Although the thermos has been the iconic symbol of working men and women for generations, it has only been recently that this product’s popularity has begun to spread among the general population. Once consumers found out that these thermoses had a wide variety of different uses, they wisely began to put them to work in their homes for not only coffee but also hot cocoa, tea, and even soups. And because they’re so easy to grab and take with you, they’re perfect for commuters, travelers, and anyone else who’s on the go regularly.
As coffee fans, we knew just how valuable these containers are, and that’s why we’ve decided to review some of the best ones available. We wanted to find spacious thermos models, held in the heat or cold of a beverage extremely well and were well made. With all of those criteria in mind, we do believe that we’ve found the best coffee thermoses that consumers can pick up right now. Let’s take a closer look at them to see how well they perform.
Quick Summary of the Best Coffee Thermoses
- Best Overall: Stanley Classic Wide-Mouth Stainless-Steel Thermos (Amazon) – Review
- Best Large Capacity: Thermos Stainless-King 68-Ounce Beverage Bottle (Amazon) – Review
- Best Travel: Thermos Stainless King 40-Ounce Thermos (Amazon) – Review
- Best Affordable: Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug (Amazon) – Review
Best Overall: Stanley Classic Wide-Mouth Stainless-Steel Thermos
The Stanley Classic is the product that most people think of when they think of the best coffee thermoses, and there’s a good reason for that perception. It’s because it is one of the best ones available. It not only has the size to be extremely useful, but it also has the insulation properties to keep coffee hot for longer periods. This model can keep coffee, soup or tea hot for a full day. It can do this thanks to its double-walled construction that keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for a longer period than many of its competitors.
Another thing to like about this thermos is that it’s designed to hold up to regular use. It’s made out of 18/8 stainless steel that’s equipped with a tough multi-purpose lid that’s designed to keep the contents of the coffee exactly where it belongs—inside the thermos. And because these thermoses come in sizes of 1.1-quarts to 2-quarts, this lid is expected to do quite a bit of work. Another thing that we liked about this thermos is that it’s backed by one of the best warranties in the business from Stanley. It’s built for life, so they have given it a lifetime warranty. Now there’s no reason for anyone not to buy one of these thermoses.
Best Large Capacity: Thermos Stainless-King 68-Ounce Beverage Bottle
Anyone looking for a large thermos is probably going to want to examine this one. This product has a large 68-ounce size, which means that it can hold a 2-liter of coffee, tea, or soup. It’s also a product that can keep said beverages hot or cold for up to 24-hours at a time, and because of the way they’ve designed it, it won’t sweat like some of the inferior thermoses tend to do. It’s capable of doing this because it has a layer of air that’s sandwiched between two layers. This process is the basis of all thermoses and prevents convective heat change from occurring. Oh, and before we forget, it’s also worth mentioning that this product has an easy to use twist-and-pour stopper that allows the consumer to pour without having to remove the stopper. That’s a very nice feature for a thermos.
It’s also worth mentioning that this product is well-constructed as well. It’s made out of stainless steel, inside and out, and it’s coated with a beautiful coating. As nice as this coating looks at first, however, it’s also the reason we had to strike it with a negative. It seems that with heavy use the paint on this product will begin to wear. Not a lot to take this out of best coffee thermos contention, but enough that the consumer will notice. That’s too bad, considering that this product was in contention with the number one spot against Stanley. It does have a great size and a lot of features, but it’s exterior coating doesn’t seem too durable.
Best Travel: Thermos Stainless King 40-Ounce Thermos
It should be no surprise that the company whose name is thermos spelled with a big “T” instead of a little “t” makes a pretty good thermos. This 40-ounce model is made out of stainless steel and is capable of keeping hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold for a full 24-hours. This product is stainless steel inside and out, with an insulating layer that makes the whole thing work. And because its lid also doubles as an insulated serving cup, the consummate coffee drinker is never without a cup when they sit down to enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee. It also should be noted that this thermos has a nice clean look to it that anyone would be proud to carry around.
The one thing that we like about this product is that it always stays cool to the touch and never sweats. That isn’t always the case with some of its competitors. We also liked the fact that its twist-and-pour function allows the coffee drinker to pour coffee without removing the stopper. All of these features, along with a great price-point, makes this a great thermos, but it’s not without a minor flaw. The one thing we didn’t like about this model was that it’s fold-flat handle rarely stayed flat when we needed it to and it was a bit noisier than a thermos handle should be.
Best Affordable: Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug
When we first ran across this thermos, we were hoping that it would be the same quality product that we experienced with the Stanley Classic. That would’ve been nice, too, considering that this is a budget-priced product. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out to be the case. Now, we don’t want our readers to misunderstand us, we’re not saying this is a poor product. We think that it’s a great product, but it’s not as great as the Stanley Classic. What prevents it from competing with that other model is that it only keeps coffee warm for 10-12 hours instead of the 24-hours that the Classic does.
