Shopping for a Thermal Coffee Maker - I like my coffee hot...

December 16, 2016 6:51 PM

I have a Mr. Coffee brand thermal coffee maker (model PSTX) that I have had for a year and just doesn't do a good job keeping the coffee hot after it brews. When I first pour a cup after it brews it is hot enough, but when I go back after about 15 minutes it is just warm - I have to put it in the microwave to heat it back up to drink.

I contacted Mr. Coffee about this problem hoping they may have improved the thermal carafe but the only response I got from them was to try pouring hot water in the carafe before brewing to warm it up (which is not good for me since I set my coffee maker to brew before I get up in the morning), I actually tried this tip but it did not help at all.

I like the thermal carafe due to the coffee not sitting there cooking and affecting the taste.

Can I get some recommendations on a good thermal coffee maker brand that actually keeps the coffee hot for at least a hour or two?

posted by just asking to Home & Garden (14 answers total)

I have the Bunn ThermoFresh thermal coffee maker and I have never pre-warmed the carafe. Coffee is scalding hot after at least six hours and still totally drinkable after twelve.
posted by checkitnice at 7:09 PM on December 16, 2016

I have the same model and have no difficulties. I do, however, fill it with warm water for a few moments before brewing. The main reason I do this is that the timer broke on mine just after it was out of warranty.
posted by lhauser at 7:42 PM on December 16, 2016

My parents have a Cuisinart coffee maker that keeps the coffee hot for a ridiculously long time - like, make it for breakfast, come home after work, leftover coffee is still drinkably hot.

Otherwise, I can confirm the Zojirushi thermos is amazing - I use it even on days when I'm at home because it keeps the coffee hot well into the afternoon. (My coffee maker is excellent in many ways but thermal insulation is not one of them.)
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:01 PM on December 16, 2016

You need the Zojirushi thermos. Seriously. It is amazing. Hot liquids stay hot. For hours. And hours. They'll still be warm the next day.

(I have to add cold water to fresh-brewed tea or coffee because otherwise, it will still burn my tongue hours later.)
posted by leahwrenn at 8:27 PM on December 16, 2016

My friends who are coffee professionals recommend the Bonavita coffeemaker which has an excellent thermal carafe.
posted by in a dark glassly at 8:30 PM on December 16, 2016

I have a Bonavita with a thermal carafe. It makes great coffee. It keeps it pretty hot for pretty long, but not scalding hot for crazy long. The main problem I have is that if you leave coffee in it for hours, the interior of the carafe is very hard to get clean. It stains easily and holds the coffee odor.
posted by primethyme at 10:48 PM on December 16, 2016

Is it possible your carafe got damaged, perhaps by washing it in the dishwasher? If it's built like many thermal travel mugs, then it is not dishwasher safe because there's an exterior seal (typically on the bottom) that can't take the extreme heat, and when it fails you lose the vacuum between the inner and outer walls.

My wife and I have had a Capresso model similar to this one for several years, and it works great.
posted by jon1270 at 5:02 AM on December 17, 2016

Nthing the Bonavita coffee maker with thermal carafe.
posted by plo_veggie at 5:58 AM on December 17, 2016

I love the Bonavita everyone is mentioning (or probably its predecessor), but there's no built-in timer; you'd have to plug it into a wall outlet timer.

Primethyme: this stuff gets it sparkling again (also the interior of the machine and any thermoses or mugs that may be stained) super easily. The staining, in my experience, doesn't happen immediately; it's a slow buildup until I clean it quarterly or so.
posted by supercres at 6:17 AM on December 17, 2016

I don't know if they still do the deal, but the free thermal carafe coffee maker I got with a Gevalia order has lasted years, and coffee brewed in the morning is still quite warm when I get home from work.
posted by xedrik at 7:19 AM on December 17, 2016

^ Gevalia no longer "does the deal." It was great while it lasted!
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:21 AM on December 17, 2016

Response by poster: The coffee pot has always had this problem since the day I got it out of the box. I never put it in the dishwasher, always hand wash it. I think it is poor quality, Mr. Coffee didn't offer to replace it, they just suggested warming it up with hot water before brewing.
posted by just asking at 2:44 PM on December 17, 2016

We have a Zojirushi coffee maker and it is great. Hot for hours after brewing. Warm after a a full day.
posted by sulaine at 7:10 PM on December 17, 2016

Response by poster: Update: I contacted Mr. Coffee on the phone, voiced my problem. The customer service rep said it was surely a problem with the lid or something, the coffee should have been staying hot for hours. Since it was out of warranty she offered to replace the carafe for $13 with free shipping. I ordered the new carafe, it works perfect!

So I guess the moral to this story is to contact the manufacturer (by phone, not email) and a solution may be available. If I had known it was just defective I would have done this long ago.
posted by just asking at 11:21 AM on January 8, 2017 [1 favorite]