If you love hot coffee but hate burnt coffee, the best thermal coffee maker of 2021 could be just what you need.
But before you can decide what the best coffee maker with thermal carafe is for your needs, it helps to understand the differences between a thermal coffee maker and a regular one.
What does a thermal coffee maker do differently?
A thermal coffee maker uses a stainless steel ‘Thermos’ carafe with no hotplate, while a regular coffee maker uses a glass carafe and hotplate.
A thermal coffee maker uses the coffee’s own heat to keep it hot, rather than stewing it on a hotplate.
We all know how finicky coffee can be, and we take great measures to ensure great coffee. After doing this, it’s crazy to think how we’ll happily let it simmer and burn for a couple hours before drinking it!
A thermal coffee maker ensures your coffee stays fresh and hot without burning it. There are a couple of things you need to adjust to, though…
So What Can I Expect From A Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe?
Firstly…
- You can’t tell when it needs refilling just by looking at it.
If people in your house are guilty of leaving an empty pot, you won’t find out until you’ve picked it up. But because it’s made of stainless steel, it won’t shatter when you scream and throw it across the room. 😉
- It’s slower to pour.
To keep the heat in, there will only be a tiny opening in the carafe. It will probably only take five seconds to pour, but that’s still longer than the one second it usually takes.
- It won’t be boiling hot in 2 hours.
A regular coffee maker will constantly stew the coffee while it’s on, so after two hours it will still be as hot as when it was first poured.
A thermal carafe will keep most of the heat in, but some will be lost. It will still be hot in two hours, but it won’t be piping hot. The flavor will be much better though.
If you can only ever enjoy coffee if it’s piping hot, a thermal coffee maker may not be right for you.
What are the advantages of a thermal coffee maker?
The best coffee maker with thermal carafe comes with some advantages you just can’t get with an ordinary one:
- The freshest, best tasting coffee
It’s not stewed, and it’s not burnt. It’s as fresh as it can possibly be after being left out.
- No risk of fire
I don’t know about you, but I’m not thrilled about the thought of an unattended hotplate. Even though regular coffee makers are designed to cut out after two hours, there’s always the niggling thought of ‘What if it doesn’t?’.
- Saves power
No hotplate means no power is used after the coffee’s made.
- Shatter proof
A thermal carafe won’t shatter if you drop it like a glass carafe can.
There are a huge amount of thermal coffee makers available, and finding the right one can be confusing. Because of this, I’ve made the most comprehensive comparison table to help you make the right choice:
The Best Thermal Coffee Maker 2021 Comparison Table
The Reviews:
Cheap Thermal Coffee Makers
Melitta 46894A 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker
In a line: A budget coffee maker which works.
The Melitta 46894A is a good basic thermal coffee maker, which does the most important thing at this price point – it just works.
It hits the big three points:
- Hot coffee
- No mess (nothing overflows over the counter)
- The carafe doesn’t drip when pouring
It has three strength settings to suit your taste, Regular, Bold and Robust, and has some nice features to help make life easier – it’s programmable so you can wake up to a fresh pot of coffee, and it has a ‘pause and serve’ function for when you need your coffee now.
If you’re looking for a no frills, ‘meat and potatoes’ machine at the lowest price, this is the best thermal carafe coffee maker for you.
- Click here for the best price on Amazon.
Zojirushi EC-BD15BA Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
In a line: Great coffee on a budget.
The Zojirushi is a big improvement over the Melitta is the area which counts the most – flavor. The brewing process has been precision engineered for the best tasting coffee.
The temperature is carefully controlled, and the brew basket is insulated. This means that the temperature won’t drop while it steeps, like it can in other coffee makers.
It steeps for the right amount of time for its size (for the full carafe it’s just over 9 minutes), and produces great results.
Basically, the quality of coffee is something you’d expect from something more expensive.
And like the Melitta, it works well, giving hot coffee, no mess and no dripping. It’s also programmable.
The Zojirushi is the right choice if you want great coffee at a great price.
- Click here for the best price on Amazon.
Best for Flavor
Bonavita BV1800TH 8-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe
In a line: German-engineered for great coffee.
The Bonavita BV1800TH takes the baton from the Zojirushi and runs with it – it’s German-engineered for speed and precision in all areas of the coffee cycle.
