Best Thermos For Keeping Coffee Hot: 10 Picks

By Shabbir
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We need our coffee, and we need our coffee hot! So which is the best thermos for keeping coffee hot? We’ve narrowed down the hundreds of thermoses available to just 10 for you to choose from.

Do you prefer something nice and small that you can easily carry with you wherever you go? If it’s not too bulky, you can easily carry it with you to your car on in the subway.

Or do you need a LOT of coffee to last you throughout the day, in which case you need a huge 20 ounce thermos that can also keep your coffee hot throughout the day!

Since preferences vary so wildly, we’ve gone ahead and tried to select something for everyone. On with the show!

Here’s the short of it, though: the best coffee thermos hands down is the Thermos Stainless King. It’s a great overall thermos for carrying coffee and other beverages, and maintains temperature like a king.

Thermos SK2010BKTRI4 Stainless King 40 Ounce Beverage Bottle, Matte Black

Best Thermoses That Will Keep Coffee Hot All Day

1. Thermos Stainless King: best thermos for hot coffee

Matte colors and awesome finishing aside, the Thermos Stainless King is an excellent thermos for hot coffee. The interior and exterior are both made of stainless steel and it is completely rust-proof.

It will store either hot or cold beverages like a champ and can maintain the temperature throughout the day and the thermos won’t get hot or sweat thanks to it being vacuum insulated.

So if you pack this up in the morning and take it to work with you, you can make a 40 ounce preparation of coffee last you until you get back home.

Note: 40 ounces is 5 cups of coffee, which is more than the recommended amount per day. If you’re going to make 40 ounces of coffee, you may want to share it with others.

Like the Stanley thermos below, you can use the lid as a cup on the go.

Capacity: 40 ounces

Dimensions: 3.70 x 4.40 x 12.10 inches

Material: Stainless steel

2. Thermos Compact Beverage Bottle

Since this post is about coffee thermoses it should be no surprise at all that more than one of our suggestions is indeed from the Thermos brand itself.

Unlike the one above, the Thermos Compact bottle is much smaller, ranging from 16 to 25 ounces – though we suggest getting the 16 ounce one for the most portability.

Throw it into a backpack or a purse and you won’t even notice that it’s taking up space.

This thermos is really all about the portability. Other features are pretty much on par with what you’d expect from Thermos: vacuum insulated to keep things hot or cold, a spill-resistant cap and mouth, and sweat/heat resistance.

Of course, the top of the thermos can unscrew and turn into a cup for enjoying a drink on the go.

Capacity: 16 ounces and larger

Dimensions: 2.60 x 2.60 x 10.00 inches

Material: Stainless steel

3. Contigo West Loop Travel Mug

The West Loop Autoseal travel mug is a sleek and functional travel mug that’s awesome for keeping your coffee hot for up to 7 hours. In case iced coffee is your thing, it will stay cool for up to 18 hours.

The lid opens and shuts with the touch of a button and the AUTOSEAL in the name is its proprietary seal which keeps the liquids securely in the mug. There won’t be any unwanted leaks or messes with the West Loop!

Additionally, it comes it a LOT of different colors so if you want one for you and your partner you can pick up something in your favorite colors – and you’ll probably be able to find the color easily, too.

Capacity: 20 ounces

Dimensions: 3.25 x 3.5 x 9 inches

Material: Stainless steel

4. Thermos King Travel Tumbler

Much like the #1 in our list, the Thermos King travel tumbler is it’s smaller cousin – that was a full sized thermos and this one is a tumbler that is more portable.

Hot coffee? Check, this tumbler can store it for up to 5 hours and keep it warm. Iced coffee? Check, this can keep it cold for up to 18 hours.

Because of its compact and portable size it can definitely fit in most car cup holders.

In case you prefer tea on the rare occasion, there is a little tea hook built in to the tumbler where you can place a tea bag or pouch to steep your beverage on the go.

For best results and prolonging the life of the product, wash with warm soapy water and do not use bleach or any abrasives. It’s best not to store anything in the thermos for more than 24 hours at a time.

Capacity: 16 ounces

Dimensions: 3.30 x 3.30 x 7.80 inches

Material: Stainless steel

5. Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle

The Stanley Classic is, like it’s name, a classic. Stanley has been making thermoses for over 100 years and when they first invented their thermos, they changed the way people had hot drinks for good!

The body and the lid are both vacuum insulated. If you’re on the go, the lid will double as a cup so you can enjoy your coffee in smaller portions in case you want to ration it out.

