By Scott Kramer
A creature of habit, I need a cup of joe first thing in the morning. And I mean first thing. Problem is, it’s too early. Like 5am. And I’m just not thinking yet. Invariably, I take a tiny first sip. Tastes great. And then about a minute later, I try a gulp. It’s way too hot. You’d think I’d learn.
But lately I’ve been trying Ember’s new ceramic, temperature-control mug. It communicates with my smartphone via Bluetooth. Through its app, I set the temperature to 132 degrees — after quick research using the mug, I realized that is my ideal temperature. And not the 154 degrees it’s at when I take it right off the Keurig machine. With this mug, once the temperature cools down to 132 for me, it stays there at that temperature. All day if I want it to. In fact, the mug combines phase change cooling with an active heating system to rapidly cool the drink to my desired temperature — a much better solution than pouring scorching coffee into a mug and waiting for it to cool down enough to drink. I’m not a patient guy.
And I’m with Clay Alexander, the company’s founder and CEO, who claims that “just a few degrees can make a big difference in taste. We’ve seen coffee lovers from all walks of life embrace the connection between taste and temperature first-hand with the success of our first product, the Ember Travel Mug. Our mission is to enhance your drinking experience by allowing you to choose the temperature that tastes best, so you can enjoy a perfect cup of coffee for as long as you want.”
By the way, I reviewed that travel mug last year in this column, and was really impressed. Now as much as I love technology, I don’t really think my coffee needs to be connected to the internet. But this mug kind of combines the best of both worlds. That is, once I connect it, I never have to again. After I drink my coffee and empty the cup, the mug goes to sleep until I fill it again. And it’s kind of cool watching the temperature change on the phone app — when you want to use it. I always put a little milk in the mug, while I’m waiting for the brewer to heat up. When I do, the app shows that the temperature is “cold” — letting me know it’s working.
By the way, the mug is made of durable stainless steel with a reinforced ceramic coating. You charge it up on a matching charging coaster that’s armed with advanced active thermal technology. The mug, itself, features multiple temperature sensors and a microprocessor-controlled dual-band heating system. The app remembers a user’s preferred drinking temperature and has several preset options for easy drink customization, and also notifies users when the desired drinking temperature has been reached. It even lets users identify their mug by selecting a personal color that displays on a small LED light near the mug’s base. It’s now being sold in 4,600 Starbucks locations for $80.
I can’t wait to try soup in it next.
Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.