Ember earlier this yr launched a brand new model of its electrical Journey Mug, including a key Apple characteristic – Discover My help. You could be questioning, why does a mug want Discover My? I am undecided I’ve an ideal rationalization, nevertheless it’s a nice-to-have add-on for a product that is positioned as a small luxurious.
The Ember Journey Mug 2 is $200, and the rationale it is so costly is as a result of it is self-heating. It could possibly hold a beverage at your required temperature for 3 hours whereas on the go, or all day when on the included charging coaster. The temperature will be set from 120°F to 145°F, which is scorching, however not prone to trigger burns.
I’ve no perception into espresso temperatures as a non-coffee drinker, however some web analysis means that’s a perfect espresso temperature vary. I do know there are some folks on the market who like espresso actually scorching, but when on the upper finish of heat works for you, this cup will get espresso to a stage you want.
Whereas I do not drink espresso, I do drink tea, and since I drink inexperienced, oolong, and white varieties, I am pretty well-versed on beverage temperatures. 150 to 160 levels is within the burn your tongue vary. For me, 145 is uncomfortably heat, and 138 is nearly proper. By default, the Ember Mug is about to 135, however you may flip it as much as 145 or down on the cup itself or within the app.
Design smart, the Ember Mug appears like your common journey cup. It has a comfortable contact silicone exterior in black and a chrome steel inside that holds 12 ounces of liquid. 12 ounces is on the smaller aspect for a journey cup and I do want that it held extra, nevertheless it wants to slot in a cup holder and have area for the battery, heating components, and different {hardware}.
There is a emblem on the high of the Ember Mug that may be interacted with to manage the mug, and a sequence of LEDs on the backside that allow you to know the standing of the cup, the temperature, whether or not the cup is empty, and whether or not the battery has died. The Ember Mug is aware of when liquid is inside, and it instantly detects the temperature of what is poured in.
You possibly can swipe to alter the temperature of the Ember on the mug itself, or within the app. It is best to regulate the temperature on the cup in case you prefer to make common modifications, however in case you simply must set it in your favourite temperature, it is fast to do throughout the app. The app is first rate, and there are presets for various drinks like 135 levels for espresso, and 131 levels for a latte. A few of the temperature selections really feel just a little arbitrary, however the entire presets are editable.
There is a tea timer in case you wish to brew tea within the mug, and a recipes part that has a handful of drink choices. There’s a well being integration characteristic that may estimate the quantity of caffeine that you simply’re consuming per day by how usually you refill the Ember Mug.
Since it is a journey cup, it really works with a battery. The battery lasts for roughly three hours, give or take about 20 minutes. My testing was primarily at 138 levels, and the cup was in a position to hold it at that precise temperature till the battery ran down. It prices by way of a charging base that must be plugged in, and if the cup is on the bottom, it may possibly hold a drink heat all day.
Should you’re utilizing it at a desk, it is helpful to have it on the charger for all-day warmth, and the choice to seize it and go when obligatory is helpful. I am a gradual drinker so I can exhaust that three hour battery life, and I admire the always-on charger choice. The Ember Mug’s charger is sadly not USB so I’ve to have a separate cable plugged in to an outlet, which I am not a fan of. I might want having the ability to energy it by way of a dock/my laptop however that isn’t an choice.
The Ember Mug just isn’t double walled and when the battery runs out, it isn’t going to maintain a drink heat for lengthy. In comparison with a less expensive tumbler with insulation, like a Yeti, the Ember Mug has professionals and cons. It would not hold a drink heat with out energy and it is costly, however it may possibly hold a drink at a selected temperature for an prolonged size of time, which might’t be replicated by an insulated cup.
If I pour 175 diploma tea right into a Yeti, I’ve to open the lid and look ahead to it to chill down, or wait for a very long time for it to be drinkable. With the Ember Mug, it will get to my most popular temperature a lot faster, and stays there. The Ember Mug can also be in a position to warmth up a beverage that has cooled down, so you may pour lukewarm espresso in it to warmth it again up, although this takes loads of time and would not appear to be one of the best use case.
