perature-Controlled, Self-Heating Coffee Mug (Burgundy - 14 oz.)

As a previous Ember owner, I'm very impressed with the NextMug.I decided to try the NextMug mostly because the little prongs on the Ember charge plates kept seizing up needing replacement of the charge coaster. It's hard to keep them dry all the time since they are always around liquid. Infrequent contact with liquid and the relatively weak springs under each charge contact prong, has resulted in 5 of my charge coasters seizing up over 2.5 years.I thought the elevated design of the NextMug's charge plate would result in them being less prone to seizing. We'll have to see about that over time.I also, of course, loved the price differential. The NextMug is substantially cheaper than the Ember. I also liked the many colour options. I was, however, concerned that at the lower price the NextMug would be of inferior quality. IT ISN'T.Indeed I prefer the shape, 'feel' and build quality of the NextMug over the Ember. I also prefer the colours. With Ember you can get any colour you want as long as its black or white (or at least that used to be the case). With NextMug you get a terrific rainbow of deep pastel colours to choose from.I've used the NextMug now for 6 months and love it. I like that I can use it/set it up without the need for an app. There is/was little value in the Ember's app other than being able to see how much battery was left - and it was a rather clunky app. It always takes time to sink up and the only thing I needed it for, the battery level indicator, wasn't on the home screen. You had to dig down to find it. The NextMug shows you right on the mug what your battery level is.The ONLY downside to the NextMug is that you have to turn it on. Ya, I know, quality problem to have. But after a couple years of the Ember Mug just turning itself on each morning when I poured coffee into it, I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten to press the On button on the NextMug to find lukewarm coffee when I take my first sip 20 minute later. That said, when I press the on button the coffee is piping hot again in just a few minutes. I've had the NextMug for 6 months now and I still forget to turn it on about half the time. Grrr! Old habits die hard.My hopes for a better charge plate, so far, have not been realized. About 6 months in the NextMug charge plate had to be replaced. It wasn't because the prongs seized though. In this case one of the two prongs broke off when I was cleaning it. There was a bit of gunk between the two prongs and I was cleaning it out with my fingernail and one of the prongs sparked and broke off. I wasn't pushing hard. I was purposely cleaning out the 'gunk' because I believe the gunk that had built up over time between the Ember prongs was part of the reason why they ultimately seized up all the timeBut the warranty replacement process was simple. All I had to do was email NextMug and ask for a replacement charge plate and they sent it out to me. I didn't need to show a proof of purchase or a picture of the damaged plate. They took my word for it. Ember also replaced all their broken charge plates (5 in total over the 2 and a half years I used it) within the one year warranty window. (Note: I had to buy two replacement ones of my own during that time after the warranty on the original and a replacement had ended). To replace under warranty, Ember required me (not unreasonably) to show proof of original purchase (a screenshot of my Amazon order) a photo of the damaged plate, and a photo of the serial number on the bottom of the damaged plate before they would send out a replacement. A bit more work than NextMug. That said, the NextMug person said that if I had needed a warranty replacement on the mug itself, then I would have had to have shown proof-of purchase. But not on charge plate warranty claims.Over the 2 plus years I used the Ember, the inside white coating had worn off making the inside looks really ugly. Also the life of the battery had more than halved. Meaning at the two year point the battery only lasted about 1/3 as long as when new. I'm guessing that the battery life of the NextMug will run down about the same over time too - like all rechargeable batteries do. Since I've only had it for 6 months so I can't compare them. But I also think the build quality and terrific interior coating of the NextMug will outlast that of the Ember. But I won't know that for sure for another year and a half.I wish BOTH companies had a little replacement charging nodule that could be swapped out of the charge plate. Maybe send a few extra with each mug because that is clearly the Achilles Heel of both products. The part that consistently failed on the Ember and, so far, has failed once on the NextMug. There would be no need to replace the entire charge coaster and charge cable if that little part that keeps breaking could be easily swapped out. I bet it would also save them a ton on warranty repair costs and shipping for them and such a swappable part would probably add only a $1 to the cost/price of the product.All in all, for the significant price savings, the build quality and the colour options and terrific customer service, I now recommend the NextMug over the Ember every time.

