Whether it’s the morning coffee that gets your brain going or the afternoon tea that gets you through to the end of the day, few things are as comforting as a slurp of a hot beverage. But, take that same beverage and turn it down by a few degrees, and you have a mouthful of yuck. Some folks don’t mind cold coffee or tea, but I’m not one of them. A mug that keeps my drink warm has always been a tempting prospect.

The problem is, I’ll pour a cup, have a lovely intro sip, and then set it down and become engrossed in whatever I’m writing. By the time I remember to take that second sip, the temperature has slipped too low. The last half of the mug is often stone cold. I’ve tried mugs with lids and temperature controls, but nothing has nailed my warm tea and coffee needs like the Ohom Ui3.

Keeping it Simple

Now, Ohom Ui3 may sound like the name of a car or domestic robot, but it’s actually an elegant solution to an age-old problem. This range of fine ceramic mugs feel and look like regular mugs. They sport a classic design that tapers toward the top, they hold 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters), and the thin handle is comfortable to hold. You get an optional lid with each one, and they are dishwasher safe (a rarity for self-heating mugs).

I used an Ember mug for a while, and I liked it, but it was overengineered, with an app that enabled you to set your precise desired drinking temperature. It would even ping my phone when my coffee was ready to drink. The Ohom just keeps it warm at around 55 degrees centigrade (130 degrees Fahrenheit). No app required, no coffee notifications, and that’s really all I want.

The Ember also came with a proprietary charging base that worked with its mugs only, while the Ohom has a wireless charging pad. The Ui3 mug has metal infused in the base that is heated by Ohom’s dual wireless charger. It works like an induction hob to heat the mug at 22 watts but can also charge phones, AirPods, and other small gadgets that support Qi wireless charging at up to 15 watts. This dual use helps reduce clutter on my desk, and I often use the pad to charge something else once my drink is finished.

As the temperature outside has started to drop, having a constantly warm mug of coffee at hand has been lovely. Crucially, unlike the Ember, the Ohom Ui3 is virtually indistinguishable from normal mugs. It’s the kind of Goldilocks mug I would pick out of a cupboard because it looks nice and sturdy, holds the right amount, and is pleasant to sip from.

The Ohom Ui3 comes with a USB-C cable that’s just shy of 5 feet long and a power adapter. The LED on the front pulses purple when it’s heating your drink and blue when it’s charging a gadget. Although the charging base can act as a regular Qi wireless charging pad, you can’t use other Qi pads with the mug. The pad heats a little to the touch when in use but not dangerously so, and it cools quickly.

Off the Boil

As much as I like the Ohom Ui3, there is room for improvement. The charging pad is ugly, with a safety warning on the top that tells you not to place any other metal objects on it and, weirdly, not to try wirelessly charging your phone face down. While the former is an understandable safety concern, I can’t help wondering who needs the second warning. It’s a shame, with such a lovely and unobtrusive mug, that the pad couldn’t emulate a regular coaster (many wireless charging pads do).

While I found that the pad did a solid job of keeping my coffee and tea at a pleasant drinking temperature, and it never got that burnt taste you might expect from a hotplate, it does work better with less liquid than a full cup. It takes a while to reheat a drink if the pot has gone cold or you have left it off the pad for too long. If you leave a single mouthful on it for a while, it’s going to be hotter than a full mug, though I never found it too hot.

Because the mug has metal infused in the base, you cannot put it in the microwave. But this isn’t really a problem because you should never heat tea or coffee in the microwave (it tastes terrible).

The Ohom Ui3 set costs $98, which is cheaper than the Ember Mug 2 ($119) but more expensive than a simple hotplate, like the Bestinnkits Mug Warmer ($30). If the Ui3 is too small for you, Ohom also sells the Ui+ ($108), which holds 18 fluid ounces (532 milliliters). Ohom also offers teapots, diffusers, and fondue sets with similarly lovely designs, and if you want to add a second mug to use with the charger, you can snag one for $32.

After trying all of the above, the Ohom Ui3 is what I recommend for anyone who’s sick of that shocking slug of tepid tea or cold coffee. It’s the perfect thing to help make the winter months a little more bearable.