Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have two of these. The one with date code 0915 has been in use in my office as a mug warmer and, later in the day, as a coaster for cold drinks. I really liked having something to keep my coffee warm in the mornings. Recently I came into the office in the morning to a strong burning electrical smell. I tracked it back to this mug warmer. Even though the switch was in the Off position, the indicator light was glowing red and the unit was very hot. After unplugging it and letting it cool, I took it apart to discover that the circuit board had shorted and burned, melting some of the plastic around the switch housing. I wonder how much more it would have melted if I hadn't been there to unplug it at that time. I contacted Underwriters Laboratories. They basically said it was my fault: all heating appliances are to be unplugged when not in use. I was surprised that their testing makes that assumption, since it seems unlikely that anyone actually does that. In my opinion, there are two design faults at play here: - The back edge of the heating plate extends over the circuit board. If liquid drips onto the heating plate (inevitable in a mug/cup holder), it can drip onto the circuit board, causing a short. - If the switch were separate, in the cord, it could not short out even if the circuit board got wet. If you continue to use this appliance, don't get it wet and unplug it when not in use.