I Wrote Our Coffee Makers Review—These 6 Options With Thermal Carafes Are My Favorites

After testing drip coffee makers, I noticed a common theme among my favorites: The best ones all had thermal carafes. I didn’t just brew a pot of coffee and drink it, though. My tests included taking the temperature of a pot of coffee over two hours, and tasting it along the way. I quickly eliminated coffee makers with glass carafes, because they either got cold within minutes or slowly scorched on a hot plate. Blech.

If you linger over coffee and want to keep it hot for a long time, you can either invest in a temperature control mug or a coffee maker with a thermal carafe—sometimes called thermal coffee makers. Thermal carafes are double-walled and insulated, which keeps coffee hot for a long time. But a good thermal carafe isn’t enough for me to recommend a coffee maker. It also has to brew delicious coffee with a well-balanced flavor profile (“good extraction,” the industry folks like to say). The following six coffee makers fit that bill and stay hot doing it.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Coffee Maker With a Thermal Carafe

The best coffee makers with thermal carafes have double-walled insulated carafes and tight-sealing lids that keep coffee at a pleasantly sippable temperature for hours. And honestly, that’s it. But if you’re willing to spend a little more, look for a coffee maker featuring a good showerhead with lots of well-dispersed holes. It should also reach 195˚F during the brewing process, which is not something many coffee makers can do. 

Our Favorite Coffee Makers With Thermal Carafes

The Best Coffee Maker With a Thermal Carafe

OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker

$250

$170 at Amazon $230 at Williams Sonoma $225 at Home Depot

What we liked: Of course, the winning coffee makers in this review need to have outstanding thermal carafes—and I’ll get there. But first, I want to make sure you know that this coffee maker brews outstanding coffee. The showerhead is well-designed, with lots of evenly dispersed holes for evenly saturating the grounds. It consistently brews coffee in the 200 to 205˚F range; every time I checked the temperature at the showerhead, it was on the mark. And of course, it’s programmable—scheduling a brew time in advance couldn’t be simpler. Now, about that carafe: In my review, it kept coffee the hottest for the longest. Period.

What we didn’t like: The brew bed is conical, which is better for light roast coffee than dark. But that’s not a big issue, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t brew medium or dark roast in it.  

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 45 ounces (9 cups)
• Height of brewer: 17 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 2 years
• SCA-Certified Brewer: Yes

Another Great Thermal Coffee Maker

OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker

$220

$143 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $176 at Target

What we liked: If you’ve ever thought, “I wish my thermal coffee maker acted like a Keurig at times,” howdy, do I have news for you. This one comes with a bonus single-serve brew basket that can brew directly into your coffee cup or travel mug. But should you use the carafe, know that the OXO 8-Cup Brewer was just a few degrees behind the 9-Cup Brewer in my tests. If you want a basic thermal coffee maker that doesn’t tell time, customize batches, test your water’s pH, or fold your clothes, get this one. There are no flashy features, and that’s a huge part of the appeal: It’s compact, it’s simple, and it brews good coffee. 

What we didn’t like: The showerhead on this smaller machine isn’t as tricked out as the 9-Cup Brewer’s. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 40 ounces (8 cups)
• Height of brewer: 13.5 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 2 years
• SCA-Certified Brewer: Yes

A Longtime Favorite Coffee Maker With a Thermal Carafe

Ratio Six Coffee Maker

$377

$302 at Amazon View on Ratiocoffee.com

What we liked: At first glance, you may not realize the Ratio Six has a thermal carafe. Its stainless steel carafe is wrapped in an appealing satin or matte finish. The warranty, at five years, is fantastic. For such a simple coffee maker (there’s just one button), it brews unbelievably good coffee. It tasted better than any coffee I brewed during my tests, and other Serious Eats editors agree. It has all the elements of a great pour-over setup: a bloom cycle, a good showerhead, and sufficiently hot brewing temperatures. In addition to the thermal carafe, a gasket around the showerhead ensures coffee stays piping hot on its journey to the carafe. 

What we didn’t like: Not much. There are a few parts that have to be assembled and disassembled before use, but the more I use it, the less that annoys me. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 40 ounces (8 cups)
• Height of brewer: 14.25 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 5 years
• SCA-Certified Brewer: No

The Thermal Coffee Maker With the Best Features

Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker

$400 at Amazon $400 at Williams Sonoma $400 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Like the Ratio Six, Fellow innovates on the pour-over experience with the Aiden Precision Brewer. It’s got many of the same features, including the all-important showerhead, but it is much more techy. Fill the water reservoir to the top, then follow the digital display’s instructions to customize your batch. You can specify which type of coffee beans you’re brewing (light, medium, or dark), and how much coffee you want to make. The brewer will make the necessary adjustments and brew your perfect pot. It even accounts for your elevation level. It brews 10 cups, more than most on this list. (The Breville Precision Brewer has the largest capacity, at 12 cups.)  The thermal carafe is the nicest-looking of any I tested.

