How long does coffee stay hot in a thermal carafe?

QUESTION:

How long can brewed coffee stay hot in a thermal carafe?

ANSWER:

Good question. Thermal carafe coffee makers are becoming more and more popular. As are their one-mug equivalents – the thermal mug coffee makers.

The reason for brewing coffee into a thermal carafe is that they keep your coffee hot, without the need for a hotplate.

Traditional drip brewers have a glass carafe that sits on a hotplate. The hotplate keeps the coffee hot, but it also "stews" the coffee over time. As a result, coffee poured from a glass carafe after half an hour or so has a bitter, stewed and generally nasty taste.

That's why people in offices take one look at the last cup remaining in the carafe, turn up their noses, pour it down the sink and make a fresh brew. (Or wait for someone else to make it.)

How long does coffee stay hot in a thermal carafe? Some manufacturers claim it will stay hot for up to two hours.

Our experience, so far, has been that after an hour or so the coffee no longer has that fresh-brewed, hot taste.

To maximize the length of time your coffee stays hot, "pre-heat" the carafe before you start brewing by pouring hot water into it, swirling it around and pouring it out again.

By doing this you ensure that none of the heat of the coffee is expended on heating the glass interior of the carafe.

You can learn more about these brewers on our thermal carafe coffee brewer page.