Ember Mugs are expensive battery powered mugs that keep your coffee or tea at the perfect temperature of hours. However, one of the major issues is that the inside coating can chip off.
Obviously you don't want bits of ceramic chipping off your expensive cup into your drink and you don't want your cup to look crappy either!
So why do Ember Mugs chip, how can you avoid chipping and what should you do if your Ember Mug has started to chip?
If your Ember Mug is chipping this is covered under Ember's 1 year warranty and you should contact customer service. This usually happens on the bottom of the mug and can be minimized by avoiding scraping the mug with metal spoons. It's still safe to drink out of a chipped Ember Mug.
Is It Normal For Ember Mugs To Chip? Why Is This Happening?
In theory no, Ember Mugs are not meant to chip at all and it's why this problem is covered under warranty.
However, this is one of the most common problems with Ember Mugs and so if you're experiencing it know that you're definitely not alone.
Ember Mugs are made from stainless steel and they are covered in a thin coat of ceramic.
This ceramic can chip off if you scrap the mug it with a metal spoon (eg. when you are stirring in sugar) or it can happen due to the long term heat exposure from the heating element at the bottom of the mug.
Ember Mugs have a heating element on the bottom of the mug and this is what keeps your drinks hot. As you can imagine this can get extremely hot and this heat can cause both the stainless steel and ceramic to expand and contract at different rates.
Over time the ceramic coating wears down and can come away from the stainless steel Ember Mug.
This hasn't happened to me yet with my Ember Mug but there are quite a few negative reviews on Amazon and Ember as a company are aware of the problem.
The problem seems to be more common with the older original Ember Mug 1 and less common with the version I have (the Ember Mug 2). So always make sure you're purchasing the newer Ember Mug version as there are a still a few older ones floating around. Learn about the differences between the original Ember Mug and the Ember Mug 2.
You can also click my affiliate link below which will take you directly to an Amazon listing for the Ember Mug 2 and the Ember Travel Mug 2.
See the latest price of the 10 oz Ember Mug at Amazon
See the latest price of the Ember Travel Mug at Amazon
What To Do If Your Ember Mug Is Chipped
If you end up in the unfortunate position where your Ember Mug is chipped then what can you do about it?
Well your options are limited but there are a couple of things you can do.
Contact Ember For a Replacement
Ember Mugs come with a 1 year warranty and this covers chipping as well as Ember Mug flaking and delamination.
If your ceramic is chipping off in the first year this should be covered under warranty so make sure to contact Ember Support and see if you can get a replacement.
Just Leave It
Underneath the ceramic is stainless steel and Ember Mugs are made from 18/8 kitchen grade stainless steel which is perfectly safe to drink from.
So if your Ember Mug is outside of the 1 year warranty period then your only option (other than buying a new mug) is to simply leave it and make do.
Purchase A New Mug
If you hate the paint chip and Ember won't replace your mug then you could always buy a new one.
Just be more careful with the new one so you don't get any chipping in the future.
How To Avoid Chipping Your Ember Mug
Whether you've got some chipping or if you want to avoid ever getting any chips in your Ember Mug here are some precautionary measures you can take to make sure your mug stays as flawless as possible for as long as possible.
Don't Scrape It With Metal Spoons
I'm lucky in that I don't usually have any sugar in my tea. But if you're used to adding sugar or sweeteners are stirring them with a metal spoon you might want to be careful.
The hard metal of the spoons over time can scratch and chip your Ember Mug.
Use wooden spoons or simply try not to scrape the base or the side of your mug when stirring your sugar in and don't leave the spoon in there when you're done.
Don't Leave It On For Hours and Hours at a Time
With the charging coaster it's possible to keep your tea or coffee hot for hours at a time without the Ember Mug running out of battery.
However, running the heating element for such long periods of time can weaken the ceramic coating faster and lead to paint chipping.
Regular use of the mug you shouldn't have any issues, but just try not to leave it on all day.
Buy The Black Mug (Not The White One)
While this won't help at all to stop chipping (the black mug isn't stronger than the white mug from my knowledge) it will be much less noticeable if and when your Ember Mug does chip.
This is the same with stains. A white Ember Mug shows stains a lot more than a black Ember Mug making it look worse quicker. Especially if you're like my Dad and leave half a cup of tea in there all day (and night before washing it).
If your Ember Mug is stained click here to learn how to clean an Ember Mug and remove stains from it.
Is It Dangerous To Drink From a Chipped Ember Mug?
If your Ember Mug has been chipped or is flaking you may be concerned about drinking out of it. Is it dangerous to drink out of an Ember Mug when the ceramic has started chipping off?
Yes, it's safe to drink out of a chipped Ember Mug. The stainless steel underneath is kitchen grade and safe to drink from and worse case if ceramic chips end up in your drink they should be small enough to pass through your system.
I personally wouldn't be worried to continue drinking out of my Ember Mug even if it had a few minor chips in the ceramic.
Will A Chipped Ember Mug Still Work?
Having a chip in your Ember Mug should NOT affect the heating performance of the mug. It'll still be able to heat your coffee or tea just fine.
The Ember Mug has a heating element on the bottom of the mug but this is protected by the stainless steel of the mug so even when it's chipped this will continue to work without issue. More details on how the Ember Mug actually works to keep your drinks hot.
If you're having issues with your Ember Mug you should check out this article on 10 ways to fix an Ember Mug that has stopped working or you can read more about Ember Mug battery replacements if you think it may be a battery issue.
But really if you're having issues with your Ember Mug – whether it be chipping or the mug not working – the best thing to do is to get in contact with Ember customer support and see if they can help you or potentially replace your faulty mug.
Alternatively if your mug is outside of the warranty period you could just buy a new one. In my opinion I love my Ember Mug and it's absolutely worth it cost. You can also check out these Ember Mug alternatives.
See the latest price of the 10 oz Ember Mug at Amazon
See the latest price of the Ember Travel Mug at Amazon