It’s made of rust proof stainless steel and is 100% BPA free – this thermos/mug is the good stuff.

Available in two sizes: 1.1 or 2 quarts, which is half a gallon (nearly 2 litres), so that should be enough coffee for an entire family picnic!

Capacity: 35 ounces to 70 ounces

Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 14.6 inches

Material: Stainless Steel

6. Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA Mug

When it comes to food storage, one of the biggest names that comes to mind is Zojirushi. This mug from Zojirushi(model number SM-SA60-BA for those who wish to get technical) is sleek and lightweight, and has some ingenious features for handling hot beverages.

The lid, for example, must be opened in two steps, so you don’t accidentally spill any coffee when prying the top open. Since this mug is designed to be drunk from directly, there is a little air outlet near the mouthpiece which helps the coffee flow out evenly.

Made with BPA-free plastic and stainless steel, the Zojirushi sports a 4 year warranty on heat retention.

Did we mention it’s really easy to clean, too?

Capacity: 12 to 20 ounces

Dimensions: 2.87 x 2.87 x 9.88 inches

Material: Stainless Steel

7. RTIC Double Wall Tumbler(Vacuum Insulated)

Another hard hitter when it comes to tumblers and thermoses for coffee, the RTIC tumbler is double-walled vacuum insulated to prevent sweating or heating up on the outside, as well as maintaining the internal temperature of the liquid.

You can take hot coffee or iced coffee with you in this tumbler and it can maintain the temperature from morning till evening.

It comes in a 30 ounce size. 30 ounces is a lot, so it should be enough coffee for at least a whole day or a family.

Finally, the base is tapered to help you grip it better so you can sip while driving or walking.

Note: Please be careful with hot beverages on the road!

Capacity: 30 ounces

Dimensions: 8.62 x 4.37 x 4.37 inches

Material: Stainless steel

8. Hydro Flask Travel Coffee Mug

The Hydro Flask comes in a 16 ounces size. It has a wide mouth you can use for pouring into glasses or cups, or you can also drink directly from it.

It’s made from BPA-free plastic and 18/8 stainless steel which can keep your beverages hot or cold for the duration of your workday.

The Hydro Flask is quite versatile as there are a variety of different caps(such as one with a built in straw) that you can buy separately for it: the Wide Mouth Flex Cap, the Hydro Flip Lid, and the Wide Mouth Straw Lid.

Paint is powder coated on the steel exterior which promotes a strong grip. The finish won’t chip or wear away that easily, either.

Whether you’re buying this for coffee, freshly squeezed juice, or water, the Hydro Flask can handle it all. This is especially good for families where one day you want to take your coffee to work, and the next day, you want something to give your kids water in to take to soccer practice.

Capacity: 16 ounces

Dimensions: 2.25 x 2.25 x 7.9 inches

Material: Stainless steel

9. YETI Rambler Stainless Steel Tumbler

The YETI Rambler is a really interesting design. It has what you’d always expect from a good thermos or tumbler: a double walled vacuum made from 18/8 stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, but the really interesting design touch here is the clear lid.

Most of the tumblers we’ve reviewed so far have a little mechanism where you can open the mouthpiece in the cap and drink directly, but you must remove the lid to sip from the YETI.

The lid, however, is clear so you always know exactly how much of your beverage is still left and you don’t have to guess by the weight.

It’s not flimsy by any means, as the lid seals very snugly onto the tumbler and is very spill resistant.

These tumblers range from 20 ounces to 30 ounces and all of the sizes will fit in a standard car cup holder. It’s also dishwasher safe, which is a plus.

Capacity: 20 ounces

Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 7 inches

Material: Stainless steel

10. Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

The last but not least pick on our list is another thermos from Zojirushi. I suppose that’s part of the Xerox problem, right? Calling a Zojirushi bottle a thermos? 🙂

These bottles come in a wide variety of colors starting with the standard, elegant stainless steel finish and a host of other colors to match your taste.

You can find the bottle in 12 ounces and 16 ounce styles. As always, it is double walled, stainless steel, and vacuum insulated, so you won’t feel the hot or cold on the outside and this thermos can keep your coffee warm or cold for the duration of your day.

Normally, thermoses can keep cold coffee cooler for longer than keeping hot coffee hot. That’s just due to the nature of heat and cold, nothing else.

Capacity: 16 ounces

Dimensions: 2.6 x 2.6 x 9.2 inches

Material: Stainless steel

Obviously, there are a lot more thermoses than just these available online. These are the ones we liked best after much research, and we felt these covered the widest range of functions so you’d be able to find something you like.

