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LG mycup Is a Mini Dishwasher for Your Collectible Cups

02.02.24 | By
LG mycup Is a Mini Dishwasher for Your Collectible Cups

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the rabid popularity of Stanley tumblers, with devotees of the vacuum-insulated, stainless steel drinking vessels collecting them with the same “gotta catch ’em all” attitude of a Pokémon player. But with great collections come great responsibilities, most notably maintenance between fill-ups. To help Stanley or tumbler users keep their favorite cups clean on the daily, LG revealed they’ve developed a special slimline dishwasher specifically designed for rinsing reusable cups and tumblers.

Vertically oriented single tumbler cup dishwasher with large vertical screen display stationed next to a small drying rack for a cup and a coffee machine.

LG claims the bubble jet nozzle spray of the mycup’s Quick Wash mode reduces water use by 17 percent, according to tests conducted with Seoul National University.

Announced at CES 2024, the LG mycup looks nothing like a traditional dishwasher. In fact, we’d say its form factor is more closely hewn to that of an information kiosk you might find at an airport. The slim vertical design is intended to fit into kitchens with a minimal footprint, ideally situated next to stations where users fill up their favorite tumblers every day.

The mycup accommodates only one vessel at a time, offering one of two cleaning programs – Quick Wash and Extra Wash. Both modes use a 149-degree Fahrenheit hot water cycle to ensure every sip is germ free. The Quick Wash clean cycle uses LG’s bubble jet technology to wash the inside of the tumbler in just 30 seconds. In instances where the tumbler requires additional attention, the Extra Wash program adds an integrated air-drying design to clean and gently dry the tumbler with a multi-directional water jet and powerful hot air.

Flip lid of the LG mycup shown open halfway.

Strangely, LG mycup’s cleaning cycle must be initiated using the LG mycup app, with the upper unit display dedicated to showing the wash status rather than operating as a touchscreen control. Even so, there is no need to keep an eye on the display itself, as the unit’s app is set to send a notification when the hygiene wash cycle is complete.

LG has yet to announce availability or pricing of the mycup, but it should be arriving sooner than later. The social media fueled craze for Stanley cups is likely to subside in due time, but the popularity of reusable cups and tumblers will likely continue on, something the Korean electronics giant seems to be betting upon with the announcement of such a specialized kitchen cleaning appliance.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.