There are a few ways to keep your drinks warm: the insulated cup, smart mug, and the flat platform variety of mug warmer. Smart mugs and even insulated cups can be rather fancy but they can also fetch a high price. You’ll definitely seem them advertised this gifting season, but I say, resist! The unassuming platform mug warmer may not be a looker, but it is one million times more useful due to its versatile shape.
While I’ve always heard that the Ember smart mug is truly a joy, it’s still a cup, and a cup that must be paired with its particular base. You’re limited by both parts of the design—only things that can fit in the cup get warm, and you can’t interchange what that cup is. Ditto for insulated mugs; though they don’t need a base they don’t actively warm, they just hold the original temperature the best they can.
I suggest warmers with a completely flat design so you can warm containers of any shape.
I admit, I viewed a mug warmer as a one-job wonder once, and as a slow sipper, I needed that single job to be done well. While it delivers at maintaining my coffee’s not-too-hot temperature, these days that’s low on the list of why it’s my cold weather best friend. A simple platform mug warmer is a low-key hot plate, so it’ll heat up whatever you throw on it (within reason). As long as the base of the container is heat-safe and fits on the platform, you’re warmin,’ folks.
It should be called an all-purpose warmer because it’s great for food too. I first realized this when I was making bread on a cold day last March and the dough was barely rising during the proof time. My apartment was too chilly and the windows are North-facing, so not even sunlight could help. I decided to try my mug warmer. I put a ceramic dish on the warming plate and fabric pot holder on that. Then I placed the metal bowl of dough on top. I used an instant read thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature, since yeast doesn’t like to get too hot. The lowest setting and my semi-conductive barriers kept the dough at a toasty 85°F, and it rose like a puffy carb cloud. (You can read the full experience about proofing bread on a mug warmer here.)
Keeping coffee hot and proofing bread is already deserving of a round of applause, but I use my warmer for even more. I keep bowls of soup warm for lunch, bring butter to a spreadable consistency, and I address the age-old challenge of keeping cheesy dips warm. You don’t have to keep tossing the spinach artichoke dip in the microwave or silently bearing a cold, congealed buffalo chicken cheese dip. Plug in the electric mug warmer and place the bowl of dip right on top. Your cheese-based dip may not be steaming hot for the whole night, but it’ll be a friendly 135°F or so. This is helpful when you’re eating dip solo, but especially clutch for parties.
You can’t put anything on a mug warmer, so check the packaging to see what materials are recommended. Mine can be used with tempered glass (like a coffee carafe), ceramic dishware, and metal. My everyday bowls are ceramic, so that’s what I use for dips and soups.
Maximize the heating power of your mug warmer by giving the bottom of the mug or bowl more contact points. If your dishware is completely flat underneath, you’re good, but most ceramics have a circular lip and central indentation called a “foot” on the bottom. That air pocket in the center isn’t too deep, but it’s enough space to make heating less effective. I usually put a quarter in the center of the mug warmer and put the mug on top of it. Then the quarter can conduct energy up to the center of the mug too giving you faster, more thorough results.