It uses a 1400W thermal block heater to heat the water to exactly the right temperature. Because of its high power and thermal block, it does this quickly – the full 8 cups can be done in 6 minutes. The contact time is precisely calculated for its size, and the water is evenly distributed over the grounds by using a ‘shower head’.
It’s a compact machine designed with simplicity in mind – it has a well marked water tank with a wide opening for easy filling, it’s easy to clean, and its carafe is glass lined to keep coffee hotter for longer. It’s finished in stainless steel, and has a very unassuming, functional design.
It’s not programmable, and comes with a 2 year warranty.
The Bonavita is the best thermal coffee maker 2021 if you want a simple machine which delivers great coffee, quickly.
- Click here for the best price on Amazon.
Thermal Coffee Makers with a Built-In Grinder
Once a coffee bean is ground, it ‘degasses’ for a couple of minutes. During this time, the aroma is sealed in. After this time, your coffee starts to lose its flavor. After a few hours, much of the aroma is lost.
If you buy pre-ground coffee, its already too late. But if you grind your own coffee and brew it immediately, you’ll always have the freshest, best tasting coffee.
Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker
At a glance: Reliable Grind & Brew coffee maker.
The Cuisinart DGB-900BCis a reliable thermal coffee maker with a built in flat plate burr grinder.
Because it’s a burr grinder, it produces a much more unicorm grind than cheaper blade mill grinders, giving a better tasting coffee.
Unfortunately it grinds a little coarse, which means a weaker coffee. But you can adjust for this by setting the machine to grind for more cups than you need.
For example, if you want 6 cups of coffee, fill it with water to the 6 cup line, but set it to grind for 8 cups of coffee beans. By doing this, 8 cups of beans are ground for 6 cups of coffee.
It uses a flat-plate burr grinder, rather than a conical burr grinder. This won’t make a difference to most, but if you’re a coffee connoisseur, you might notice it gives the your coffee a little more body – conical burrs tend to enhance aromatics, while flat burrs tend to even out and meld flavors together.
So, if you love acidity, consider going conical (such as the Capresso and Breville coffee makers, reviewed below).
It’s programmable, which means you can wake up to freshly brewed coffee, and you’re able to specify how many cups you want made. The hopper holds 1/2lb of beans, so you won’t need to worry about filling it daily.
The thermal carafe works well, and keeps coffee hot for hours without any risk of burning. It’s a reliable thermal coffee maker, and comes with a 3 year warranty for peace of mind.
This is the best coffee maker with thermal carafe and a grinder if reliability is what’s most important to you.
- Click here for the best price at Amazon.
Capresso 465 CoffeeTeam TS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker with Conical Burr Grinder and Thermal Carafe
At a glance: Compact, great coffee.
The Capresso 465 is a grind and brew coffee maker with thermal carafe.
The main difference between this and the Cuisinart DGB-900BC is its focus on flavor – the Capresso delivers a better tasting cup of coffee.
With five grind and three strength settings, you’re able to adjust it to get the right blend for you. Its conical burr grinder doesn’t have any problems with grind sizes, and will give your coffee a fuller aroma.
It’s also programmable, allowing you to set it to make your coffee while you’re getting out of bed.
It’s more compact, so suitable for smaller kitchens. The trade off is it has a smaller bean hopper, which means it will need filling a little more often.
The warranty is for 1 year.
This is your best thermal carafe coffee maker if you have a smaller kitchen and want great tasting freshly ground coffee on a budget.
- Click here for the best price at Amazon.
Breville BDC600XL YouBrew Drip Coffee Maker
In a line: All singing, all dancing. The best coffee maker with thermal carafe and grinder. The best coffee, quality construction and customizable.
The Breville YouBrew is a quality machine with a stainless steel body and ceramic burrs, designed to stay sharper for longer.
It’s precision engineered to always give you the best coffee possible, whether it’s one cup, 12 cups, or anything in between. It does this with tight temperature controls and uniform water distribution.
It’s also designed to give you maximum control over your coffee, with 5 flavor and 7 strength settings in single cup mode, and 7 strength settings in carafe mode. Once you’ve found the perfect one for you, it can remember it so you only need to hit ‘Start’.
It’s the best thermal coffee maker 2021 with grinder.
The warranty is for 1 year.
- Click here for the best price at Amazon.
Abdullah says
wow, I like hot coffee as always! very good article, thanks for sharing, keep up the good work!