Great Coffee Mug Warmers

A nice hot mug of coffee in the morning is great. A cold cup of coffee, not so great. If fresh coffee is close by, perhaps a break room or even a nearby coffee shop, this isn’t that much of a problem – more hot coffee can always be had. Quite often though, once you arrive at your destination, there’s no source of coffee to refresh your coffee mug and you are left to slowly watch your coffee become cold (or try to gulp it down before this happens!).

Fortunately, there is a solution. Coffee mug warmers can keep your coffee warm throughout the day (although eventually you’ll want a new cup!). The basic type is simply a small hotplate designed for cups or mugs that plugs into the wall. Other types of mug warmers can even plug directly into your computer, a great help if you don't have access to extra electrical plugs. Immersion heaters are also available to keep your coffee warm. They are heating elements that you can put directly into your coffee for a quick “heat-up”!

Manufactured by the dependable Mr. Coffee Company, this is the best selling mug warmer on Amazon.  A simple and effective warmer, it plugs into the wall and has an on/off switch (so you don’t need to unplug it when you’re done) and a indicator light so you don’t forget to turn it off.  Like most mug warmers, it doesn’t get hot enough to brew coffee, but it will keep a hot cup of coffee (or any other beverage) warm all day.

This product with the admittedly somewhat uninspired name is an immersion heater.  Once nice thing about immersion heaters is that they usually heat to a higher temperature, thus making it possible to cook soup, cocoa or even instant coffee (if you can’t find fresh coffee).  It can of course still be used to keep coffee or other beverages warm, but you wouldn’t want to be using it constantly as you would the non-immersion models.

Similar to the Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer, this appliance does pretty much the same thing, but is a bit more stylish. It includes an on/off switch on the power cord (the power cord is a bit on the short side and you’ll need to use an extension cord if you’re not close to a plug). While it’s great for keeping already hot beverages hot, it’s not as successful in heating up coffee or tea that has already cooled down.

The Toastmaster Personal Coffee Mug and Warmer set includes (as one might guess) both a warmer and a mug. Similar to most beverage warmers it includes an on / off switch and plugs into a standard wall outlet. Similar to the previous coffee mug warmers mentioned, it can keep a hot cup of coffee warm, but has difficulty heating up a cup that has already gone cold.

Don’t have a plug available near your desk or workstation?  No problem!  This coffee warmer uses the USB plug on your computer to keep your cup of coffee warm!  It just uses the power from the USB, so it doesn’t require any software or anything of that sort and can help keep your coffee warm while you work.  It will even work with laptops and netbooks (although I wouldn’t hold my breath for an iPhone or Android version!).

This device takes the USB Office Coffee Warmer one step further!  It also plugs into your computer’s USB slot, and thus doesn’t require a wall outlet and it will keep your coffee or tea warm while you work, but it also includes the ability to keep your beverages cool, so you can keep your soda frosty on a hot day.  It also includes a built in cooling fan and an easy off control.

Lastly, another USB mug warmer with a bit of a silly twist.  This beverage warmer  has an M&M fireman display as a base.  It still plugs into a computer’s USB port and can keep your coffee warm for an extended period.  It has a standard on/off switch and an extra long (72”) USB cable, which is nice if you want to plug it into the back of your computer (in case you’re using all the front USB ports).  If you’re looking for a USB coffee warmer with a bit of extra flair, this one’s for you!

Coffee mug warmers are great, but sometimes you don't have any place to plug them in!  A solution for this is to buy a thermal mug.  These are mugs that use double wall insulation with either air, foam or a vacuum between the walls to keep coffee warm for an extended time.  Most of these are made with the commuter in mind, and are designed to prevent spills and to fit standard car cup holders.  They are also available in a variety of styles and materials.  So, if you aren't somewhere that you can use a coffee mug warmer, a thermal mug  is the next best thing!