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The best self-heated coffee mugs: Don't let that coffee get cold

No one likes their coffee room-temperature.
By Kristie Chan  on 
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"How do I take my coffee? I like a nice cuppa left out to go cold," said no one ever. There's a considerable difference between an iced latte or cold brew and a once-piping-hot cup of now-tepid coffee. If you're team iced coffee, your biggest gripe will be ice melting and diluting your cup of joe, which is easily fixed by freezing coffee ice cubes (if you haven't already).

Hot coffee, on the other hand, is a little harder. Hand warmers and mug cozies don't work as well as ice cubes to alter the temperature of a drink, so there's not much you can do to keep your coffee hot short of relying on vacuum-sealed thermoses like Hydro Flasks and hoping for the best. But even the most expensive and reputable of thermoses can't keep your coffee warm forever — the Stanley thermos, often touted(opens in a new tab) as the one that retains heat the longest, only promises hot coffee for up to 24 hours.

Enter the self-heating mug, an innovation that lets you reheat your coffee whenever you want. No need to leave your morning brew to the last minute so it stays hot until you reach the office; you can fill self-heating mugs with liquids of any temperature and tote them around for however long you need to before turning them on to heat up your drink.

Whether it's a coffee McDonald's-lawsuit-level scalding hot(opens in a new tab) 10 hours after you've brewed it that you want or a hot chocolate still warm two days into a camping trip, a self-heating cup gives you the flexibility and customization to suit your every drinking need. Check out our top picks below.

The self-heating mug from Ember is the OG for a reason: their patented technology combines four precision sensors for temperature and liquid detection, a dual-band microprocessor controlled heating system, and a stainless steel core to heat drinks up. 

A molecular convection current ensures evenness of heating, so you don't encounter any cold dregs at the bottom, and the mug even remembers your last set temperature so that you don't have to reset it every time if you have a particular preferred temp. 

The mug will maintain desired temperature for up to 1.5 hours, which doesn't sound like much, but is ample time to down a cup of coffee. Given all the tech, it needs to be hand-washed.

Also available in white and black(opens in a new tab), a larger 14 oz. version (black, white, and grey)(opens in a new tab), and as a travel mug(opens in a new tab).

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The SMRTMUGG's 14,400 MAH battery is so powerful that the mug can double as an external power bank to charge your phone, tablet, or even computer on the go. This battery also means that it'll keep your coffee hot for 10 whole hours, which is enough for the slowest drinker to get through a cup thrice over. You won't even have to charge it every day, as long as you're not intending to sip during every waking hour.

Plus, its leak-proof, lockable lid and easy fit in most car cupholders make it perfect for traveling. Fill your mug up and go on a hike, a drive, or just to sit outside; your drink will stay hot, or you can keep it cold and heat it up as desired with the LED temp adjustment screen.

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The Glowstone Smart Mug is a sleek model made of fine bone china (porcelain), which some(opens in a new tab) assert is better for flavor retention in coffee and tea. Though it is self-heating, there are no controls; the mug senses when hot liquid is poured into it, waits until the drink is at the optimal temperature of 145°F, and then keeps it there until you finish drinking and it detects that there's no more liquid to be heated (or until an hour is up and it runs out of juice). There's no adjusting the drink temperature, but the entire process is automated and saves you the nuisance of having cold coffee dregs. Plus, the mug can easily be tossed into the dishwasher, which can't be said of any of the other products on this list.

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Available in blue and black, East Mount's travel mug is designed for use in the car, where it can be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket, but comes in handy in all travel situations. It's got built-in automatic closure when it senses tilting so that it won't spill when you take a sharp turn, plus it's got some serious heating power: at 90°C, you can even make instant noodles in this mug. 

Take it camping or to work; a power bank and/or adapter should ensure that it functions anywhere, and it'll even keep soups warm and toasty.

Heating room temperature liquids to maximum temperature takes only 15 minutes, so you can have hot coffee on demand. To clean it, you simply take the internal stainless steel cup and rinse, after which it can be reinstalled in the heater.

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Ok, this mug itself isn't self-heating, but the plate it comes with is. As long as we're all working from home, you might as well save yourself the trek to the kitchen and the wait for the coffee machine to do its thing and just keep your cup of joe hot in this desktop mug stand.

It's waterproof and so can withstand any accidental spills, and has an automatic shut-off feature after 4 hours in case you forget about it overnight. Though you can't choose the exact temperature of your drink, 145°F is a nice toasty temp to sip from.

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If all you need is a mug that will keep your drink hot through a long commute, this is a good choice. Less expensive than independently self-heating mugs, this one has to be plugged into the charger in your car or any other 12V outlet to work, but offers all the same heating perks. 

Toggle the temperature you want with the on-mug controls; there are four settings — room temperature, lukewarm, hot, and very hot — but if your preferences lie in between those intervals, simply switch between two settings periodically and sip at your leisure, since the temperature is always displayed on the analog screen.

As any travel mug should be, this one is leakproof and has a rubber base for anti-slip purposes.

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Kristie Chan

Kristie Chan is a Shopping Fellow.


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