I’m back with another batch of random gadget reviews, and this one had a surprising, fun mix. The main attraction was a Mini Fondue Mug that works with a tealight candle, plus I threw in a couple of extra oddball finds from Temu, just to see if they were worth the curiosity. As usual, some worked better than others.
Where to Purchase
I purchased the Mini Fondue Mug here.
Mini Fondue Mug
The star of this review was definitely the Mini Fondue Mug. I paid $15.99 for it, and the idea is pretty simple. Essentially, you place a tealight candle underneath the ceramic cup, and it gently warms up chocolate, cheese, or whatever dipping sauce you want to use. It’s meant to be a much smaller, less complicated alternative to a full fondue setup, and I have to admit, the idea of a personal fondue mug sounded pretty interesting.
I started with chocolate, using semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a little bit of cream. The setup was easy enough, although I did immediately notice that the tealight candle only barely fit inside the holder. I had to angle it a bit to get it in there, which wasn’t a huge deal, but it was a little awkward. Once everything was in place, though, it started warming up gradually. It wasn’t instant by any means, but after several minutes the chocolate was finally melting and turning into a nice, dip-worthy consistency.
After adjusting the cream a little, the chocolate came together really nicely. I tried it with strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels, and this was where the fondue mug really delivered. The chocolate was smooth, warm, and genuinely enjoyable to dip into. For one or maybe two people, I could without a doubt see this being a cute little dessert setup. It feels more like a fun, personal treat, rather than a serious fondue appliance, but for chocolate, that works in its favor.
There was one issue I wasn’t expecting, though, and that was wax from the tealight candle coming out of the bottom. That caught me off guard, and it’s absolutely something to keep in mind. As such, you’ll likely want to set this on a plate or some kind of protected surface. It wasn’t enough to ruin the experience, but it did make the whole setup feel a little less polished than I had hoped for.
I also tested it again the next day with cheese, and that yielded a less convincing result. The mug did melt the cheese, so technically it worked, but it felt much less controlled. Since the heat source is just a candle, there’s really no temperature adjustment beyond blowing the candle out if things get too hot. The cheese ended up more like just “melted cheese” than true fondue, and while I could make it work to some extent, it definitely didn’t feel as successful as the chocolate trial run. For me, this mug is much better suited to dessert over savory fondue.
I did run the mug through the dishwasher afterwards, and it seemed to hold up fine, which was nice to see. The only minor annoyance is that because of the shape, water tends to collect in certain spots depending on how you place it in the dishwasher. Of course that’s not a huge problem, but it’s still something worth knowing. Overall, I’d say the fondue mug does work, and it’s genuinely fun for chocolate, but I wouldn’t expect it to replace a larger or more traditional fondue setup.
Temu USB Skull Light
Next up was the USB Skull Light from Temu, which was a pretty quick and simple test. I paid $4.12 for it, and it’s basically a little projector-style nightlight that throws a skull image onto a wall or ceiling. There’s not much to it, but sometimes those simple, novelty items are either surprisingly fun or completely pointless, so I wanted to see where this one landed.
In a dark room, I actually thought it looked pretty decent. The skull projection was clear enough to be recognizable right away, and for such a small, inexpensive gadget, it lit up a pretty good area. I also tried it outside on the side of the house, and it looked bigger and more dramatic than I expected. The camera definitely made it look a little brighter than it did with my own eyes, but even so, I thought it was a solid little effect.
That said, it’s still exactly what it seems like, that being a simple, novelty decoration. I wouldn’t say there’s anything especially advanced or impressive about it beyond the basic projected image, but for a cheap Halloween-style decoration or just a goofy seasonal light, it works well enough. It’s not a must-have by any means, but I could see it being a fun little extra around October.
Temu Ice Cube Tray
Finally, I tried a Temu Ice Cube Tray that makes triangular-shaped ice cubes. I paid $5.08 for it, and the idea of weird, geometric ice got my attention right away. The tray itself seemed straightforward enough at first, and based on comments I had read, I was careful not to overfill it before putting it in the freezer.
Once it froze, though, that’s where the trouble started. Getting the tray open was way more difficult than it should have been. It didn’t release easily at all, and I could immediately see why some people said theirs broke while trying to open it. The plastic felt like it could snap if I used too much force, and I ended up having to run warm water over it more than once just to get any movement. That’s a lot more effort than I’d ever want from an ice tray.
Eventually, I did get it open, and the end result ice cubes were interesting. The triangular shape is especially unusual, and I’ll give it credit for producing a cool-looking final product. Despite that, I still had ice stuck in the bottom, and the release process just felt clunky and frustrating. That said, while the concept is kind of neat, the user experience just isn’t there. Unless you’re absolutely committed to having triangular-shaped ice cubes, I think there are easier and better options out there.
Conclusion
Overall, this was one of those review batches where everything technically worked, just to different degrees. The Mini Fondue Mug was the clear winner for me, especially with chocolate, even if it had a few quirks. The Skull Light was simple, but fun for what it is. The Ice Tray, on the other hand, delivered the shape it promised, but made the process way more annoying than necessary. So, if I had to recommend just one thing from this group, it would without a doubt be the fondue mug.
Video Review
Check out the full video below.