I have quite a lot of coffee every day. It’s pretty common for me to have a few cups in the morning and one or two cups in the afternoon for a small energy boost. That said, I really hate having to stand up from work and make a new batch of coffee just because my old batch went cold.
That’s why I spent a lot of time experimenting with my coffee maker to find the best way to keep my coffee hot. And in this article, I’ll share everything I learned with you.
Below, I’ll explain different ways how you can keep coffee hot and highlight some of the best methods. That way, you can finally say goodbye to cold coffee!
Related:
- Which Coffee Maker Makes the Hottest Coffee
- Best 4-Cup Coffee Makers (Small Units But Bold, Rich Coffee Flavors!)
- How Long to Microwave Water to Boil | Time-Saving Tips
Contents
- How to Keep Your Coffee Hot
- Should I Use a Coffee Maker to Keep My Coffee Hot?
- FAQs
- What Keeps Coffee Hot All Day?
- Which Cup Keeps Coffee Hot the Longest?
- How Do You Keep Coffee Warm in a Paper Cup?
- What Keeps Coffee Hotter Glass or Ceramic?
- What Type of Cup Will Keep a Hot Drink Warm Longer?
- How Do You Keep Coffee Warm After Pouring Over?
- How Long Will Coffee Stay Warm in the Carafe?
- How Do You Keep Coffee Warm in a Carafe?
- Conclusion
How to Keep Your Coffee Hot
If you have no other options, you can use your coffee maker to keep your coffee warm throughout the day. Cold coffee has a different flavour that doesn’t taste that good (unless you make a cold brew), which is why it’s best to consume your coffee when it’s hot. Most modern coffee makers come with a hot plate that heats the carafe so that your coffee doesn’t get cold throughout the day.
But while this is a quick and convenient way to keep your coffee hot, I found that it kind of alters the flavour. Even with the highest-quality beans, I found that leaving the carafe in the coffee maker produces a slightly burnt taste, which is why coffee makers aren’t the best option if you want to keep your coffee hot.
Don’t worry – I’ll give you a few alternatives later in this article. But for now, let’s look at how you can use your coffee maker to heat your coffee throughout the day.
Thermal Carafe
Does Thermal Carafe Keep Coffee Hot?
If you want to keep your coffee hot for the whole day without burning it, a thermal carafe is the best option available. These are carafes that may be compatible with your coffee maker. I personally love this method as it doens’t require me to transfer the coffee after brewing. Instead, I use the thermal carafe as opposed to the glass carafe that came with my coffee maker. Then, once I’ve brewed the coffee, I can take the carafe off the hot plate, unplug the coffee maker, and the insulation of the carafe keeps the coffee hot for me.
If you want to use a thermal carafe, I recommend investing in a high-quality one. A high-qualtiy carafe doens’t just last you a long time, but it keeps liquids hot for hours on end without requiring reheating. In fact, I can brew coffee in the morning with a thermal carafe and still have a piping hot beverage at around 4:00 PM if I need a quick energy boost.
Travel Mug
A travel mug is one of the best ways to keep coffee hot for a long time. These are mugs with a lot of insulation, designed to keep drinks hot while a person is on-the-go. If you want to keep your coffee hot the whole day, a travel mug is a great idea, even if you’re just at home!
Insulated Coffee Thermos
If you’re always on the go, then a thermal carafe isn’t the most practical option. When I have to go around during the day and still want a nice hot cup of coffee, I usually use a coffee thermos. This is similar to a thermal carafe with numerous insulation layers to keep the coffee hot. The difference, however, is in the overall shape of the thermos.
A coffee thermos is typically smaller and very portable. So, you can’t brew coffee in one. However, when you transfer brewed coffee to a coffee thermos, you can expect the beverage to stay hot the whole day in the thermos.
Coffee Maker
Every coffee maker is different, so it’s always best to refer to the machine’s manual when figuring out how to keep your coffee hot. That said, many coffee makers automatically keep your coffee hot as long as it’s plugged in. So, all you have to do is brew your coffee like you normally do, then leave some coffee in the carafe while you sip your first cup.
Most coffee makers will lower the heat on the hot plate so that it doesn’t boil the water. However, they keep the plate hot enough so that the coffee stays warm inside so your coffee stays hot for much longer.
I’ve found that some coffee makers have a “keep warm” setting or button on the machine. If your machine has something like this, simply press this button after brewing to lower the heat of the hot plate. When you do this, you can keep your coffee hot for an hour or two without worrying about an altered flavour.
