4 ms·

Okay, this is the fourth Ember recommendation I've seen, so I'll bite. Why is it better than an insulated carafe and an insulated mug?

madamelic 2y ago
It keeps the drink at a specific temperature indefinitely. With an insulated mug, you aren't putting more heat into the drink but just trying to keep it for longer. In my opinion, insulation works great for cold drinks (I use a giant insulated cup for my cold drinks) but not so much for warm drinks.
- LVB 2y ago
  The old (maybe incorrect) advice I was always told was that continuing to heat the coffee fouled the taste, hence the recommendation to use an insulated mug/thermos as opposed to a Mr. Coffee style warmed carafe. What makes this gadget different/better?
  - hildolfr 2y ago
    It would foul the taste because in an open carafe it distills the brew via evaporation. If you don't let the water escape the taste stays fairly stable.
    - hildolfr 2y ago
      I meant concentrate, my mind is broken due to a cold and for some reason I'm not seeing an edit pathway on the mobile app I'm trying. Apologies.
    - LVB 2y ago
      That makes sense. The mug version of Ember (https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2 https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2) is open on top, which seems like a fancy Bluetooth version of an old-school mug heater. I could see the sealed one (the "Cup") as working better though.
  - sincarne 2y ago
    Much of coffee's flavour comes from a balance of acids and oils. These, particularly the oils, are sensitive to temperature. But unless you're drinking your coffee all day, you're unlikely to notice it. Real spoiling sets in after several hours at the kinds of heat you're probably running your Ember mug at. Most drip brewers with heating elements for the pot keep the temperature too high (often just below boiling). A steady heat is much better for the flavour than reheating. (This is what I remember from working at a coffee shop way, WAY back when I was at university.)
jauntywundrkind 2y ago
Yeah. I make tea in a 68 oz Zojirushi thermos. I don't do this a lot, but if I make it at night it's still reasonably warm in the morning. The thermos has a sipping cup on top that I can pour a couple oz of tea into.
rdoherty 2y ago
It will hold my coffee at the perfect temperature all day. Also if the battery runs out I can put it on its charger and after ~5 mins it will start heating my now cold coffee back up to temperature. I thought it was kinda gimmicky too before I bought it but I am surprised at how great it is to have perfect temp coffee all the time.
- idontwantthis 2y ago
  Why do you take all day to drink a coffee? Mine is definitely gone by the time it gets cold in an insulated mug.
  - rdoherty 2y ago
    Sometimes I forget, sometimes I need to run an errand or take the kids to school or any number of things happen.

madamelic 2y ago

It keeps the drink at a specific temperature indefinitely. With an insulated mug, you aren't putting more heat into the drink but just trying to keep it for longer. In my opinion, insulation works great for cold drinks (I use a giant insulated cup for my cold drinks) but not so much for warm drinks.

LVB 2y ago
The old (maybe incorrect) advice I was always told was that continuing to heat the coffee fouled the taste, hence the recommendation to use an insulated mug/thermos as opposed to a Mr. Coffee style warmed carafe. What makes this gadget different/better?
- hildolfr 2y ago
  It would foul the taste because in an open carafe it distills the brew via evaporation. If you don't let the water escape the taste stays fairly stable.
  - hildolfr 2y ago
    I meant concentrate, my mind is broken due to a cold and for some reason I'm not seeing an edit pathway on the mobile app I'm trying. Apologies.
  - LVB 2y ago
    That makes sense. The mug version of Ember (https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2 https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2) is open on top, which seems like a fancy Bluetooth version of an old-school mug heater. I could see the sealed one (the "Cup") as working better though.
- sincarne 2y ago
  Much of coffee's flavour comes from a balance of acids and oils. These, particularly the oils, are sensitive to temperature. But unless you're drinking your coffee all day, you're unlikely to notice it. Real spoiling sets in after several hours at the kinds of heat you're probably running your Ember mug at. Most drip brewers with heating elements for the pot keep the temperature too high (often just below boiling). A steady heat is much better for the flavour than reheating. (This is what I remember from working at a coffee shop way, WAY back when I was at university.)

jauntywundrkind 2y ago

Yeah. I make tea in a 68 oz Zojirushi thermos. I don't do this a lot, but if I make it at night it's still reasonably warm in the morning. The thermos has a sipping cup on top that I can pour a couple oz of tea into.

rdoherty 2y ago

It will hold my coffee at the perfect temperature all day. Also if the battery runs out I can put it on its charger and after ~5 mins it will start heating my now cold coffee back up to temperature. I thought it was kinda gimmicky too before I bought it but I am surprised at how great it is to have perfect temp coffee all the time.

idontwantthis 2y ago
Why do you take all day to drink a coffee? Mine is definitely gone by the time it gets cold in an insulated mug.
- rdoherty 2y ago
  Sometimes I forget, sometimes I need to run an errand or take the kids to school or any number of things happen.