If you’re an all-day coffee drinker or you immediately go back for a second cup, you want your coffee hot. But zapping it in a microwave can change the flavor. Consumer Reports tested several products to see which will keep your coffee hot the longest.
In CR testing, products from well-known brands, including Yeti and Starbucks, fell short of the competition.
Sometimes, a beautifully designed mug had a flimsy plastic lid or other flaw that allowed heat to escape or liquid to spill.
They gave top ratings to the Zojirushi for $28. It keeps drinks piping hot for 13-and-a-half hours, six hours longer than the closest competitor.
The Thermos Stainless King is a bit cheaper and keeps drinks hot for seven and a half hours. Then there’s the Takeya Traveler, which should keep your cup of joe hot for six and a half hours.
There’s no doubt that you save money by making coffee at home.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to brew a pot in the morning and then go back for a second or third cup later in the day, you’ll want a coffee maker whose carafe can keep your java hot for hours. The top spot for coffee makers with a glass carafe goes to the Cuisinart DCC-T20 Touchscreen 14-Cup Programmable. The model receives top-notch ratings for brew performance and convenience.
Hot plates keep coffee hot by cycling power on and off. Glass carafes on hot plates can vary the temperature of coffee by about two-and-a-half degrees in either direction after one hour, on average.
Consumer Reports recommends the Technivrom Moccamaster KBT if you prefer a thermal carafe. It got superb reliability and owner satisfaction ratings in Consumer Reports’ member surveys.