To help you find the best temperature controlled mug, we tried dozens of models, testing for bright and clear temperature displays, usually OLED, temperature retention technology, that helps keep liquids cool or hot, and, in some cases, heating pads that keep liquids hot for hours at a time. We were also attracted to models that come with additional accessories and boasted access to related smartphone apps. Speaking of accessories, check out our guide to the best kitchen accessories if you need more high-quality products.
The best product we tried was easily the KISS KISS FISH Travel Mug, which features an OLED touchscreen that intelligently displays the temperature, as well as showing other information and playing a game, a durable double stainless steel wall for maximum temperature retention, keeping liquids hot for six hours, and coming with accessories, such as an ultra-fine mesh brewer that allows you to make coffee right in the mug. Keep reading to learn more about the KISS KISS FISH Travel Mug and the other products on this list.
Top 3 Best Temperature Controlled Mug Compared
#1 KISS KISS FISH Travel Mug
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: Features an ultra-bright OLED touchscreen display, which displays temperature and allows the playing of simple games, a double stainless steel wall for 6 hour temperature retention, of hot liquids, and an internal mesh brewer, that lets you make coffee right in the mug. This is a fantastic product, with tons of bells and whistles, and just perfect for commuters and travelers.
- Best for travel
- Keeps liquids hot for 6 hours
- Can make coffee or tea right in mug
- Lacks a heating element
- No smartphone integration
- At 12 oz, not lightest product on list
The KISS KISS FISH Travel Mug features an extremely bright OLED touchscreen display, which displays the internal temperature and allows for the setting of times and even the playing of video games (really.) The durable double stainless steel wall helps keep liquids hot for six hours and cold for five hours and it comes with an ultra-fine mesh brewer, which lets you make coffee and tea right in the mug itself. It is also completely BPA-free and easily fits into car drink holders. The best waffle maker is a good complement if you enjoy great waffles with your beverages.
Though the touchscreen is certainly high tech, the product does not integrate with smartphone apps, while other mugs on this list do. Additionally, there is no heating element included, aside from the stainless steel wall, so this cannot automatically adjust to a preferred temperature on its own. However, it means no battery to charge. Who needs the best coffee makers to keep it hot when you have this?
#2 Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2
Award: Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: Offers complete smartphone control, which allows you to set the temperature and related timers, with sensors that automatically turn the heating element off when the mug has been emptied and coming with a coaster that doubles as a charger. This is an amazing temperature controlled mug for those who like to keep their liquids hot, while at home or at the office.
- Smartphone control
- Automatically turns off when empty
- Includes coaster that doubles as charging apparatus
- Most expensive item on list
- Only keeps liquids hot for 1.5 hours while off coaster
- Needs app to adjust temperature
The Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2 is a high tech product, offering full smartphone integration, sensors that automatically turn the heating element off when the product has been emptied and a coaster that doubles as a charging/heating apparatus. Despite the high tech accoutrements, the stainless steel mug can still be hand washed.
Though the coaster that doubles as a charging cradle is extremely cool, the mug’s internal battery only keeps liquids hot for 1.5 hours while operating solo, which is on the low end. Additionally, this is, by far, the highest priced product on this list.
Update: The newer upgraded Ember Mug, the Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug has a 3-hour battery life, pairs with the Ember App, and has a new touch display that you can tap to increase or decrease your preferred drinking temperature, and also touch the ember logo on the coffee mug to check the temperature and remaining battery life. The temperature control feature alone gets a near 5 stars rating on Amazon from verified purchase customers.
Also, check out the best electric kettle for hot tea.
#3 Ideal FOR ME Smart MUG
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: Best Value
WHY WE LIKE IT: Boasts a suite of high tech features while coming in at a relatively low price point, with smartphone integration, an OLED display that shows temperature and volume and many sensors that keep track of how much liquid you’ve consumed during the day. This is a reasonably priced product that is just perfect for the techie who wants to keep an eye on your consumption statistics.
- Tracks consumption
- Integrates with smartphone app
- Keeps track of how much liquid has been consumed
- Lacks heating element, though insulation does maintain temperature
- Lacks USB charging component
- On heavy side, at more than a pound
The IDEAL FOR ME Smart MUG boasts a fantastic features to price ratio, with an OLED display that keeps track of both temperature and volume, an integrated smart phone app and a suite of sensors that lets you know how much liquid you’ve consumed, as opposed to what has been thrown out. The bone china insulation helps maintain temperature for long periods of time, in the range of hours, and the electronic components can set alarms and complete other simple tasks. If you like gadgets or appliances that can complete simple tasks, check out our review of the best stand mixer accessories.
Though the bone china insulation does a great job of maintaining internal temperatures, this product does lack a heating element, so you can’t automatically adjust to a preferred temperature. Additionally, it lacks USB charging, requiring the addition of batteries to power the screen, though the company throws in eight with a purchase, which should be enough to last years. The best decaf coffee is going to taste great in this mug.
How We Decided
To help narrow down to the above list, we tested products via a variety of metrics, including temperature control, with our number two pick containing a heating element that allows for automatic adjustments, and stability, favoring models manufactured with durable components that are ideal for maintaining temperatures for long periods of time, be they hot or cold.
We also wanted to make sure these items were tech-forward and easy to use, favoring mugs with OLED displays that display temperature, volume and other bits of useful information. We tended to like products that integrated nicely with smartphone apps, that allow for instantaneous adjustments and deliver statistics on liquids consumption, among other metrics. The best whole bean coffee has to be hot after all. And while we are at it, whatever you are drinking needs to be clean, using the best water filters.
Some items we chose also come packed with useful accessories, from a built-in mesh brewer for making beverages in the product itself, as is the case with our top pick, to coasters that double as charging apparatuses, as is the case with our number two pick. Our number three pick also comes with a suite of intelligent sensors that can even tell the difference between liquid that has been consumed and thrown out.
Temperature Controlled Mug Buying Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Heating Element
These products fall into two different camps, those that maintain temperature through durable and insulated components, usually stainless steel innards, and those that contain heating elements that actively adjust the temperature on your command. As far as heating elements go, look for products that offer gentle control, like our number two pick, that can easily keep a liquid in a preferred range of temperatures, usually around 120 F to 145 F. You don’t need to read our best gas range reviews to heat it up the old way. The same goes for kitchen gadgets. - Sensors and Smartphone Control
Many of these temperature controlled mugs contain a variety of sensors that inform you of a liquid’s temperature, how much liquid you’ve consumed and the volume inside of the container, among other metrics. You can interact with this information via built-in OLED displays or through an integrated smartphone app, which usually use Bluetooth in order to transmit data. - Accessories
Many of these products come packed with useful accessories. For example, our top pick comes with a built-in mesh brewer, that allows you to actually make drinks inside of the mug itself, while our number two pick comes with a coaster that doubles as a charging apparatus. Choosing the right accessory here comes down to personal preference. Just figure out what features you are likely to want in a temperature controlled mug and purchase accordingly. You might also like our kitchen appliances.
