Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us. Ohom’s Ui 3 Self-Heating Mug is the greatest addition to my life—and it makes for the perfect gift.
The Cup of Coffee That’ll Never Get Cold
SHOP $98, amazon.com
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What gets me out of bed every morning isn’t the idea that today is a new day to conquer or that I should be making the most out of life. It’s the promise of a cup of coffee. The first thing I do is make a beeline to my kitchen and brew a hot mug of steaming coffee.
I know from one too many scorched tongues that it’ll be too hot to drink right away, so I let it cool down. I go do something else for a bit, and then I come back to my coffee. I take a sip, and most of the time it’s disappointingly cold. Fellow hot-beverage lovers know the struggle—unless you time your wait perfectly, precisely, and accurately, you miss out on that super-short window of enjoying a just hot enough cup of coffee, and that walk of shame to the microwave never gets any easier, does it?
Friends, I found the mug that ensures you’ll never have to make that microwave walk ever again. The mug that ensures you can leisurely savor your tea or coffee, and even if you spend an hour sipping it, it’ll stay perfectly hot the entire time. Ohom’s Ui 3 Self-Heating Muggets the job done—and it goes above and beyond to make sure your coffee-drinking experience is the best it’s ever been, every damn time.
SHOP $98, amazon.com
When you open the box that the Ohom Ui mugarrives in, you’re met with everything you need. The ceramic mug, of course, along with a helpful little ceramic lid for it, in case you want to keep the steam in your drink (or, if you, like me, want to cover it for a bit while you leave the room or do something else and then come back to a fresh-feeling mug of coffee). There’s the heating pad, which is small, sleek, and slim—a seamless device—and comes with a USB-C charging cord and a port. Nothing is too bulky or invasive for your space; if you have, like, six inches of room on your desk or counter to spare, this’ll fit right in. In fact, here’s a life hack for you that I’ve been doing every time I work from home: You can plug the USB-C into your computer and have your coffee heated right next to your workspace.
Setup is simple: Plug in the heating pad and put the mug on top—it’ll light up purple to show you that it’s actively heating. This isn’t like a charger (except for when it is, but more on that later), where you wait for your drink to get hot, take it off, and chug it. You can keep placing your mug on the heating pad between every sip, and it’ll never overheat or burn. Your drink stays perfect—not scorching but not even slightly too lukewarm, either.
The heating pad has only one setting, which I thought would be tedious—what if I want my drink a little bit hotter? Turns out, the heat setting is perfect. It keeps your drink at 130 degrees Fahrenheit, which is typically the temperature that cafes serve children’s drinks at, because we all know kids have no concept of waiting for something delicious to be cooled down. My coffee is always hot enough to drink without scalding my taste buds, down to the very last sip. Just how I like it. And don’t fret if you accidentally leave your house with your mug still on the heating pad—it has an auto shutoff, so you can go about your day in peace.
SHOP $98, amazon.com
Here’s the real kicker—when you get the Ohom Ui 3 Self-Heating Mug, you aren’t just getting a ceramic self-heating mug. You’re also getting a free phone charger—congrats!
The heating pad doubles as a wireless charger, so when it’s cooled down, place your phone on it and let it charge up. My perfect setup has my heating pad plugged in at my desk, so I can have hot coffee while my mug lasts, and when I’m done, my phone can juice up. This might just be my favorite feature of the Ohom Ui 3: It’s versatile as hell.
You can use every part of what comes in the box for something else; put an iced beverage in your mug and let your devices fuel up with the heating pad. Everything is practical, because, let’s face it, who has the space for random objects that serve only one purpose? Really you’re getting devices for your kitchen and workspace that are multifunctional.
And speaking of multifunctionality—Ohom has an entire range of Ui products that are also compatible with this heating pad. There’s a self-heating teapot, fondue pot, and diffuserthat you can buy and use with the heating pad you already have from your mug. And if you use your mug for tea more often than coffee, you can also add on a tea strainerthat’s the perfect size for it. How’s that for versatility?
SHOP $98, amazon.com
Because Ohom seems hell-bent on creating practical products that make your life as absolutely seamless as it can be, the ceramic mug and lid are also dishwasher safe. You wouldn’t guess it from how high-end they feel. In my experience, ceramic mugs that are this lightweight tend to be fragile and break in the dishwasher, but not this one. It’s also handmade, which gives it an extra-luxurious feel.
A lot of self-heating mugs on the market have the heating pad built in, which leaves them looking techy, bulky, and not sleek—not to mention, they aren’t dishwasher safe. The beauty of this one, however, is that the mug is a sleek, chic addition to your kitchen as it comes. It’s perfectly functional, without built-in wires and batteries that you have to be careful of while you clean it. The rounded shape (which comes in an array of colors, from minimalist white to deep navy to bright green) and fitted lid are compact and refined, with a sturdy feeling that isn’t too heavy, either.
Honestly, few brands are making kitchen gadgets as sleek and functional as Ohom is. And because it’s gifting season, get yourself (or a loved one) the best gift of all—a cup of coffee that’ll never go cold.
SHOP $98, amazon.com
Photographs by Joe Lingeman. Prop styling by Heather Greene.
