The battery-powered Ember Cup is a beautiful way to keep hot drinks at the perfect temperature

Walk past a table at an artisan coffee shop, and you might catch whispered phrases like “optimal tampering compactness”, “precision-regulated acidity”, and “best goose neck curvature for optimal pour-over”.

If those snippets mean anything to you, then congratulations — you’re a certified coffee connoisseur. Chances are, then, that you revel in enjoying your cup of glorious caffeinated nectar. You savour the ritual. The smell. The taste. You don’t just chug back any old muck with the sole intent of soaking your brain with whatever wake-up-sludge happens to be on hand. You sit and enjoy the moment, sip after sip, marvelling at yet another fine brew.

Trouble is, unless you use an unwieldy insulated flask, your beautifully crafted drink will soon go cold. Rather than forcing yourself to sip faster than you’d like though, there is another way. Take Ember — a company that made its mark with battery-heated mugs for keeping your hot drinks hot, who’s just released a new smart cup for those who prefer a cleaner, handleless vessel for their brew.

As with some of the company’s other mug variants, the new Ember Cup’s built-in battery (which is rechargeable via an included charging coaster) provides up to 1.5 hours of continuous heat, which is bumped up to all-day use if left on the coaster. 

An accompanying app lets you dial in your perfect preferred temperature, as long as it lies within the reasonable range of 50°C – 62.5 °C. A built-in LED lets you know when your beverage has reached your desired temperature, while an Auto Sleep function cleverly turns it on and off as required, for maximum efficiency.

Available in one 178ml size in black and copper finishes, the Ember Cup is obviously aimed at hot drink enjoyers who’d rather savour their drink of choice without being forced to rush. Is it for everyone? No. But we’d be lying if we weren’t tempted ourselves. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got some freshly roasted Colombian to grind.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.