Best Coffee Thermoses for Hot Coffee All Day Long

Here’s a comprehensive buying guide that’ll help you select the best thermos.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Coffee Thermos

You will need to keep the following considerations in mind when getting a new coffee thermos.

Size

You must select the right size that caters to your daily needs and routine. Will you be using it for the office? Will you be sharing the thermos with another person? Do you drink a normal amount of coffee or go overboard? If the answer to all these is yes, you’d want to get a larger volume thermos.

Similarly, if you’ll be traveling a lot, get a lighter, slimmer one that fits in cupholders.

Lid Design

Typical thermoses come with trigger-action lids, which is great if you like to take a sip or two while on the go. There’s also a twist lid option which you’ll mostly find in leak-proof models.

Insulation

Thermoses maintain heat or cold due to the insulation in their walls. The best kinds of thermoses come with vacuum-insulated walls that have a double stainless steel exterior. You should avoid getting plastic thermoses as they are not as effective as steel ones for maintaining temperature for long hours.

How Does a Coffee Thermos Work?

Thermoses come with two containers. One is placed inside the other. The inner container is narrow and is shaped to create a space or a void between the two containers. This gap is supposed to have to air to create the perfect vacuum space between the two.

The name “vacuum flasks” come from this very principle. The vacuum created will delay the convection and conduction or the overall movement of energy that otherwise would travel through the air.

Stainless steel is the ideal material for creating such air-less spaces and reducing heat conduction. It ranks the lowest on the heat transfer scale in comparison with other metals. Some thermoses also use foam, sand, or glass insulation, but the most effective solution is air.

Tips to Maintain a Coffee Thermos

There are two important things you need to take care of if you want to keep your coffee thermos for a long time.

Cleaning

You can elongate a thermos’s life by a considerable amount of time if you regularly clean it. It’s advised to wash your thermos manually than putting it in a dishwasher. Although dishwasher is safe and fine, but it’s better if you do it with a cleaning brush.

You only need a mild detergent and a long brush to stir in an up and down motion to reach every inch of the thermos. If you have stains, you can use baking soda or vinegar to rinse them off.

Priming

The second best tip for maintaining a thermos is to prime it before use. You’ll just have to fill the thermos with hot water for around 10 minutes. This is a necessary step because your liquid will cool down by a few degrees when you directly pour it and you might mistakenly conclude that the thermos is defective. This will condition or temper the inside of the vessel. This can also be done with ice or cold water.

How Long Can Coffee Stay Hot in a Thermos?

Since we’ve discussed what makes up the best thermos for coffee, let’s see how long the best ones can keep your hot coffee warm or iced latte cold. The best thermoses would ideally keep your coffee piping hot for up to 24 hours.

Such thermoses are usually made up of stainless steel, which is great heat resistant, and are vacuum insulated. However, majority of coffee thermoses you’ll find will fall below the 24-hour mark. A more realistic or common range would be 7-12 hours.

As mentioned, priming or pre-heating your thermos makes a huge difference. This increases heat retention. Thermoses do better with cold beverages, if your thermos can keep your coffee warm for 12 hours, it will easily keep your cold drinks chilled for 24-hours.

Conclusion

Thermoses for coffee are just like a necessity to most of us today. You can always find someone in your circle who’s hunting for the best thermos for coffee, one that’s practical, handy, and effective at its job.

We’ve researched and picked some of the best coffee thermoses so it’s easier for you to narrow down your pick that serves your lifestyle the best.

Coffee Thermos FAQ

Some frequently asked questions are:

Q: Is it safe to put a thermos in the freezer?

A: It’s advised against because as the liquid freezes, it expands and can damage the thermos. The best practice is to add ice to your thermos to cool it down. If you don't want the ice in it afterwards, you can remove it and interior of the thermos will be much cooler.

Q: How to dispose of old thermoses?

A: Metal and plastic, both kinds of thermoses can be dropped at recycling facilities.

Q: How long does coffee stay hot in a thermos?

A: It can stay hot for up to 24-hours as long as the thermos is well insulated and you primed the thermos such as warming it prior to adding your beverage and the exterior temperature is also warm.