How to choose the best coffee thermos: a buying guide

Since there are indeed so many coffee thermoses around here are a few features that you want to think about before you make your purchasing decision. This will help you filter your choice and pick the best thermos for your needs.

Size

The first thing to consider, obviously, is size. How much coffee are you actually going to need to carry with you? Are you going to brew a single serve from a Keurig or a drip machine, and just finish that on the way to work, stick with a smaller size.

The 20+ ounce thermoses will just be too clunky and a 10 to 12 ounce thermos will do the trick.

If on the other hand you prefer to brew a lot of coffee and finish it throughout the day, or if you need more than one cup of home brewed coffee(in case your office coffee maker sucks and you don’t want to dish out 3+ dollars for a single cup), go for a bigger size.

Insulation

The second consideration is also perhaps the most important because insulation is really the whole point of buying a thermos, right?

All good thermoses are made of double walled stainless steel so they can keep hot coffee hot and cold coffee cold. The double walled design means that you won’t feel the heat and cold on the outside of the thermos.

However not all thermoses are created equal, and some can keep your coffee hot or cold for much longer than others. Higher quality ones can manage to go for nearly 24 hours whereas cheaper ones sometimes lose their charm in 6.

How does double-walled insulation work?

Double-walled insulation is simply a smaller container inside a larger container with an airless gap in between.

The airless gap ensures that no heat is lost from the inside when you fill the thermos with a hot beverage, and no heat is absorbed from the outside when you fill in a cold beverage.

Heat transfer works through two processes called convection and conduction.

In convection, the heat moves in a circular motion, starting at the bottom and rising up. The heat energy is lost when it comes into contact with anything. Energy transfer through physical contact is called conduction.

Double-walled insulation prevents the heat from being conducted by anything. Because there is a vacuum between the inner and outer container, there is nothing to conduct the heat! That’s why the outside of the thermos remains the same temperature as it was before, no matter what you fill inside it.

However, insulation is not perfect. A little heat will inevitably be lost when you open the thermos. However, since the bulk of the hot coffee is only in contact with the vacuum-insulated wall, it will not become cold.

Sipping

Thermoses come with a wide variety of ways you can actually drink up. Some have a lid/cup that you can fill and drink from, whereas others will have mouthpieces or straws.

Some like the YETI Rambler have a clear snap on lid that seals the thermos shut. You’d have to remove the lid and drink from it like a normal cup.

The sipping part is important because it really dictates where you can use the thermos. The YETI is not a good choice for sipping while driving, as spills are more possible. Other thermoses that have straws or small mouthpieces would be more suited to those situations.

Spilling

Thermoses are meant to be used roughly and on the go. The best thermoses for your coffee can be thrown into a backpack or bag and you don’t have to worry about dings or spills. That’s why the ones we’ve chosen in our post have had thousands of upvotes from users.

If you’re still in doubt you can always browse through some more reviews and be sure of your purchase before pulling the trigger.

Other conveniences and care

Finally, since you’re going to be using the thermos on a daily basis, you need to figure out if indeed it is convenient to maintain. Can you put it in a dishwasher or must it be washed by hand? Are there lots of small parts that residue can build up in? Will it start to smell?

These are things you need to consider.

A search for thermos will probably bring up thousands of results but we’ve tried our very best to filter them down to just 10 of the best that we think you’ll definitely be happy with.

Tips for using your thermos

Priming your thermos

A little known but very pro tip for using a thermos to keep your coffee hot is to prime the thermos before you pour hot water into it.

Priming a thermos simply means pouring hot water into it to raise the temperature of the inner chamber. This way, when you pour hot coffee into the thermos, the walls are already hot, and the coffee will not lose any heat to the walls of the thermos!

If you skip this step and the thermos is cold, your coffee will also drop some degrees in temperature.

You can also do this in reverse by cooling a thermos before pouring iced coffee into it.

How effective are thermoses at keeping coffee fresh?

Coffee becomes stale when it is exposed to oxygen. As long as you keep the thermos sealed and the coffee stays hot, it can stay fresh for as long as it remains hot!

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a wide variety of coffee thermoses available. Most of the thermoses we’ve listed all perform the basic function of maintaining temperature very well, but the final decision will probably be influenced by how much capacity you need and whether you’ll drink directly out of the thermos or use it to pour from.

Last update on 2024-03-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About Shabbir

Shab is the Chief Caffeine Officer at Coffee Brewster. When he's not weighing out coffee beans for his next brew, you can find him writing about his passion: coffee.