This is a thermos that’s made out of 18/8 stainless steel, is made from BPA-materials and has a trigger-action push-button lid. It’s just the right size to fit into a car cup holder, has a 16-ounce capacity, and comes in beautiful colors such as hammer-tone green, wine, nightfall blue, matte black, polar white or hammer-tone blue. This product is also easy-to-clean and can even be placed in a dishwasher. All of these features make this a great product for any coffee fan to use, but it’s just not as great as some of the other thermoses that we’ve reviewed.
The Ultimate Guide To Coffee Thermoses
It doesn’t matter if the coffee drinker is considering buying their first coffee thermos or if they’ve been using them all of their life, they still have to do their homework when buying one of them. Sure, we understand that all thermoses look the same in online listings or on store shelves, but we’re here to assure all of our readers that just isn’t the case. There can be significant differences between models. Differences that can have a profound effect on how well the thermos works.
Of course, buying the best coffee thermos isn’t the only thing that the consumer has to keep in mind, they also have to make sure they use it correctly. Even a good thermos won’t perform to expectations if it isn’t properly used. That’s why we’ve decided to pen this guide on the subject. We hope to inform the consumer on how to not only buy the best thermos available but also how to use it correctly.
[wc_fa icon=”cutlery” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]How To Purchase The Best Thermos
As promised, we’re going to start this guide with an explanation of how to buy the best thermos. These products might seem simple, and they are, but the materials they’re made from, as well as their design, can have a huge impact on how well it works. Therefore, it’s up to the consumer to know what they should be looking for in a thermos before they buy one.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]What Type Of Thermos?
The consumer should keep in mind that they’re two different types of thermoses available. Thermoses designed for holding hot or cold liquids and ones that are designed for keeping foods warm. The difference between these models is that thermoses designed for hot/cold beverages have a smaller opening. And since the opening is the place where most thermoses will lose their heat, a smaller opening means that less energy is lost to the environment. This means that typically coffee thermoses stay hotter longer than food thermoses. The main benefit of food thermoses is that they are easier to dish food from when serving.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]What Is The Thermos Made From?
The next thing that the consumer is going to want to consider is what the thermos is made of. Even though thermoses with glass inner flasks were the standard only a few years ago, stainless steel models are becoming increasingly popular. Both of these models work well because both thermoses use pockets of air as an insulator to keep heat/cold loss from occurring. There is also a third type of thermos, the ones made with a plastic interior, but we recommend that consumers stay away from them because they can give the beverage a plastic taste and it can deteriorate over time, resulting in a loss of performance.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Other Features To Think About
As long as the consumer buys a coffee thermos made with double-wall construction and with either a stainless-steel or glass inner flasks, they can rest assured that they’re going to get a thermos that serves them well. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t features that make the thermos easier to use or travel with, so we’ve listed some additional features that the consumer might want to consider when purchasing a new coffee thermos.Â
- The Color Of The Thermos
- Whether It Has A Fold-Down Handle
- Whether It Fits In A Cup Holder
- Twist-And-Pour Stoppers
- The Size Of The Thermos
- The Price Of The Thermos
[wc_fa icon=”cutlery” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Using A Coffee Thermos Properly
Once the consumer has purchased the best thermos that they can buy, it’s time for the consumer to learn how to properly use that thermos to achieve the best results. The most common way for consumers to use their thermos is to open it up, fill it with hot coffee and go. And while that might keep the coffee warm long enough for a day at the job site, some consumers need a little bit more oomph out of their coffee thermos. Below are some tips that will help consumers push their thermos to the absolute limits of the product’s design, all so they can get more out of it.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Charge Up The Thermos
This is the main step that most people neglect when they fill up their coffee thermos, which is unfortunate because it’s a vital step. By properly charging the thermos, the consumer can increase its efficiency by up to 20%. How does a person charge their thermos? Well, it’s quite easy and we’re going to detail it below.
To properly charge the thermos, the consumer is going to want to boil hot water and then pour it into the thermos while the coffee is brewing. Allow this hot water to stay in the thermos for 10-12 minutes so that the interior gets nice and hot. Once that’s been done, pour out the hot water and immediately add the freshly brewed coffee. Now immediately put on the lid and make sure that it’s tight. Congratulations! The thermos is now properly charged.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Fill The Thermos Right Before Leaving For Work
Another thing that consumers want to consider is filling up the thermos right before they leave for work. Some people fill it up and let it sit around for a while before taking it to work or wherever else they need to take it. By waiting until they’re just about to walk out of the door, they can increase the amount of time their coffee will stay warm. It seems like common sense, which it is, but it’s also something that surprisingly few people consider when using their thermos.Â
[wc_fa icon=”spoon” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Other Tips For Using A Thermos
Before we wrap this guide up and allow everything to come to its logical conclusion, we would like to give our readers a few additional tips for maintaining and using their thermos. Although we doubt there will be any revolutionary ideas in the following list of tips, we do think that they’re important for consumers to keep in the back of their minds. If they can do that, then there’s no reason that their thermos will not only provide them with the results they expect out of it but will also last them a lifetime.Â
- Additional Thermos Tips:
- Keep The Thermos Clean
- Don’t Drop Glass-Flask Thermoses
- Follow All Manufacturer’s Instructions
- Avoid Placing Lids With Rubber Seals In A Dishwasher
- Empty It Out After Each Use