Nextmug - Temperature-Controlled, Self-Heating Coffee Mug (Black - 14 oz.)

No matter if I use this for tea or coffee, this cup works! Real easy to follow instructions, but you'll want to pay attention to it as I believe it has a shut off time. The button on the cup is easy enough to locate, but not so easy that a bump will press it. You'd have to locate it and press it to make sure it's on and on your desired drink temperature. There's 3 to choose from, I usually choose the second one because it keeps it at a hot enough temperature to make it feel like I'm drinking coffee fresh from the pot, or freshly made tea. If you work in an office setting to where this would be real handy for you, I'd recommend it. I'd even recommend it if you work from home!

I have an Ember and Nextmug. I’ve had the Ember over two years and the base broke. One of the tiny little spring-loaded nibs lost its springiness. A weakness in design if you ask me. But, the Nextmug uses the same little nibs. Their design is a little stronger in that one nib is right in the center of the cup-base. But still, a weakness in design that you cannot (and I stress CANNOT) get the baseplate wet.I’m not sure what happened to my ember, but I ended up making a solid nib out of solder for the one that lost its spring. It’s holding, but I’m not confident in it. I’m guessing at some point, the Nextmug base will do the same thing.That aside, the Nextmug is superior for a few reasons. One, it has a definitive on and off option. Where the Ember has a sensor to know when you’ve added liquid, it’s hit or miss. The Ember on/off switch is also inconveniently located underneath the cup. And it also is hit or miss. Where it gives you a tactile response that you’ve clicked it, it’s unclear most of the time what you’ve actually done. Sometimes a light comes on, sometimes not. Sometimes it’s blinking red, sometimes it’s solid red, green, white, blinking…The Nextmug on/off is located on the side (superior) and it’s easy to know when the cup is off (no lights) and which option you are picking.The Ember app? Garbage. It is unreliable. If it works, it’s fantastic. The trouble is that it rarely connects no matter what you do. When I went shopping for a replacement, I specifically looked for cups that did not have an app. “App” means IT developers, means more cost, and generally for a product like this, average developers (I mean, it’s a cup not an air-traffic control system). Plus, the Bluetooth chips they must use have to be the bottom of the barrel (aka, unreliable). Therefore, all the features that the app provided (heating options most notably), were useless to me.The Ember cup size (10 oz) was a little small. There’s now a 14 oz option, but the train had left the station!The Ember on/off button on the bottom of the cup, again, is a nuisance.And here’s something I didn’t think I would care for… the Nextmug lid! I have to say, it’s great! It helps keep the coffee warmer without using as much energy (longer charge when it’s away from the base). Also, it nearly erases evaporation. And, I’m not 100% sure, but the coffee seems to be much less bitter because of it. Maybe my imagination, but the coffee taste better from the Nextmug cup. Plus, no spills (or at least, less chance of splashing).The Nextmug light indicators where intuitive and having a button for “warm, hot, and piping” versus an app… Way to go Nextmug!Between the Nextmug and Ember, it was an easy decision for me. I’m still concerned about the little nibs losing their springiness… But, there you have it.

Makes for a great gift for anyone for any occasion AND it's also a great product. You don't have to mess with an app or connect it to some Bluetooth bs. You charge it and turn it on and it's done. I wish the battery lasted a little longer, but it lasts forever on the coaster obviously. It absolutely stays hot as per what you set it at. Yeah you can't set it to exactly 176 degrees, but like who TF needs that anyway? You either want it warm or HOT AF or in between.VERY easy and simple to use for your aging boomer parents or Grandma that still doesn't know what a cell phone is.It's really easy to clean too. Just get it. Ember's lame.Be aware though. You cannot expect this to go from cold coffee that's sat for an hour to piping hot on its own. I thought something was wrong with mine when I first got it. Put it on the coaster thingy if you wanna try that.

I'm not sure what aspect of my being this comes from, but I was finding myself constantly grabbing a cold mug when I finally remembered it was there. I'd make a pot of tea, make my cup, intentionally let it cool, and one way or another it was too cool / cold by the time I got to it. I can't say that I've been monitoring how long it took for the mug to cool down, but it always seemed too quick. I was already looking for a reason to get a new mug as the rounder handle resulted in holding it in a painful way and it was frankly getting heavier to my hands as well (being ceramic). So I had a few reasons to look anyway.And with that in mind, I decided to look for something that might help with those issues or at the least, not let the cup's contents drop below a certain temperature Long enough for me to get around to drinking it, while also having a more comfortable weight and handle. Initially, I thought about those coasters that heat up, but felt that that'd be too much of a burn / fire hazard and likely not able to control the temperature as well. Seeing as how I didn't know what temperature I was waiting for it to cool down too, I knew that I'd want something with a measured setting. I was also looking for something that could heat up a cold cup to the desired temperature.When I first saw this listing, I was taken back by the price, but not so much that it kept me from looking into it. Especially since I have a habit of deciding on things that one way or another tend to push the budget. I looked at the various aspects of the design and saw that it was basically self-contained, so there was a little to no chance of being hurt by the mug (unless I spilled the contents on the upper two settings). Being able to choose from a known selection of temperatures was a must on this purchase. I also liked that the handle appeared (correctly) to be large enough to fit my average sized, closed grip. While I've not weighed it, it definitely feels lighter than a comparably sized ceramic. Most of its weight is, of course, the battery at the bottom.I was a bit bummed that the charger was a barrel plug as that doesn't allow me to just grab the nearest USB-C cord from my station (where I sit). That said, if it Did have USB charging, then it would have only been to the base anyway, so that would be a moot point since it would likely never get unplugged unless moved. While I don't know how much my old mug held, it's quite apparent that this is likely a few ounces less, but it's also exactly 1/3rd of the 1L pot when brewed vs ~2.5 fills with my old mug. I'm sure I'll get used to the difference eventually.Now, when evaluating the performance of this, it became apparent that I was running into my desired functionality vs its design. It has become obvious that this is designed to start with a hot liquid and keep it at the chosen temperature until empty or the battery runs out. It does that quite well, but I can't say how long the battery actually lasts for sure because I lose track of time too easy. So when I say that it 'feels' like it's losing power (not temperature) quicker than advertised, I can't quantify that statement, but it 'feels' closer to 2-2.5 hrs vs 4 hrs (lid on). I can say that I figured out that my comfortable temperature is the lowest setting and that the middle temperature more closely resembles my freshly brewed pot. The charging time feels like forever, but definitely a couple hours from depleted.Now when trying to see how it does with 'heating from cold', that definitely seemed to drain the battery much faster while also taking a long time. I even tried setting it to that middle choice and then turning it back down, but that still drained the battery rather quickly. So if That is how you want to use it, then leave it on the charger until it's hot again (and expect to wait a bit). I did have to stop myself from walking it over to the microwave the first few times until I got myself better trained with how it's designed. Because of this, as much as I hate adding to an already pretty penny, I chose to purchase a 2nd base to sit where I eat / drink. I thought about moving the original base, but then I realized that it was better to leave that there for when I've cleaned the mug (default storage location and all that).What improvements would I like to see?1) Make a slightly larger (16oz?) mug, but have it be taller so that the base and lids don't change.2) Source a higher density battery if possible.3) Increase the speed at which it warms up (if feasible).4) Add a little more texture to the handle / housing as it is metal smooth and slides a bit easy in the hands.5) Offer a closeable lid as that should prevent spills and likely assist in keeping it warmer longer.