With the nights getting chillier, I’ve been reaching for a cup of tea more often. And if there’s one thing that can make a cozy fall night even better, it’s a warm drink that actually stays warm. Enter Ember’s new Mug 3, the latest version of the company’s temperature-controlled smart mug, which is designed to keep your drink at just the right temperature for as long as you sip.
Ember first introduced its smart mug in 2016 to solve a problem most coffee and tea drinkers know all too well: getting distracted for a few minutes, only to return to a lukewarm drink. Now, the company is back with its third-generation mug, which brings a handful of practical upgrades.
The biggest change is that you no longer have to open the app to adjust your drink’s temperature. Instead, you can use the button on the bottom of the mug to cycle through five preset temperatures, starting at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Each press raises the temperature by five degrees, up to a maximum of 145 degrees, so you can easily make your drink a little hotter with each click.
Honestly, this is the feature I ended up using the most during my time testing out the mug. At night, when I’m curled up in bed with a book and a cup of tea, my phone is usually somewhere across the room. Being able to adjust my drink without getting up to find it is a small convenience, but one I genuinely appreciate.
It’s also a welcome change for users who have reported running into connectivity or pairing issues with the Ember app.
That said, I do have one complaint: the button is located on the bottom of the mug. It’s a peculiar design choice when you’re dealing with a cup full of hot liquid, and it isn’t particularly easy to press, either. I often found myself tilting the mug and pressing down firmly to get it to respond. So, while I appreciate the addition of on-mug controls, I wish Ember had made the button easier to reach.
If you prefer using your phone, the Ember app still offers plenty of customization. After pairing the mug with your phone over Bluetooth, you can choose presets based on what you’re drinking. Ember recommends 136 degrees Fahrenheit for black coffee, 132 degrees for green tea, and 142 degrees for lemon water. You can also create your own temperature presets, which is handy if you like your drinks a little hotter or cooler than the recommended settings.
The Mug 3 also comes with a few other upgrades, including a sliding lid designed to help prevent spills. The mug can also keep your drink at its desired temperature for up to three hours on a single charge. And it’s the first mug in Ember’s lineup to be top-rack dishwasher-safe, making cleanup easier. (Just keep in mind that it isn’t microwave-safe.)
The Ember Mug 3 comes in two sizes: a 10-ounce model for $129 and a 14-ounce version for $149.
The smaller mug is available in black, white, and stainless steel, while the larger size comes in eight colors, including sage green, lavender, powder blue, salt blue, sandstone, white, black, and matcha green.
Alongside the new mug, Ember also introduced the Tumbler 2, which replaces both the Travel Mug 2 and the original Tumbler in its lineup. The 16-ounce tumbler features a slimmer, taller design intended to fit standard car cup holders. It’s available in black for $179, while the Travel Mug 2 will remain available until supplies run out.
The products are available to purchase on Ember’s website, Target, and Amazon.
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Lauren covers media, streaming, apps and platforms at TechCrunch.
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