There was really only one thing that I put on my Christmas list this year – one thing that I really, really wanted: an Ember coffee mug.

It’s no secret that I’m a caffeine addict. I drink lots – maybe too much – coffee every day. It’s the very first thing that I do each morning. But I’m also not a fast coffee drinker (or anything drinker, really). Which means that generally, my coffee has to be reheated many, many times. And since I can’t reach the microwave myself, it means that I have to ask someone to reheat my coffee many times each day. And if you’ve ever reheated a cup of coffee yourself, you know that it’s a bit of an art form. It’s either too cold or too hot – there’s about a five minute window where your drink is actually the temperature that you want it, and then you have to heat it up and start the process all over again.

It’s also no secret that I’m a tech person. I love my Hue lights, my Alexa, my Apple watch… they’re all fun things, but they’re also things that have made my life easier, and more independent, in some way. The Ember mug is another one of those items.

It’s a smart mug, and connects to an app where you can pick your preferred temperature – down to the degree – for any beverage that you’re drinking. For those of us like me who don’t have a clue what their preferred temperature is, they give suggestions that you can start with. Once you set your temperature, the mug keeps whatever you’re drinking exactly that hot. The saucer that comes with the mug is the charger – once you unplug the saucer, the battery lasts about 2 hours, but I mostly leave mine plugged in all the time.

For anyone like me reading this who has limited strength, I will say – the mug is not light. That makes sense, since the temperature sensors are in the bottom of it, but it does mean that I have to use two hands to pick it up. It’s definitely still usable for me, but just something to be aware of.
 
It’s been really, really nice to know that no matter how long since my last sip, I don’t have to worry that I’m taking a drink of cold coffee. It has lived up to my expectations, and then some!