Ember Launches Smaller iPhone-Controlled Coffee Cup With Temperature Control

[Kabeyun]

To those who submit (presumably without ever having used one) that it’s useless, the answer is maybe. I own the first cup and the drink mug (one was a gift). It’s actually very cool to have a drink still piping hot for a long time. Caveat 1: the bottom guts take a lot of space, so the volume they can hold is less than the appearance suggests. Caveat 2: woe betide anyone who puts milk in their hot beveage. It will leave a sticky skin on top, and leave rings of dried skin on the inside of the vessel. As someone who prefers milk in his coffee, and as an occasional tea drinker, mine remain in the closet.

 

[HorstBockman]

I hate to be a well-actually person, but as an avid and proud coffee snob, this isn't entirely correct! The reason coffee seems to go bad in just a half hour is because it comes closer to room temperature, and flavors are more sweet/bitter/umami at those temperatures.

IIRC, it's about the 2-4 hour mark (depending on type coffee, type of brew, etc) that the oils change enough from air exposure enough to affect overall taste.

I disagree. Maybe I'm more of a snob.

 

[macduke]

I don't really see the point of a heated cup for small drinks. Won't they still be fairly hot by the time you finish them?

My wife has the larger model. She received it as a present. She likes it but doesn't use it all the time. She never would've bought it herself. The best thing she can say about it is that "It is nice to have." I don't drink coffee so idk if it's useful.

 

[CarAnalogy]

10oz? How long do you guys typically need to keep your Espresso warm? Maybe it’s just me but I usually… just drink before it’s too cold.

Ha seriously. Might make sense for bog standard office coffee, but even then not for this price.

 

[Foxglove9]

Always wanted something like this so I don't have to microwave my coffee when I'm half way through it. At that price I'll continue to use the microwave and save a lot of cash.

 

[newbididewbidie]

Am I the only one who sees this as a solution in search of a problem?

Or a punchline in search of a joke.

 

[Return Zero]

If you're actually picky you would want to drink from a proper ceramic cup, and you'd drink it before it gets cold. Coffee kept hot just isn't the same thing.

1) There are other hot drinks besides coffee. I drink herbal tea almost every night from this thing.
2) It doesn’t have an unregulated burner plate like a traditional coffee maker. In other words, it’s not really kept hot, but warm (depending on what temp you set). You can easily leave coffee in it for 20-30 minutes without the flavor being affected much at all. I usually finish a drink in 10-20 minutes. I’m not someone who leaves it for an hour then comes back to it.
3) It’s not about simply drinking before it gets cold. It’s about letting it cool a bit quickly, then keeping it at a precise window for a short while. You’re right, it’s not the same thing. It’s better. And honestly, I had the same opinion as you until I got it as a gift and actually tried using it.

 

[ikramerica]

I don’t know why people sip coffee myself. I pour some whole organic chocolate milk in it so it’s at a drinkable temperature, then drink it in a couple minutes with breakfast. But that’s the only time I drink coffee anyway.

I guess addicts drink it all day, slowly.

 

[incoherent_1]

I have a desktop device that's the size of a coaster, works with any mug, costs $10, and keeps my coffee warm for hours, but hey to each his own.

 

[Kuroko]

There’s a lot of talk in this thread about the 10 oz and 14 oz, but this article is about the SIX ounce cup they just released. I have a 14 oz version, that I think is marginally useful, but relatively small. I cannot imagine, outside of an espresso drink or maybe sake, why I’d drink a hot version of anything limited to about 5 oz. And I REALLY can’t imagine needing to keep that 5 ounces hot for an hour, because I just can’t find time to drink it. I think it’s so odd that this exists, but we don’t have anything larger than 14 oz. Maybe they should move headquarters to Texas, where everything is big, lol.

 

[lamerica80]

I think my process with this thing would be:

1. Dismiss it as yet another stupid start-up bluetooth gadget nobody asked for
2. Trying it, and finding it's actually pretty neat for keeping my americano warm for a while
3. Slowly switch back to regular, non battery-powered cups for the convenience
4. Putting it away somewhere and forget it ever existed in my life

 

[LV426]

For fans of Father Ted, Mrs Doyle now has another life making handmade tea cosies.

No Bluetooth involved.

 

[muzzy996]

LOL at all the hate. To each his own.

While I can’t see purchasing a smaller version, I’m happy with the larger one that I have at my office. At work I’ll sip occasionally while working. An insulated cup is just not the same as having something at a constantly regulated temperature. At home I am more particular about my coffee making and my cups of coffee tend to be consumed quicker so I use a traditional mug.

That said I’d never pay the prices they ask now for these things.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

1) There are other hot drinks besides coffee. I drink herbal tea almost every night from this thing.

