Why a $80 High-Tech Coffee Mug Just Might Be Worth It

At first glance, the Ember Ceramic Mug seems like another piece of nobody-asked-for-this tech.

“Keeps your beverages at the perfect temperature!” the mug’s website touts. It pairs with an app, which notifies you when your drink reaches the exact degree of your choosing. And it comes with a charging coaster. Because your desk needs more clutter.

Is this really worth $80?

Seems like it might be, at least for today’s coffee drinker.

In a recent feature, Wired raved about the mug — they note that every beverage has an ideal temperature for consumption (136 degrees for coffee, FYI), which is around the preset for Ember. As well, Time named it one of the best inventions of 2017, noting that those drinking from regular mugs only have “37 seconds to enjoy [coffee] at an ideal level of warmth.”

So if you’re particular about your coffee or like to linger over a single cup, you’d like that cup to be in ideal shape during every sip.

Interesting side note: Some big pop culture names are behind Ember. The company has the financial backing of Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and Ndamukong Suh, among others.

So, go ahead. Ask for one for a gift (though due to demand, they’re a week behind in shipping). And maybe take a look into Ember’s first product, the $150 travel mug.

That one comes with the best tech of them all: A lid.