Small coffee carafes are perfect for keeping smaller batches of coffee hot for extended periods of time without having to keep a carafe sitting on a hot plate.
Many models of coffee makers brew straight into insulated carafes but not everyone has or wants one of these bigger coffee makers. In fact a more versatile option is to have a dedicated carafe that can be used to keep a variety of things hot or cold.
Here at Gathering Grounds we advise our customers to make french press coffee at home all the time and instead of brewing up a larger pot of coffee and letting it sit in the pressed grind we encourage our customers to pour extra coffee out of the press pot into a small carafe like those featured on this page so that the coffee both stays hot and also so that it does over extract the beans and go bitter.
Our Favorite Small Coffee Carafes
In many restaurants you’ll find the use of these carafes commonplace. Places like IHOP serve coffee at the table with small insulated coffee carafes while many other places will use them to keep creamers and milk cold.
Whatever you use your carafe for we wanted to direct you to some of our favorites which can be found in the list below.
Isosteel Tableline VA-9330K 1.0 Liter 34 fl. oz brushed 18/8 stainless Steel double Walled Vacuum-Insulated Carafe
Isosteel Tableline VA-9330K 1.0 Liter 34 fl. oz brushed 18/8 stainless Steel double Walled Vacuum-Insulated CarafeI personally think this carafe is beautifully designed – it’s pretty functional too.
You can pour one-handed, it won’t drip, it keeps coffee hot, it’s BPA free, and dishwasher safe!
What’s not to like?
Oggi Solo 20-Ounce Thermal Vacuum Carafe with Stainless Steel Liner and Press Button Top
Oggi Solo 20-Ounce Thermal Vacuum Carafe with Stainless Steel Liner and Press Button TopThis is your classic small coffee carafe. It’s low in price and works just fine for around the house.
You can get various sizes of this model and they are all lined with stainless steel so you won’t ever get a pastic taste in your coffee.
This model is vacuum insulated too so it will keep your coffee hotter longer. Build quality could be better but it’s great for the price.
Here are some more good carafes that aren’t very big. Click for product details and pricing.
Genuine Joe GJO11955 Stainless Steel Everyday Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Carafe, 1L CapacityMore InfoIsosteel VA-9344K 0.6 Liter 20 oz 18/8 polished stainless Steel Tableline Double-Walled Vacuum Carafe wit Flap Lid, Dishwasher Safe / BPA freeMore InfoEmsa Eleganza Stainless Steel 20 -Ounce Insulated CarafeMore InfoIsosteel Tableline VA-9336K 34 fl. oz.- 1 Liter Stainless Steel Vacuum Carafe, Black Color Coating Finish, with Quickstop System for One Hand Use extra wide mouthMore InfoThermos Thermal Carafe 34 Oz Glass Vacuum Insulated China WhiteMore InfoThermos S/S 20 Oz Vacuum Creamer Carafe with Twist and Pour LidMore Info
In addition to the carafes listed above we also have a page dedicated to larger carafes and coffee urns. If these are a bit smaller than what you were looking for then make sure to give those pages a look.
Why Would You Want a Small Thermal Carafe Over a Large One?
This is actually a common question we get. When you think of a thermal coffee carafe you think of something big that holds a lot of coffee.
The thing is though that most people only make a little coffee at a time, enough for one or two people. If you make a big post of french press coffee for instance you usually put some in the cup you are drinking and then the rest goes into the insulated carafe. You don’t keep it in the french press because it will over extract and get cold and you won’t need a huge carafe because you never brew so much.
Small carafes that are full will hold temperature longer than big carafes that are only half full.
And don’t forget bigger carafes cost more and take up more cabinet space – that’s why we recommend getting smaller carafes for use in the home.
You may also want to see this page which lists our favorite thermal carafe drip coffee makers – if that’s more along the lines of what you are looking for.
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