10 Things NOT To Do With An Ember Mug: Care Tips

The Ember mug is simple to use and is ideal for those wanting to keep their coffee warm for some time.

However, when you're spending this much money on a mug you want to make sure you take care of it and don't do things that will ruin the mug. There are some essential tips on what not to do with your ember mug to keep it clean, working correctly and stop it from breaking.

Looking after your ember mug correctly will ensure you enjoy using it for as long as possible. I've had mine for approximately 2 years now and it's still going strong.

1. Place It On The Coaster When Wet

The Ember Mug charges by connecting the gold pins of the charging coaster with the gold ring at the bottom of the Ember Mug to create an electric current.

While the Ember Mug is waterproof and ok to get wet the charging coaster is NOT waterproof. Water damage to the charging coaster is one of the main reasons Ember mugs stop charging.

Ensure that the bottom of your ember mug is dry before placing it on its charging coaster. You can do this by using a soft cloth or kitchen towel. If you put the mug on the coaster while wet, it may, over time, cause corrosion of the gold rings on the mug or the coaster or the water can get inside the coaster and ruin the electrics completely. Learn more about how to charge your Ember Mug.

So, whether you’ve washed your mug or spilled some coffee, ensure that it is dry before placing it on the coaster.

2. Place It In The Microwave

Sometimes your Ember Mug battery might die leaving your coffee or tea lukewarm. It's normal to want to buzz it in the microwave to heat it up. But you should NOT do this!

You cannot use an Ember mug in the microwave. This action can start a fire or damage the electrics (or both).

If you want to use the microwave to heat up your beverage then you should transfer it from your Ember Mug into a regular ceramic cup and put that in the microwave. Then put the drink back in the Ember if you want.

It'll make a bit more cleaning for you but it'll save your Ember Mug from breaking. More about putting your Ember Mug in the microwave.

3. Place It In The Dishwasher

It is highly recommended to hand wash your ember mug with warm water, soap, and a soft sponge, rather than putting it in the dishwasher.

Although technically, the Ember Mug can be cleaned in the dishwasher (according to the founder) and is waterproof, hand washing is strongly advised.

The issue is less the dishwasher causing the electrics to stop working (the cup should be waterproof enough to handle it) but the bigger issue is potential flaking or delaminating.

Cleaning your ember mug using the dishwasher can lead to the ceramic lining coming off. Using the dishwasher for an expensive mug is not worth risking damage.

By hand washing your Ember mug regularly, you will maintain it well.

If you really want a battery powered heated coffee mug that can go in the dishwasher then I suggest you check out The Glowstone Mug. It's made completely of fine bone china, has wireless charging and is dishwasher safe. It's one of the best smart coffee cups out there.

4. Use It To Heat Drinks

Although the Ember Mug has the capacity to heat a cold drink, it will dramatically decrease its battery life and take a long time before you reach the desired temperature.

While the mug tries to heat your drink, it often (about every 30 seconds) switches to “Empty” – meaning you need to manually use the app to keep it on and working or you need to continually wiggle the mug. It also takes an incredibly long time to heat up any drink as you can see in my video below where I tried to do exactly that:

It appears to struggle to heat any liquid under 100ºF/38°C.

From about 100ºF/38°C, the process will be a bit smoother but still not ideal. The Ember is designed to keep drinks hot, not to actively heat cold drinks.

A much easier way would be to heat your drink in the microwave (in a different mug) and then pour it into the Ember mug so that it can more easily reach the temperature and keep it there.

The Cauldryn Mug is actually battery powered and can take water from room temperature to a full boil. So if actively heating drinks is something you want this is going to be the best Ember Mug alternative for you.

5. Use It With MCT Oil

Many people use MCT oil in their coffee and other drinks and foods for various reasons.

Ember Mugs are not designed with MCT oils in mind but I see no reason you couldn't use MCT oil or butter in your Ember Mug. It might make it slightly harder to clean but it shouldn't effect the ceramic or the mug in any other way.

However, MCT oil can react with plastic materials and cause damage to them. Because the Ember Travel Mug uses a plastic lid the MCT oil may cause damage to the lid of the travel mug and shouldn't be used in this device.

6. Clean It With An Abrasive Cloth

An abrasive cloth can take off the ceramic coating on the Ember mug, which will look like small scratches. Because of the thin ceramic layer over the stainless steel, scratches on your Ember Mug from abrasive cleaners will quickly show.

Use a standard detergent or soap, hot water, and a soft cloth to clean your ember mug. The Ember mug will also detect the warm water and keep it hot, so you can leave the soapy water to soak for a bit before rinsing. Click here to learn how to clean an Ember Mug properly.

If you want that super clean look and remove stains from your Ember Mug, try using Cafiza or baking soda as cleaning agents. Use about 1 to 2 grams of Cafiza in the mug, fill it with hot water and leave for about 30 minutes to an hour for a deeper clean.

Baking soda is a good alternative and removes stains well. Make a paste with water, brush it onto the mug and leave it for a bit before rinsing it off.

7. Drop It

Perhaps an obvious tip, but something that can happen quickly – don’t drop your ember mug.

Dropping it can break the electronics of the mug and cause it to malfunction.

The charging or heat-keeping functions may be affected.

8. Fail To Charge Your Ember Mug For Months

One of the main properties of the Ember mug is its charging capabilities.

However, if you don’t charge the mug for a very long time, like several months, the battery’s lifespan may be decreased.

When you eventually start charging it again, it won’t be able to stay charged for as long as before.

9. Use Metal Spoons In Your Ember Mug

If you want to stir in some sugar or honey into your tea or coffee then you'll likely want to do so with a metal spoon. But I'd personally advise against metal spoons in your Ember Mug.

Using a metal spoon is one of the most common causes of scratches on the mug.

It can scratch the ceramic coating and even cause a chip if you use it too roughly.

Instead, use wooden or silicone spoons to stir your drink in an ember mug.

Or if you're like me and have no desire to buy a wooden or silicone spoon you can still use a metal spoon, just make sure the spoon doesn't touch the sides or base on the mug to avoid creating scratches.

10. Keep The Ember App On Your Phone

This is a personal thing for me but I don't think it's worth keeping the Ember Mug App on your phone.

It's useful to set up your desired temperature and to change the LED light color of your mug, but after you've done that I found I never needed the mug. Sure it has a tea timer which can be handy, but other than that it doesn't really have any value.

The mug will still work without connecting to the ember app.

The disadvantage of using the app is that it tracks and stores large amounts of unnecessary data about you that they frankly don't need to have. For instance, the app collects data about health and fitness, location, contact information, and diagnostics.

None of this adds to your experience of using the mug and it doesn't provide any features. It just gives the company your data which they can use and potentially sell or profit from – and that's something that I'm personally not comfortable with.

For privacy reasons, you can use the app to set up your ember mug (temperature and LED lights) and then delete it afterward. If you don't use the app ever, the Ember mug will keep the drink hot at about 135ºF/57°C.

Conclusion

Ember mugs can last a long time if you know how to take proper care of them. There are several simple care tips for using an ember mug. Some include charging it regularly, cleaning it properly, and not using it in the dishwasher or microwave.

You should not do the following ten things with an ember mug.

  • Place it on the coaster when wet
  • Place it in the microwave
  • Place it in the dishwasher
  • Use it to heat drinks
  • Use it with MCT oil
  • Clean it with an abrasive cloth
  • Drop it
  • Fail to charge your ember mug for months
  • Use metal spoons in your ember mug
  • Keep the ember app on your phone