If you don’t insist on having your coffee piping hot 3 hours after you make it and are more concerned about not having glass on board — and are willing to use electricity to make your coffee — a drip coffeemaker with a thermal carafe can work. A couple of our cruising friends used them and were quite happy with the system.
A thermal carafe drip coffee maker works like a conventional one, but the coffee drips directly into a keep-warm container and there isn’t any hot plate.
The biggest drawback is that users complain that the thermal carafes generally aren’t up to the task of keeping coffee piping hot for very long. They’re also large to stow. The real selling point (particularly for use in a boat galley) is that the carafe is unbreakable.
If you’ll be using it on an inverter, be sure to read Inverters 101.
Pros: Can wedge it in the sink, start it and forget it, no glass pot, stays hot without additional electricity or a separate Thermos (although not forever)
Cons: More expensive, uses electricity (typically 800 to 1025 watts), does not keep coffee as hot as a good Thermos, large to store
Keeping it hot: Included – but these carafes do not do as good a job as a good Thermos.
Cost: $45 to $85, depending on size and insulating properties of the carafe
My choice for an electric drip coffee maker with a thermal carafe (note that this unit uses #4 cone filters, not the typical basket filters) — this one is available on Amazon, you’ll probably others in local stores that are similar:
- 12-cup (6 mug) coffee maker with thermal carafe
- Bottle brush for cleaning the carafe
- Insulated mug that will fit in most drink holders
John Ahern on Facebook says
is there a good 12v one?
The Boat Galley on Facebook says
NO — everyone that I know that’s tried ANY form of 12v coffeemaker says it just takes forever. If you don’t have a big inverter to use AC (or don’t want to spare the power, like us) look at the non-electric options. We used a manual drip cone and it made GREAT coffee, although it took more attention.
The Boat Galley on Facebook says
And I still have a couple more to write about . . . lots of people love the Aeropress, which doesn’t use electricity.
Evan Wright says
Aeropress ROCKS! $30 or so, and it makes regular OR espresso coffee, its unbreakable, and all you gotta figure out what’s your best method to heat the water (stovetop or microwave). Coffee is better than Starbucks, seriously. For latte’s, check out the Bellman Milk Steamer (pricey, but works on the stovetop) and/or Capresso Froth Pro (120v needed for this however).