top containers, especially when kept heated, just like your coffee maker does to coffee when you keep it on "warmer" mode after it's been brewed.

OK, first of all the hot plate on a coffee maker is way hotter and really does burn coffee. The ember does not reach nearly the same temps... it is a very gentle heat that has a minimal effect on the taste, at least over the time period that I drink it.

Second, the deterioration of flavor in an open-top cup has a lot of factors. Loss of heat actually impacts perceived flavor more than oxidation and evaporation, so keeping it warm is arguably better for retaining flavor, at least for a little while. In any case, when it comes to flavor nearly everything is subjective. Some people like the taste of cold coffee, hot plate burned coffee, lukewarm coffee, etc. Some people drink light roasts black, dark roasts with cream and sugar, medium roasts with salted butter, and on. Either way, I always prefer open-top drinking, no matter what the drink is. The aroma is just as important as the taste to me. There's a good reason you don't see any yeti tumblers at barista competitions.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I suppose this mug looks great in their owners' Tesla cars. But $200 to keep your coffee warm seems high to me. Doesn't coffee flavor degrade the longer you let it sit, especially while being warmed at the same time? Seems if it takes you hours to drink your coffee, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Coffee flavor degrades the higher the temperature it’s kept at. Being held at a lower temperature suitable for drinking degrades the taste far less than keeping coffee in a thermos that will maintain it at a hot temperature for hours. BUT taste is subjective. If a person can’t taste a difference between gas station drip coffee and an espresso drink like an Americano, then they wouldn’t benefit much from what Ember is offering. Well, unless they’re the type to buy and misplace over $200 worth of mugs/tumblers a year.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

For anyone that enjoys coffee and information about same, here’s a fun and informative YouTube channel.

This is a link to his Ember mug review, but even if you have just a passing fondness for coffee, you may find some information here that could increase your enjoyment.

 

[coolfactor]

If you just add a lid, it doesn't need a heater.

Yah. My un-smart mug already keeps beverages hot for 3 hours.

 

[macguru212]

When I drink coffee, I drink the coffee and not nurse it for hours.
However, I know people that drink the same cup for hours on end, be it tea or coffee or cocoa.
This is for those slow drinkers, so enjoy, you weirdos.

 

[cjgrif]

If you read the Amazon reviews of this company’s products you will find many reports of the ceramic coatings of its cups flaking off .

Just a thought, but maybe it would be advised to fix a potential heath hazard before adding near useless technology.

I had the "normal" ember mug 2 - and had to return it. The inside coating (varnish?) comes off - and ends up in your drink. I had 1 warranty replacement - and each lasted about 2-4 months. I don't know how healthy the coating is to consume.

Ember has fixed this - I had my first ceramic mug replaced for free, then the replacement started flaking, so they replaced it again for free with a new batch where the coating was applied differently. This one is still going strong after 2 years.