What we didn’t like: It’s expensive! While lovely to look at, the carafe lost the most amount of heat in my test. But it’s still way better than slowly scorching your coffee on a hot plate, and if the Aiden’s other features appeal to you, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 50 ounces (10 cups)
• Height of brewer: 14.25 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 2 years (3 with registration)
• SCA-Certified Brewer: Yes

The Best Breville Thermal Coffee Maker

Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker

$330

$314 at Amazon View on Pcrichard.com View on Crate & Barrel

What we liked: Breville makes great coffee gear. For example, our team loves its espresso machines. The Breville Precision Brewer is a hot example of why. It’s a high-end coffee maker with lots of customization options. You can choose how long the bloom cycle lasts and adjust the water’s flow rate—pretty cool for a brewer under $350. Toggling through the digital display is simple, especially considering there are so many options. The carafe kept coffee at a very drinkable temperature for two hours when I tested it. The handle is big and comfy—easy to lift and pour, even when the pot is full. That’s a great feature for people with limited dexterity.

What we didn’t like: I had no complaints, although if you don’t want all the high-tech upgrades, you’re better off with the OXO 8-Cup Brewer. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 60 ounces (12 cups)
• Height of brewer: 15.25 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 2 years 
• SCA-Certified Brewer: Yes

A Pro-Approved Coffee Maker With a Thermal Carafe

Technivorm Moccamaster 79112 KBT Coffee Brewer

$349

$205 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $350 at Target

What we liked: When I was researching drip coffee makers, I chatted with Nate Van Dusen, the cofounder of Brio Coffeeworks, a roaster and café in Burlington, Vermont. Van Dusen said that he preferred manual pour-over drippers, but admitted that there was one coffee maker that worked so well, he even used to sell it in his shop. That’d be the Technivorm Moccamaster. But it’s not just for the coffee nerds. My colleague Grace Kelly, who has gone on the record saying that she “couldn’t give two figs” about coffee brewers, loves this one. She cites its great showerhead and thermal carafe as two of its best features. The Moccamaster is old school in that there aren’t high-tech screens or displays to fiddle with. But it makes good coffee and keeps it hot for a long time. What more could a coffee drinker want?

What we didn’t like: The most customizable feature on this coffee maker, the mobile showerhead, is its most polarizing. Some people love that it allows for more control over the brewing process. Others (like me) don’t want a hands-on experience with an automatic brewer. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 40 ounces (8 cups)
• Height of brewer: 15 inches
• Built-in bloom cycle: Yes
• Warranty: 5 years 
• SCA-Certified Brewer: Yes

Things to Consider

What Do You Want Your Coffee Maker to Look Like?

My top two picks, from OXO, are simple, with a “classic” coffee maker look. In other words, they’re utilitarian stainless steel. So are the Technivorm Moccamaster and the Breville Precision Brewer. If you want a coffee maker that looks more modern, I recommend the Ratio Six or the Fellow Aiden Precision Brewer. They’re stainless steel too, but have an attractive plastic covering. 

Brew Temperature Should Be Adequately Hot

The Specialty Coffee Association states that to be recognized by their organization, a coffee maker must reach 195˚F within the first minute of brewing. It can’t drop below that throughout the process. That’s because hotter water makes for better extraction and better-tasting coffee. And not for nothing: The hotter your coffee brews, the longer it will stay hot in the carafe.

Consider the Thermal Carafe’s Capacity

The coffee makers I tested and recommend range between 40 and 60 ounces. A half-empty carafe will cool more quickly than a mostly-full one. Consider how much your household will realistically drink in one batch.   

FAQs

How do thermal carafe coffee makers work?

The brewing process is no different from a regular brewer. Hot water saturates ground coffee beans, then passes through a filter into a carafe. Thermal coffee makers have insulated carafes made from stainless steel (and sometimes other materials, like a plastic coating) that slow coffee’s natural cooling process. The lids are sometimes vacuum-sealed or have extra insulation for added protection.

How long do thermal carafes keep coffee hot?

About two hours. You can extend the length of time your coffee stays hot by preheating the carafe with hot water before brewing.

Are thermal carafes dishwasher-safe?

No! Don’t put any part of your thermal coffee maker in the dishwasher. Instead, wash it with warm, soapy water and rinse it well. A special cleaning solution formulated for coffee machines can help get rid of residue or buildup, too.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. 
• She’s been testing gear for Serious Eats since 2022, including drip coffee makers, gooseneck kettles, and espresso grinders.
• Rochelle owns the Ratio Six and is currently performing long-term tests on it and the Fellow Aiden Precision Brewer.