Thermal Coffee Makers

Thermal coffee makers keep coffee warm without a hot plate

The main difference between thermal coffee makers and standard coffee makers is that thermal coffee makers brew directly into an insulated carafe (instead of a glass carafe). These insulated carafes are designed to maintain hotter temperatures after coffee is brewed, and therefore they eliminate the need for a warming plate. Cook's Illustrated editors recommend thermal coffee makers in general over their standard counterparts, noting that the glass carafe and hot plate combination on most standard machines tends to quickly turn fresh-brewed coffee acidic, while thermal carafes maintain temperatures without producing an acidic flavor.

Thermal coffee makers tend to be more expensive than their standard counterparts, though if you break a glass carafe and purchase a replacement more than once, you'll probably have paid the difference between the two types of machines. The Technivorm Moccamaster Thermal KBT741 (*Est. $300) is at the high end of the price range, even among thermal coffee makers, but it gets consistent praise from both experts and consumers. It gets excellent scores for brew temperature in one professional roundup of more than 50 coffee makers and good ratings for convenience and carafe handling. It's also the only model earning a "highly recommended" status in a roundup of eight coffee makers conducted by editors from a popular cooking magazine. The Technivorm Moccamaster Thermal KBT741 isn't programmable, but it's fast, easy to use and is the closest to achieving perfect brewing temperatures among the eight models tested.

Nearly 70 coffee enthusiasts posting to CoffeeGeek.com contribute to an average rating of 8.1 (out of a possible 10). Owners consistently say the Technivorm Moccamaster Thermal KBT741 is well worth its cost, producing "good coffee with minimal effort." It makes about 10 cups of coffee in an estimated five to six minutes. If the carafe isn't in place correctly, the machine stops brewing automatically to avoid a mess, and a hand-operated drip-stop allows users to sneak a cup mid-brew. The Technivorm Moccamaster Thermal KBT741 coffee maker isn't without its quirks; a few owners also point out that the water reservoir doesn't empty completely during brewing, so the machine must be carefully tipped to pour the remaining water out; otherwise it could become stale before the next use. The big downside is the high price.

For about $100 less, the Capresso MT500 Coffee Maker (*Est. $180) maintains an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 based on feedback from nearly 225 owners posting to Amazon.com, and it also earns a recommendation in About.com's thermal coffee-maker roundup. The Capresso MT500 has a 10-cup capacity, 24-hour programming and a charcoal water filter. A full pot brews in about eight minutes and stays warm for up to four hours in the stainless-steel carafe.

Several owners posting reviews to Amazon.com are very thorough; one owner measures the coffee temperature inside the carafe at 160 degrees, just shy of the 170 degrees claimed by the manufacturer. The water reservoir isn't removable, which makes it difficult to clean, users say. Most consumers agree that the Capresso MT500 Coffee Maker produces superior-tasting coffee, although some say they wish it remained hotter in the carafe. It's also prone to messes if not carefully executed; overfilling the reservoir causes overflow, and an incorrectly-positioned carafe can also cause coffee to leak during brewing. For the features you get with the price, however, the Capresso MT500 is the best buy among thermal coffee makers. 

The Zojirushi Fresh Brew (*Est. $90) costs even less, but it gets more complaints about durability and ease of use than either the Technivorm or the Capresso coffee makers. There are more than 900 owner-written reviews for this coffee maker at Amazon.com, but about 140 of those are 1-star reviews, many of which complain that the coffee machine stopped heating, sometimes within months of purchase, sometimes within years. However, among thermal-carafe coffee makers in this price range, the Zojirushi gets better reviews than most. For example, the Krups FMF514 (*Est. $90) gets twice as many 1-star reviews as 5-star ratings, The Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91 (*Est. $70) gets about 150 reviews on Amazon.com, with as many 1-star as 5-star reviews.