Final update, back up to 5 starsI tried the NextMug Plus, which gave me a few more ounces of coffee, but the result made the top of the cup too far from the heating element, and the coffee wasn't nearly as hot at the beginning and middle of the cup. So I ended up returning it.So I then tried 2 others that were cheaper, and the Ember that was about the same price. None kept the coffee as hot and consistent as the original NextMug. The difference wasn't even close.So here I am back with a brand new original NextMug in a different color than before. I had it 2.5 years before and it worked every day before something failed and I needed to use the Asurion warranty to get something else. I bought the warranty again (just over $13) and will consider myself satisfied if I get over two years again before buying another. I'll keep using the "piping" setting because I like my coffee hot, and nothing else can cut it.Updated review, lost a couple of stars.I had the original NextMug for 2.5 years and worked great that whole time. Battery was not lasting as long as I got it, which was why I paid $18 for the Assurion warranty for 3 years (which I recommend on this item). When I got the Amazon credit for my original purchase price, I replaced with the exact same mug in the 18oz capacity.I have to say, I'm not as pleased. I use the "Piping" setting, and this mug never gets as warm, particularly at the start and the middle of the drink. That's the whole reason I loved this mug in the first place and was a 5-star purchase the whole time I owned the 14oz version.Not sure what I'll do. Give this more of a trial, I guess. Maybe I'll get used to it? Or maybe I return it and get the 16oz taller version that would fit in my truck cup-holder (that this does not).ALWAYS buy the Amazon offered warranty on this item and save that receipt. When you do that, keep track of when it runs out and make your claim before then, as the battery is sure to degrade some. The claim process is really easy, and you'll get your full purchase price back minus the cost of the warranty so you can get another.----------Original review: I've only had it for a day, and this is my first experience with the mug. Will update as I go further with it. So far, it may be just what I was looking for as I prefer coffee in a cup without a lid, and it's constantly getting cold if I don't drink it in like 15 minutes.Positives:I was skeptical that this mug could keep my coffee warm enough, but the "piping" setting works very well for me, though apparently impacts battery life when away from the coaster. Some like it hot. I like it very hot.The color I picked is just right. I got the burgundy color, and it's dark enough but still gives a nice morning color. I considered "spice" but glad I got the darker one. It makes the black at the bottom blend in better.Battery life is good enough for me to get through my coffee at my preferred heat when sitting outside on my back porch. Good enough for even a second cup, which I loved.The coaster is on my WFH desk, and the adapter has a nice long cord. Might have been better to be a USB-C connector, but that is a minor criticism.Something I didn't see in the other reviews is that when you put in your hot coffee, it shows you on the LEDs where the temp is so you can pick the corresponding temp setting to keep it there. Nice!I considered the Ember for years, but the long-term reviews kept me away. Didn't want to use an app. Is that the dumbest thing ever or what?The LEDs are not overly bright. That's a great thing.I did get the 3-year warranty for this for only $13, so there's piece of mind with it.Comes with a lid, which will be nice for traveling. This fits into my cup-holder, which was a concern.Really love how the last few sips in the cup are still hot. So used to contorting my face to drink that last lukewarm sip.May get an extra coaster for when I go into the office. We'll see.Negatives (short list):I guess battery life could be better. I'm sure it will go downhill, especially if I leave it on the charging base.My wife saying "You paid WHAT for a coffee cup?" :)It advertises being 14 oz, but the 12 oz setting on my Kuerig fills it almost to the top... too high to even put the lid on. I'll have to drink a few sips before putting on the lid and heading to my car.Would have been more portable if a USB connector could have powered the base, which I already have in my laptop bag.It is a bit expensive, but worth it as the black coffee lover I am, and I'll use it every day!

Received the order, and the plug they gave isn’t for Australian power points. This is pathetic as this was a birthday gift which I gave to someone and they’ve come back to me telling me that the plug is for another country. This was a complete embarrassment for myself and would not recommend anyone else to purchase.

There is no specific mention (that I can see) in the product information that says it only comes fitted with a US plug. US/UK plug adapter needed.

I read the instructions and plugged in the charging coaster, which already had two green lights and charged it until it was fully charged at three green lights which took a while. The directions were confusing to read. But it wasn’t until I actually used the mug that I was able to understand them. I was also concerned about the length of time I could leave the charging coaster plugged in for charging. I went online and ask customer service whether the charging coaster could be left charging overnight, but never heard back from them. But I figured if the charging coaster could be left on indefinitely according to the instructions when drinking coffee at any temperature, I could charge it overnight. The charging coaster didn’t get hot nor did the plug.The first time I used the mug I had it on warm uncovered, which was the perfect temperature for me. My 1st cup of coffee stayed warm for just under two hours. For what I paid, I was not happy and thought about returning the mug. I chose this type of coffee mug because I need to use it without the charging coaster. So I tried again and followed the directions, using what I learned from my first cup of coffee. Pulsing lights, heating up, pulsing lights cooling down. There are pictures and few words, but I figured it out by just using the mug.For my second cup of coffee I did use the lid. I prefer not using lids, but it made sense not to lose heat. Warm is the perfect temperature for my coffee and it stayed warm for about four hours. Yah!The next test was finding out what would happen if I added coffee to the coffee left in the mug. (I make French press coffee and it doesn’t stay hot for long,). When I added the coffee, the light started pulsing letting me know it was heating the coffee. Okay! And it did and it was perfect and didn’t take long.The final test was a cup of tea. I made the tea in the mug and set the temperature to warm. Pulsing lights again but this time to let the tea cool down!!!One of the reviews I read before purchasing the Nextmug mentioned that the coffee tasted better. For me it’s that first sip of coffee that’s the best. But with the Nextmug all the sips taste like the first sip. It took me by surprise. Same temperature and same wonderful flavor from start to finish.I love this mug and highly recommended it. But it is a little pricey.