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

I was skeptical after issues with the other major brand of heated coffee cups. The features on this cup actually work as described. When set to the "piping" hot mode, it really does keep your coffee very hot. The different heat settings and the on/off button seemed gimmicky, but work as expected and are a nice additional feature. The materials and construction of the cup feel substantial. The lid is a nice touch that seems to keep the heat in and help prevent spills. The true test will be longevity of the coating on the inside of the cup. All the cups from the other major brand would begin to peel on the inside within months of use. Their customer service would argue this was chipping due to use of a metal stirring spoon. Even with a plastic spoon, the coating would still peel off. I believe the peeling issue was due to the rapid change of temperature when pouring in the hot coffee in a cold cup. I will report back if this cup begins to peel.Update 1/23/2025: This cup is still working better than expected. The surface coating inside and out still looks new. The battery life for heating is more than adequate. The software (software in a coffee cup??) is simple but well though out. It seems to know when the cup is empty or has been sitting unused for too long and shuts off the heating to save battery power. It heats the coffee quickly to the desired temperature if you happen to pour in some less than hot coffee. I look forward to using it each morning.

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.

Previously, I had the Ember mug (two of them to be exact) and they both stopped working after a while. I found the app to be buggy and while the concept was great, the execution just wasn't there. Because of this, I was pretty skeptical of this mug. It's been amazing, however, and overall much easier and functional without having to deal with the app.I had considered giving four stars since I've had to replace the coaster and now the mug itself but the customer service was so good, I bumped them to 5 stars. I bought this mug Jan 2024, and they have since, free of charge, sent me a new coaster and new mug. It's a great product but also, great company/customer service. they are super understanding and easy to work with if you have any issues.As for the mug itself, it works completely as advertised and keeps my coffee warm for hours!

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.