The 6oz version seems to be specifically for espresso drinks though since that's pretty much the size of a typical cappuccino. I don't think there are many other hot drinks that small.

 

[coolfactor]

Am I the only one who sees this as a solution in search of a problem?

Products like this involve research that evolves into other solutions. You can't go from A to C without passing through B. This is the B.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

This could be somewhat useful but the price is just too steep.

This also strikes me as extremely inefficient -All the heat generated just escapes freely.

Why wouldn't there be some kind of "screw in/out" type of lid like you see on your average non-smart thermos cup? The cup would then sense when it's closed and lessen the power output.

I also have to assume that any drink containing dairy would form a skin very quickly as the beverage evaporates?

Not being able to use this for dairy-based coffee drinks or hot chocolate makes this even more unattractive.

 

[hieromonk]

Come on stop

lol yea I had 4 mug and a travel mug from ember over all these years
my brother / gf / his gf / office / home , really great to be Able to enjoy your coffee at a consistent perfect 62 degree
love this company and was looking forward for them to release new type of product instead of endless rehash of the mug
I still remember 6-7 years ago from an interview they said they were constantly exploring new product and imagine a plate that is wirelessly charge and be able to keep your food warm

sadly they are just settle on ripping off endlessly by the mug now lol it seems

 

[killhippie]

We are getting to the point where these gajets are just pointless, just get a decent flask and it stays hot for ours and wont spill either, jeez this kind of tech tech does not need to be in a cup. I have the same view on washing machines with wifi, and fridges etc, its a answer to a problem nobody had. The cup could have been full of anything. Pork pies, turnips, oven parts. It's the oldest trick in the book...

 

[bobtem]

In the time it takes you fuss around with settings and glitches, your coffee will go cold…

 

[TheVowelO]

10oz? How long do you guys typically need to keep your Espresso warm? Maybe it’s just me but I usually… just drink before it’s too cold.

and even cold, back to the microwave for 20 seconds and boom, warm again

 

[Zimmy68]

I own an Ember. I got the 10oz version for 50% off at Target. For $60 it is still too much.
I love the idea. But Ember has serious issues especially for what they charge.
First, the battery melts away in seconds. You can literally go through your first cup before having to search for the charging plate.
And what is worse, it charges so slowly, you would think this is mid 2000 battery tech.
So you end up having to use the charging saucer with the cup which defeats the purpose. You may as well just buy a hot plate.
I want something to keep my coffee the same temp from first sip to last. I don't want to have to nuke it.
Without the Ember, I end up pouring half a cup and reheating it with more coffee.
If they upgraded the battery tech and charged $40-$50, they would solve my issues.

 

[svish]

Interesting product. $130 is too much for it.

 

[rajat8676]

A thermos mug will keep the coffee warm for relatively same time without the cost attached!

 

[Ankaa]

If you're actually picky you would want to drink from a proper ceramic cup, and you'd drink it before it gets cold. Coffee kept hot just isn't the same thing.

Keeping brewed coffee hot is not exactly a new thing ...

Also, regarding that 'proper ceramic cup': https://huntingwaterfalls.com/what-is-the-ember-mug-made-of/

Just use a double wall travel cup with lid.... keeps hot longer than it takes to drink it. "Why is my coffee cold? Oh, the app crashed."

Have you actually *used* a double wall travel cup with lid before? They keep the beverage HOT, alright.

Also, most of them are made of metal and that just makes it tase awful.

Here is a science factoid for coffee drinkers.

It takes about 30-40 minutes for the caffeine to pass the blood brain barrier and give you that ‘pick up’ feeling.

But only if you drink it quick enough.

If you sip it for a long time there will be no ’pick up’ feeling because the caffeine is trickling into your system too slowly and wearing off at the same time. Just placebo effect. Waste of money even.

You must drink your coffee within 5-10 minutes. Then you get the real deal full blunt force trauma caffeine hit.

Here is a factoid for you.

Not everyone drinks caffeinated beverages for the sole purpose of that 'pick up' feeling.

There's also caffeinated tees and theanine slows down caffeine absorption ...

when I have a cup of hot coffee or tea, I don’t wait for it to cool down and try to drink it as quickly as I can while it’s hot - even when I use a thermal mug.

As someone who's recently sustained 2nd degree burns because she managed to spill her freshly brewed tea over her hand, I very much doubt your statement.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

A thermos mug will keep the coffee warm for relatively same time without the cost attached!

aaand can potentially last a lifetime or more while also not dying after 2-4 years when the integrated lithium battery in the Ember smart-mug dies.

Which begs the question, does Ember replace your battery or can you buy one from them to replace the old one?

Surely it'll get run down pretty fast if you drink a couple of cups every day, five days a week, all year round?