Does the Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Mug Warmer VOB-10-1 work?
I am sure we are familiar with the following scenario where…
You’ve just made your coffee and you take it through to your office, lounge or wherever you drink it and put it one your desk or table. Then you pick up a book or magazine or get stuck into your emails or social media… eventually you remember your coffee, but now it’s cold.
You think…perhaps it’s time to invest in a coffee mug warmer. But which one? There are many types out there and to help you narrow down your choices this review will highlight the pros and cons of this particular mug warmer.
The VOB-10-1 is a mug warmer intended to keep your beverage warm. It is not a hot plate and wont bring your coffee or tea to the boil.
It comes as one item together with the power cord.
All you have to do is plug it in and set it to work.
A Quick Video Overview
Temperature Settings
The Vobaga coffee mug warmer has 3 temperature settings:
- Blue -104°F/40°C
- Pink -131°F/55°C
- Red – 149°F/65°C
It is important to note that the mug warmer is not a hot plate. It basically slows down the cooling period of the beverage already in the mug and will maintain it at a lower but warm to hot temperature. It won’t keep it at the temperature it came out of your coffee maker, but then no other coffee warmer will either.
There is always a concern when using plastic cups or mugs that if you put them on any kind of hot surface, such as the warming plate, they will melt.
Plastic cups that are designed to take hot liquids generally are made of polypropylene or recyclable 5. Recyclable 5 is a commonly produced plastic which is considered to be micro wave safe. The problem with that is all it means is the plastic won’t deform in a microwave.
However any mug or cup you can wash in a dishwasher, which operates at a temperature of around 130°F to 140°F, is not going to melt with even the hottest coffee.
The manufacturer states that the appliance will shut off after 4 hours but there are conflicting reviews: some state it does shut off and others that it doesn’t. However it does have indicator lights which are bright enough to remind you to switch off.
It needs to be emphasised that this mug warmer is not a hot plate, it is a warming plate and won’t go beyond the maximum temperature.
If you should leave it on for the maximum of 4 hours and it switches off you don’t need to unplug the machine before turning it on again – just turn it on.
This warming plate is not wireless, is not cordless and is not a beverage maker. It is simply a heating pad.
Safety Features
Its always a worry when using electrical appliances that something could go wrong and you get electrocuted or even burn your house down.
This mug warmer as several safety features that should put your mind at ease.
- It has an auto-shutoff feature. If you forget to turn the appliance off after using it, it will automatically switch off after 4 hours. So even if you have left your home or the office and can’t remember turning it off, no worries – it will turn itself off.
- The warmer if is heat/fire resistant so if there were to be an electrical short or fault it would not catch fire.
- This appliance is sealed so should you spill your coffee it is not going to get into the inside of the warming plate. However just because it is spill proof doesn’t mean you can immerse it in water to clean it.
- This appliance carries the UL 1026 certification. This means it complies with the standard for safety for electric household cooking and food serving appliances which should give confidence the appliance is well made.
- Once you shut the warmer off, or it switches itself off after 4 hours a flashing red light will light up which is to warn you that whilst the appliance is off the warming plate is still hot. Once the plate has cooled down the light will go off.
Suitable Mugs and Cups
The manufacturer recommends the use of shallow flat bottomed mugs or those with a concave base however having read through numerous customer reviews it appears that you can use most types of mugs, as long as the diameter of the base is 3.5 inches or less.
It won’t however work for double insulation mugs and double wall glass cups. Vobaga are quite insistent that this warmer will not work with these.
Touch Technology
It comes with the latest “touch technology” in the form of 2 in 1 touch button which switches the appliance on and off and controls the 3 temperature settings. It is very sensitive so you need to be very careful that you don’t accidentally switch it on by mistake. A light touch from a finger is all it takes!
The Warming Plate
The warming plate is 3.54 inches in diameter which is oversized as most similar types are around 3.25 inches. This means it will accommodate just about any sized mug you have. The plate is sealed so that any spilled liquid will not enter into the appliance itself.
Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Mug Warmer Dimensions
- Height: 1.3”
- Width: 5.31”
- Depth: 7.52”
- Weight: 9.6oz
- Power cord: 60”
- Power wattage: 20w
This warmer is lightweight making it very portable should you need to take it with you. The extended length of power cord should enable you to use the mug warmer anywhere.
At a power rating of 20w this warmer is at the upper end of the range for these appliances. All the ones I looked at when researching them were between 16w – 20w. So this warming plate should be able to keep your beverage warmer than most.
Color Choice
The Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Mug Warmer is available in the following colors:
- Black
- Deep Blue
- Light Blue
- Green
- Pink
Mug Warmer Included and Optional Attachments
This coffee mug warmer does not come with any attachments and neither are there any that come as add-ons.
Pro’s
- 3 temperature settings
- Automatic shut-off after 4 hours
- Large heating plate
- Splash proof
- Easy to clean
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Long power cord
- Can heat aromatic candles
Con’s
- Not suitable for vacuum, plastic or double glass cups/mugs
- Not suitable for bagged drinks
- Won’t heat cold coffee
Reviews and Ratings
The Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Mug Warmer has strong ratings on a number of online retail sites. And although the manufacturer states that the warmer works best with flat bottomed cups or mugs most reviewers found that not to be an issue.
Price
The Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Warmer is not the cheapest mug warmer out there. But it is also not the most expensive, probably just a little bit more than the average price for these types of appliances. That said, I’ve not come across any review that said it was too expensive.
Personally Speaking
I like this mug warmer and think it does the job its meant to do and that is simply to keep your beverage warm. There is nothing fancy here. As I see it, with its 2 in 1 touch control button it is dead easy to operate as long as you remember that switch is very sensitive to touch. Its light enough and compact enough to be able to easily take it with you wherever you go. And the 60 inch power cord gives ample length to locate a suitable plug socket.The UL 1026 certification gives confidence the appliance is safe.
If however you are looking for something that will move your coffee fron stone cold to piping hot in 10 seconds flat then the Vobaga Auto Shutoff Coffee Mug Warmer VB-10-1 is not likely to be for you.