A Cup Sleeve
A coffee sleeve is a quick and simple way to keep your coffee warm, a cup sleeve is all you need. Simply wrap the sleeve around your mug with hot coffee, and the sleeve will keep your coffee warm for much logner than usual!
Hot Plate
I don’t personally recommend this method, but if you’re in a pinch, it’s very effective. If you have a hot plate, you can use it in the same way as your coffee maker. Simply place your thermos, pot, or carafe on the hot plate, turn it on, then waitk for your coffee to heat up. That said, this can also burn your coffee, which can leave a pretty unpleasant taste in your mouth.
Cup Warmer for the Car
I personally use this method whenever I’m on the way to work and I wasn’t able to finish my cup of joe. I recently purchased a car cup warmer that I can plug into my car and keep my coffee warm. This is great for road trips, but the downside is that you can’t use it if you’re away from your car.
Microwave
A great way to heat your coffee is in the microwave. You can use a microwave to heat up your coffee in less than a minute. I recommend taking care when doing this as microwaves are notorious for heating up the cup.
Should I Use a Coffee Maker to Keep My Coffee Hot?
While it’s possible to use your coffee maker to keep your coffee hot, I advise against it. Whenever I use my coffee maker to keep my coffee hot for a long time, I notice that the flavour starts to change, especially after an hour or two. This is because the high temperature of the hot plate can burn the coffee, which makes it more bitter and very unpleasant.
You’ve probably seen a lot of waiters and waitresses at your local diner use a hot plate to keep their coffee hot for hours on end. I’ve seen many establishments do this, but if you pay attention, the coffee, at the end of the day, has a really strong bitter flavour, especially compared to when the coffee was freshly brewed.
On top of that, hot plates don’t heat the coffee evenly. So, some of your coffee may be perfectly fine to drink while the rest will be burnt. This ruins the entire batch and usually causes me to throw out an entire batch of coffee, which wastes beans, water, and time.
I really enjoy the flavour of coffee along with the effects of caffeine. This is why I really dislike burnt coffee, as it completely ruins my drinking experience.
Since my coffee maker tends to burn my coffee instead of keeping it warm, I’ve recently switched to coffee-heating alternatives. These options won’t burn your coffee, but they can keep your drink hot for hours on end. That way, you can brew a large batch in the morning and enjoy hot coffee the whole day through.
Below, I’ll talk about some of the best alternatives I’ve found over the years to make it easier for you to choose the best method for your needs and preferences.
FAQs
What Keeps Coffee Hot All Day?
The best way to keep coffee hot the whole day is either with a thermal carafe or a travel mug. While reheating the coffee is possible, it can alter the flavour and texture.
Which Cup Keeps Coffee Hot the Longest?
Travel mugs and thermal carafes are the best for keeping coffee hot. If you don’t have these, you can also use a cup sleeve over a thick mug.
How Do You Keep Coffee Warm in a Paper Cup?
Coffee won’t stay hot in a paper cup. However, you can extend the time it stays warm by adding a cup sleeve or choosing a thicker cup.
What Keeps Coffee Hotter Glass or Ceramic?
Generaelly, ceramic outperforms glass in terms of keeping a drink warm. However, keep in mind that this can vary depending on the glass.
What Type of Cup Will Keep a Hot Drink Warm Longer?
Travel coffee mugs and thermoses are the best option for keeping a hot drink warm. While mugs and cups will keep it warm for some time, these won’t last more than an hour.
How Do You Keep Coffee Warm After Pouring Over?
The best way to keep coffee warm is to choose the right vessel. The better the insulation, the longer your drink will stay warrm.
How Long Will Coffee Stay Warm in the Carafe?
If you have a well-insulated carafe,y our coffee will stay hot for several hours. But if you don’t have an insulated carafe, it will only stay warm for an hour or so.
How Do You Keep Coffee Warm in a Carafe?
To keep coffee warm in a carafe, try wrapping it in a scarf or buying an insulated carafe. I don’t recommend reheating the coffee as that will greatly affect the final flavor.
Conclusion
Coffee has volatile compounds, so it’s always best to drink it fresh. I’ve found that reheating cold coffee produces a burnt and unpleasant flavour. So, if you can’t drink all your coffee in one sitting, I recommend using a thermal carafe or a coffee thermos to keep the drink hot. That way, you can enjoy a hot drink whenever you want without ruining the coffee’s flavour.