By way of performance, there are some issues to concentrate on. The Ember Mug makes use of a press down lid, which I like as a result of it would not appear to leak in any respect, however is straightforward to drink from. If I toss the Ember Mug in a bag, it would not drip, which is not at all times the case with journey cups. You do want to ensure to not fill it fuller than the road on the inside of the cup, nevertheless it appears to work effectively when crammed correctly.
If the Ember Mug has been the other way up or moved round lots, there will be some strain construct up and a few tiny droplets of liquid can fly upward a bit while you press down on the lid. Ember warns about this and suggests holding it away out of your face while you press the lid, nevertheless it hasn’t been an enormous challenge over the time that I have been utilizing the cup. There isn’t a gap for a straw, which I do miss. I like to make use of a glass straw for tea and related scorching drinks to keep away from tooth staining, however the no-leak lid design would not accommodate that characteristic.
Unsurprisingly, you can not microwave the Ember Mug 2, nor can you place it within the dishwasher. The lid can go within the dishwasher, however the mug itself must be hand washed. The charging base must be stored dry, and earlier than you place the cup on the bottom, you could be certain the underside is dry.
Past holding a drink heat, the Ember Mug 2 has Discover My integration as a brand new promoting level. You possibly can add the Ember Mug to the Gadgets tab within the Discover My app, the place it may be tracked similar to an AirTag. The Discover My community that the Ember Mug makes use of takes benefit of any close by iPhone to relay the mug’s place, so if it will get misplaced, you may observe it down.
Misplacing a journey mug appears much more unusual than dropping keys or a pockets, however I assume it does occur, particularly in case you’re taking the Ember to a number of areas frequently. I let the Ember Mug’s battery die after which I waited a full 48 hours to see how lengthy the Discover My characteristic would work, and Discover My was nonetheless useful at that time.
The Ember Mug is designed with some energy reserve, so even when the cup is not heating up due to a low battery, it is nonetheless locatable with Discover My. It additionally goes right into a sleep mode when there is no liquid inside to warmth up, which preserves battery. I used to be involved that Discover My would cease working when the battery was exhausted, however there appears to be a window of time the place you may find the cup with a low battery.
I do not assume Discover My is an important characteristic for a ingesting vessel, however it’s completely good to have on a cup that prices $200. It is also not a characteristic you’d anticipate to see in a mug, so you probably have it in a bag that is then stolen or misplaced, you may observe all of it down with nobody being the wiser.
Backside Line
It is onerous to justify a $200 good journey cup as a result of there are “dumb” journey cups that do nearly as a lot for a fraction of the value, however I do assume the Ember Mug is value $200 value that it sells for.
The precise design of the mug is stable – it suits effectively in a cup holder, it has a smooth look, and the lid is straightforward to drink from and would not appear to leak. It holds temperature for lengthy sufficient to drink a cup of espresso or all day you probably have it on the charging base, it helps contact management, and it has a ton of LEDs for standing updates. Who would not need a cup that claims Hey within the morning, lets you already know the particular temperature of your beverage and adjusts with a swipe? It additionally will not be simple to lose with the Discover My integration.
My greatest grievance in regards to the Ember Mug might be the dimensions. It might be good to have an XL model that holds extra liquid, as a result of whereas I do prefer to get pleasure from a scorching beverage for a lot of hours, I might prefer to not must refill as often. Other than that, the Ember Mug has so many bells and whistles that it is onerous to complain about something however the value.
Should you usually lose cups, both at work or within the automotive, Discover My will has the potential to be a helpful characteristic addition. You may both be capable of observe the Ember Mug or it’s going to present its final identified location so you may work out the place it is at.
The Ember Mug just isn’t a tool that anybody wants, however I believe scorching beverage enjoyers will get lots out of it. It is also the kind of product which you can purchase for somebody who has all the pieces, and I might not hesitate to provide it as a present. I do wish to level out that the desktop model of the Ember Mug is $150, so $50 much less, plus it holds extra. On the draw back, it solely works for 80 minutes off of the charger, however it’s a good various in case you plan to make use of the Ember primarily at a desk.
Purchase
The Ember Mug 2 will be bought from the Ember web site for $199.99.
Notice: Ember offered MacRumors with an Ember Journey Mug 2 for the aim of this evaluation. No different compensation was obtained.