Thermal Carafes - Worth The Effort?
Don’t you just hate it? You are ready to drink some of your favorite brew and your coffee maker is on the fritz. Not that many years ago this would mean hours of driving to specialty stores to look for the one you will live with for the next decade. Tedious? Maybe. Time consuming? Definitely.
But with all relevant retailers now online, you can easily perform your comparison shopping in minutes. Review the various brands, some with reviews from other shoppers who have purchased the makes and models of coffee makers that interest you. Searching and comparing online takes less time and is simpler than that other method.
Because coffee is freshest within fifteen minutes after brewing. Additional heat applied to the coffee after brewing degrades flavor and freshness. With that information in mind perhaps it is time to consider a thermal carafe instead of one that is glass. Your mate may appreciate that should she arise after you. With a glass carafe and bottom heater her coffee could be burned by the time she awakes on a lazy Saturday morning. With a thermal carafe your coffee is kept warm by the insulation of the carafe, not a burner.
There is one advantage of a glass carafe over the thermal variety, the ability to view your coffee. Especially useful in determining how much coffee remains. Again, pro and cons must be evaluated. My personal preference is the best tasting coffee, so this feature just doesn’t do it for me.
Like any other purchase that is made infrequently, the choice of which coffee maker to purchase involves decisions about features and costs. Some machines offer built-in grinders, timers and other such “fancy” apparatus. While convenience is sometimes consider a luxury, usually it can get in the way of simply making a good cup of coffee. Personally, if a feature doesn’t add to the taste of my brew I am usually not interested.
In the United States the overwhelming choice is an automatic drip coffee maker. The results are that you will have far more automatic drip machines to choice from than any other type (like a vacuum machine - and I don’t mean Hoover). But I digress. Assuming you will choose an automatic drip machine, do you purchase one with a thermal carafe or not. For me, I love the Mr. Coffee thermal carafe drip machine that I purchased almost twenty years ago and I do not relish the thought of having to search for another. Please understand that this is my everyday coffee maker and not for flavored coffees. If I want that I have a glass carafe machine that is put out of the way until needed.
Depending on how much you spend, a warranty from a reputable company with the size to be around for many years to come may be in order.
Have the BEST cup ever!
J. Lance Curtis
The Coffee Drinker
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9 Responses to “Thermal Carafes - Worth The Effort?”
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I have to agree with the benefits of buying a coffee maker with a thermal carafe. I have one from Hamilton Beach and we love it. We were a little reserved about buying it at first, but not burning the coffee was a huge plus for me so we gave it a try and its perfect. Our coffee stays hot forever. The one we purchased was also great as it comes with the large carafe, but 2 thermal cups as well so we can make only 2 cups if we like and take them and go quickly on the days where we are very busy. The only complaint my husband has is that he cant always tell how long the coffee has been there since it stays hot so long. If I am not home and he wants a cup, he has to wonder if I made the coffee 2 hours ago for 10, it really does stay hot that long.
Thermal carafe coffee makers do make a good cup of brew! My parents have always used this type of maker and the coffee would stay hot for hours. When our coffee maker finally dies, I may look into this type of maker. Now there is a slight disadvantage to thermal carafe makers: if you don’t have the lid turned the right way and positioned exactly, you’ll end up with a coffee mess on the counter!
For the record, we don’t have a thermal carafe coffee maker, but, we have talked about getting one when we purchase our next coffee maker. We have a Bunn now and LOVE it. Making coffee, good tasting coffee, in approximately three minutes is great! We aren’t sure if the convenience of going to a thermal carafe would actually be a better choice for us versus having a fresh brewed cup of great tasting coffee in three minutes like we have now with the Bunn. You are right, everyone needs to evaluate what factors are most important to them when making the choice of going to a thermal carafe or staying with the glass carafe.
I am new to coffee, and this article is really helpful. Information on how much time to brew the coffee to make it taste perfect, and use of thermal carafe to keep the coffee warm is a great help for me. I have glass carafes and would use them to heat tea and coffee. Sometimes tea and coffee taste a little odd on reheating. I agree that a thermal carafe will solve my problem, and I will have great tasting coffee at home. Thanks for your tips.
I recently received a carafe for Christmas. Using it has made all the difference it the world as far as the quality of our coffee. The first cup tastes as fresh as the last. I am a huge fan and recommend a thermal carafe to anyone who enjoys coffee.
If you enjoy having coffee available all day, I can understand the need for the thermal carafe. We are more “morning only” drinkers, so we really like our Cuisinart coffee maker with timer. We can set the machine up the night before and have fresh coffee as soon as we come downstairs and I don’t have to worry about turning it off, because that is automatic too.
I have the carafe style and love the way it stays hot without burning. As another poster said, though, you have to be very careful when pouring. Don’t take it into the dining room where you have white tablecloth if you aren’t really sure you have that top on right. My pot has the bean grinder as well and I think that makes the coffee experience really special. If you grind the beans, have fresh water, a clean pot and the patience to wait 4 minutes — nothing beats it!
I think the carafe idea is great. I love my coffee, and I am never fully awake without it. When you use it in a regular to go cup its cold by the time you get to work, and reheating it doesn’t always taste the best. I also love that I can see when I’m low on coffee so I can find the nearest coffee pot for a refill if there is one near by, or at least I won’t be completely surprised when I go for a sip and it’s gone
I love having hot coffee to enjoy thoughout the day without the burnt tast. For me a thermal coffee pot is great. Keeps the coffe hot and not burnt. It saves from making a cup of coffee when I need it. I don’t have the time to stop what IM doing to make a fresh pot so a thermal is the only way I go.