How I Broke My Family’s Coffee Curse With Just One Gift — The Ember Mug 2
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Every time I talk to my father, he tells me how much he loves the Ember Mug 2 I got him earlier this year for Father’s Day. He’ll call me on a Sunday afternoon, and we’ll tell each other what we’ve read and watched recently, but he always makes sure to give it a shout-out. He told me he loves it. He told me uses it every day, both in the morning and for his daily afternoon coffee. It’s easily one of the best gift ideas I’ve ever had. I’m not sure he’d phrase it this way, but I’m pretty sure it’s changed his life.
Temperature Control Smart Mug 2
amazon.com
$99.99
At this point, the Ember’s a known quantity: The definitive “smart” mug, it allows you to set and keep your hot drinks to a specific temperature. Its battery life is relatively short–Ember claims it should last between 80-90 minutes on a single charge–but the coffee only gets cold after the battery dies, so it should be more than enough time to drink up. (If it isn’t, Ember sells charging coasters so you keep your coffee warm indefinitely.)
Charging Coaster 2
$39.99
The concept behind the gift was simple. I know my dad drinks a lot of coffee and tea and that a hot cup can go lukewarm halfway through a Netflix standup special. The Ember usually costs well over $100, so it’s a luxury that he probably wouldn’t consider. It’s a classic combination of my two types of gift recommendations: The luxury item that your giftee wants but won’t buy and the lifestyle gift that solves a specific problem in their everyday life.
But his need – our need, really – runs deeper than that. The Ember mug is the perfect gift for my dad, but it really reminds me of my grandmother (his mom). Grandma was always an avid tea drinker – she preferred Typhoo, a British brand. When I was a kid, she would drink three to five cups a day. It wasn’t until I grew up and she became more feeble that I noticed why she drank so many cups. She’d drink about half a cup, then it would get cold, and she’d get another. I started helping make all the tea, but I’m pretty sure it was her M.O. all along. It’s my father’s, too. And mine, if I’m being honest.
I don’t know if my dad thinks about fetching grandma’s tea when he uses his Ember mug. Hearing him rave about it makes me think about it, though. It reminds me that we all have this shared trait, this little bad habit. It reminds me that we’re all connected. And, in finding an answer to the problem, I can take a little solace that my dad won’t have to spend so much time waiting for someone to bring him another cup of coffee.
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