Waking up every morning, I stumble foggy-brained to the kitchen to make coffee and then peacefully read a book until the first cup is gone. It’s the only way I can start my day, work day or not, holiday or weekend. Because I’m not just throwing back the cup but enjoying it, I take my sweet ass time.

The coffee tends to get a little lukewarm by the last sips. Cold, even, if I’m really dragging it out. The Ember Smart Mug 2 has a high-tech solution to that. It keeps your mug warm through an embedded electric heater, so you can take your sweet ass time, too, without ending up with lukewarm coffee. Down from its retail price of $150, it’s selling for $120 right now.

the yale grad of coffee mugs

I’m not saying your regular mug, made of ceramic or stainless steel, is a big ol’ dummy. I’m just saying that it’s not as smart as a mug made to maintain your coffee at a particular temperature for over an hour.

You can set the Ember mug to anywhere between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The 10 fl. oz. version can run for up to 90 minutes on a charge, and the 14 fl. oz. version can run for up to 80. When it’s out of juice, you recharge it wirelessly by placing it on its charging coaster.

I’ve not tried the Ember Smart Mug 2, although it’s on my long, long list of gadgets to try out (as long as my old Waffle House mug doesn’t mind me forsaking it for a little while). But having been a tech journalist for years at a number of outlets, I’ve heard approving appraisals from colleagues who’ve bought their own.

And I’ve been referring to coffee an awful lot, because I’m drinking an oil drum’s worth of it as I write this and it’s on my mind, but you can obviously put anything liquid in the Ember. Tea is the obvious alternative. Hot cocoa or broth or golden milk, too. Probably not soda, because the point of the Ember is to keep liquids hot. But if you like a hot mug of Dr. Pepper, I’m not here to judge you. Not publicly, at least.