Best Budget-Friendly Temp Mug: BESTINNKITS Smart Coffee Set Auto On/Off Gravity-Induction Mug

The best temperature control mug has a simple job—keeping your coffee, tea or hot chocolate from getting cold. 

After trying out several of these mugs, we learned there are two basic approaches to this concept: a coaster that heats up the cup, or the cup heats up itself. There’s even a battery-less model that uses the heat from the beverage itself. 

How are these mugs helpful? Well, let’s say you are easily distracted . . . putting down your cup of coffee, only to return 5 minutes later and finding it cold. 

And there is one caveat to these warmers: for safety reasons, temperature control mugs only heat up a beverage to 120 to 145 degrees (this varies by brand). That’s very warm, but not piping hot. Some folks are disappointed in this—so set your expectations accordingly.

For the first type of temperature control mugs (where a coaster heats up the cup), we’d recommend BestInnKits Smart Coffee mug. And good news: it is also budget-friendly.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Warms liquid to 131 degrees—hot but not too hot!

• Auto on/off: the coaster only activates when a mug is placed on it.

• Easy to clean.

• Affordable.

• 14 ounce mug included.

• Indicator light shows when unit is on.

• Can use ANY cup that has a flat bottom.

What Needs Work

• Don’t walk away from your drink. That’s because this cup will continue to heat your beverage . . . and that can damage/stain the cup. This is important to understand: when a cup with liquid is on the coaster, it turns on. When the cup is removed, it turns off. But if the cup stays there, it will continue to heat—that can be an issue if your beverage evaporates.

• Not kid or pet-friendly. We don’t recommend using this temperature control mug if you have young kids or pets (like cats that walk on a counter). That’s because a child or cat may accidentally knock something onto the coaster, turning it on without meaning to. Bottom line: we don’t recommend it for use in households with kids or pets.

• Only one preset temperature. Some folks who’ve used this mug are unhappy that it only heats to 131 degrees—that’s not hot enough for some coffee lovers. If you want a mug that lets you adjust the temperature (up to a toasty 145 degrees), consider our next recommendation.

Best Rechargeable, App-Enabled Mug: Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2

And now, for something rather amazing: a smartphone-enabled cup that has a rechargeable battery and can keep your coffee or tea warm for up to an hour and half. 

We tried out the Ember mug and were impressed: the coaster is a wireless charging unit (like the charging pads that charge a phone or smartwatch by just putting the unit down on it). 

The cup itself houses the battery and heating element. An app lets you set the mug for 120 to 145 degrees. And when the mug is empty, it automatically turns off (sleep mode). 

Bottom line: a fun gift for the tech-loving coffee enthusiast.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• No need to microwave coffee anymore to keep it warm.

• Works for 1.5 hours on a single charge.

• Wireless charging.

• LED light indicates when cup is ready.

• Adjustable temperature. Other temperature control mugs only have one preset temp—this model lets you adjust the temp between 120 and 145 degrees.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Battery is not replaceable. 

• Mug must be hand-washed.

• 145 degrees is still not hot enough for some folks. We know, some like it hot. But temperature control mugs are designed to keep your beverage warm, not piping hot.

• 10 ounce cup is too small for some folks. Good news: there is also a 14 ounce version. Bad news: it is more expensive.

Best Travel Temp Control Mug: BURNOUT Temperature Regulating Travel Mug

Look ma! No wires, no batteries.

This travel mug is an impressive feat of engineering—it keeps a beverage warm for hours without a heating element.

How? It uses thermal energy from the beverage when first poured and stores it for later use: this cools down the beverage from “too hot” at the start . . . and then keeps it warm for hours.

Is that the same principle as an insulated mug that costs less than the Burnout? Yes, sort of . . . but the difference is an insulated mug can keep coffee too hot to drink (leaving you waiting for it to cool down). This mug lets you drink that beverage right away.

We tried it out and thought it worked well. Yes, it is pricey but great if you need a travel mug solution.

What We Liked

• Easy to clean.

• Looks nicer than other travel mugs we looked at.

• No wires, no battery, no heating coasters. Yep, this travel mug is environmentally friendly (uses no external energy).

• Works like a heat pump: pulls heat from the beverage and stores it to keep it warm. 

• No need to wait until beverage cools down to drink.

What Needs Work

• Lid can leak. We didn’t have a problem with this, but we see reports that others complained about leaks.

• Heavy.

• Pricey.

• Holds only 12 ounces of beverage. Good news: there is another version of this mug that holds 16 ounces.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!