Steel vs glass carafe??

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
gibson00
Posts: 25
Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by gibson00 »

I'm in the market for a drip coffee machine, not sure what type of carafe to go with.

Do any of the coffee makers with steel carafes have a level indicator/window built into the carafe so you can see how much coffee is left??

OR, am I making a mistake going with a steel/thermal carafe? We've always had glass carafes on hot plate style. The hot plate always eventually seems to burn into a brown mess. But is that because we have a cheap $30 Sunbeam drip machine?

I'm not opposed to buying a nice technivorm, just not sure what carafe to go with?

Thx!!

mikelipino
Posts: 257
Joined: 3 years ago

#2: Post by mikelipino »

It's really personal choice and how quickly your household drinks coffee. I use three drip coffee makers (Moccamaster in glass, Bonavita 8 cup and Oxo 8 cup in stainless)

Glass Carafe
+ Easier to clean. Glass carafes typically have a wider mouth and it is easier to get a hand in to clean with a sponge. Glass is also less reactive than stainless and will stain less. My Moccamaster glass carafe looks brand new after 1+ years of use
+ More durable (to a point). Glass doesn't dent like stainless, that is unless it shatters
+ Less thermal mass, so it initially pours a hotter cup of coffee
+ Easy to see coffee remaining
- Off hot plate, it cools quickly. Not an issue if you're pouring cups during a meal or finish the carafe in a single session, but after an hour it will likely be too cool to enjoy
- Most hot plates are too hot and will scorch coffee after too long. The Moccamaster has a dedicated hot plate heater at a lower temperature, but even then I wouldn't keep it on the plate for much longer than an hour or so

Steel Carafe
+ Keeps coffee drinkably hot longer. These are typically sealed and dual wall and can keep coffee hot for hours (assuming you preheat it first). The Bonavita is sealed particularly well and I can grab a nice cup from it easily 5 h after brewing. This is good for an office scenario where you can brew first thing in the morning and people can enjoy coffee until lunch
+ Resists breakage. While stainless will dent with medium impact, it won't shatter like glass
- Often difficult to clean. Stainless carafes tend to have narrow mouths and I personally can't fit my hand in any of the ones I own. I'll tend to use a silicone bottle brush to attempt to scrub, but can't really get any leverage. My carafes will carry stains until I soak in Cafiza
- More thermal mass, so it initially pours a cooler cup of coffee. Even with an empty basket preheat cycle, coffee from a stainless carafe will start cooler than glass. It of course can maintain this temperature for longer, so there's a tradeoff
- Slightly more difficult to see coffee remaining. Most people will pick up the carafe and judge by weight and swirl, so it's not a huge deal

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baldheadracing
Team HB
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Joined: 9 years ago

#3: Post by baldheadracing »

I've got a Bonavita double-walled glass which seems to offer the best of both worlds - except for breakage resistance. Unfortunately, the Bonavita brand seems to be no longer.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

Milligan
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Joined: 2 years ago

#4: Post by Milligan »

We have a glass carafe Technivorm. My wife drinks the coffee fast enough that it doesn't matter that it stays warm in a thermal carafe. If the goal is to have warm coffee for hours then I'd go for the thermal stainless carafe. If you need it warm for less than an hour do the glass.