MikeG Senior Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat May 8, 2004, 9:47am Subject: What makes a good airpot?
A coffee supplier I'm looking into told me they supply all-stainless-steel airpots - not the usual glass lined ones. At first that made me a little uneasy since the coffee is going to be in contact with metal the whole time it's in the airpot, but since I don't have experience with this type, I figured I might as well come here and see what you guys have to say. Are non-glass lined airpots a totally bad idea?
koffeekev Senior Member Joined: 21 Jul 2002 Posts: 683 Location: Connecticut Expertise: Professional
Posted Sat May 8, 2004, 10:03am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
Hi Mike. If you preheat the S/S airpot and keep liquid in it for an hour or less it will be fine and the liner will not break. If you are one of those people (non-geek) who wants to hold coffee as long as you can (3 hours) then the S/S will be a waste of cash. Glass will stay hot much longer. Make sure the top is of high quality as this ends up being more of an issue with levers breaking etc. Kevin
ljguitar Senior Member Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 2,450 Location: Cheyenne Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Expobar Pulsar Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly, Solis Drip: Bunn Roaster: iRoast2
Posted Sat May 8, 2004, 11:02am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
MikeG Said:
A coffee supplier I'm looking into told me they supply all-stainless-steel airpots - not the usual glass lined ones. At first that made me a little uneasy since the coffee is going to be in contact with metal the whole time it's in the airpot, but since I don't have experience with this type, I figured I might as well come here and see what you guys have to say. Are non-glass lined airpots a totally bad idea?
Hi... All the Zojirushi and Nissans I have ever used (seen) are SS and hold coffee drinkably hot for up to 6 hours. They may make a glass lined line, I've never encountered them.
I am part of a group that meet weekly and use half gallon SS thermos type units. We have used both glass lined and SS lined, and the SS hold hot beverages much better - possibly because of the upper seal being better.
We also have some double walled military surplus 3 gallon SS units which hold hot coffee drinkably hot well past 6 hours, and iced beverages hold ice for more than 24 hours. They were outdated and due for replacement, so they offered them to base personnel and a couple were donated to our group. They are awesome for cold and hot, and the top opening is large enough to fit a hand with a rag through for scrubbing them out.
All our local coffee shops use SS air pots (I was looking into some commercial units last year and did a lot of inquiring into the availability and cost). I could readily get SS.
MikeG Senior Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat May 8, 2004, 11:20am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
We also have some double walled military surplus 3 gallon SS units which hold hot coffee drinkably hot well past 6 hours, and iced beverages hold ice for more than 24 hours.
My main concern is the metal inner walls of the airpot affecting the taste of the coffee. Clean glass has no odor or taste. I expect steel to impart a little metallic taste on the coffee after and hour (or two max).
ljguitar Senior Member Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 2,450 Location: Cheyenne Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Expobar Pulsar Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly, Solis Drip: Bunn Roaster: iRoast2
Posted Sat May 8, 2004, 11:40am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
--- My main concern is the metal inner walls of the airpot affecting the taste of the coffee. Clean glass has no odor or taste. I expect steel to impart a little metallic taste on the coffee after and hour (or two max).
Not that my wife or I can taste (her taste buds seem more sensitive than mine). I have tasted residual coffee flavors in a SS thermos someone put tea into. But it was not metal, it was definitely old coffee flavor, so my assumption was that they had not cleaned it adequately before switching beverages.
MikeG Senior Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri May 14, 2004, 12:21am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
The thought of using stainless steel lined airpots still don't sit well with me; I guess it has something to do with knowing that clean glass has no smell or odor, whereas stainless steel should taste 'metallic,' though now that I think about it, there shouldnt be too many stainless steel molecules floating aorund in there...
ljguitar Senior Member Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 2,450 Location: Cheyenne Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Expobar Pulsar Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly, Solis Drip: Bunn Roaster: iRoast2
Posted Fri May 14, 2004, 5:47am Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
MikeG Said:
The thought of using stainless steel lined airpots still don't sit well with me; I guess it has something to do with knowing that clean glass has no smell or odor, whereas stainless steel should taste 'metallic,' though now that I think about it, there shouldnt be too many stainless steel molecules floating aorund in there...
Hi Mike... Another point to consider, a lot of Zojirushi thermos units (up to 1.5 liters) are Teflon lined as well. This assists in cleaning them, and holding down the after-tastes.
As far as I can tell (been researching them) their larger air pots are stainless - not coated.
Posted Fri May 14, 2004, 2:24pm Subject: Re: What makes a good airpot?
I would guess that a SS airpot is similiar to an espresso machine. The metal may add a metal taste the very first time you use it, but once it is seasoned, it is fine as long as you don't clean away all traces of the coffee. Seasoning the airpot (or pf,) leaves a very thin coating of coffee on the metal. With a SS airpot or a stainless travel cup, make sure you never scrub it with anything coarser than a plastic brush, and of course don't put it in a dishwasher, to make sure you don't scratch the metal. I have ruined several stainless cups by putting them in the dishwasher. They always introduce a bad taste to the coffee afterwards.
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