You like hot coffee throughout the day and wonder if it is safe to leave your coffee maker on all day. Perhaps you wonder if the coffee will still taste good. You might wonder how much electricity it uses in operation or just plugged into the wall. This post will provide a comprehensive answer to all of your questions.
Leaving a coffee maker on all day can be a potential fire hazard. It can burn surrounding items or the countertop. The coffee will taste stale and may burn if left on for several hours or more. The electrical cost is about $1 to leave your coffee machine plugged in all year, and it is not a fire hazard when it is not in use.Â
Now that you know it is not a good idea to leave a coffee pot on all day, you probably have more questions. You are wondering if there is a way for your coffee maker to turn off automatically to prevent any potential fire hazards. You might also wonder if you should unplug the coffee maker when you are not using it. Keep reading to get the answers to all of your questions.
Can You Keep A Coffee Maker On All Day?
Coffee makers should not be left on all day. They are a potential fire hazard when left on for several hours or more. They can burn flammable objects near your coffee maker. They might burn other items close to the coffee machine and can even burn the counter.
Coffee makers are not made to keep coffee warm throughout the day. When they are heated for extended periods of time, they might also damage the electrical wiring. This can break your coffee maker or possibly cause a house fire. You are better off using a thermos or other container to maintain the heat of the coffee.
What Happens If I Leave My Coffee Maker On All Day?
The most likely scenario is that the coffee pot will get burned. Coffee is water-soluble, but caffeine will not evaporate. This causes the coffee to thicken as it is heated for several hours. The thickened coffee is likely to burn at the bottom of the pot. A burned coffee pot is not the worst thing that can happen. You might cause nearby items to catch fire or damage the electrical wiring on your coffee machine.
Whether you want to stay safe or have a great cup of coffee, it is not a good idea to leave your coffee maker on all day. A coffee maker uses about .08 KWH per pot. At approximately .13 per KWH, the cost of your pot of coffee is about one cent.
A coffee maker uses about 1 watt of energy per hour when not in use. This is the amount of electricity the machine uses when plugged in but not in use. At the average rate of 13 cents per hour, the coffee maker will cost a little over a dollar to be plugged in for the entire year.
How Many House Fires Are Caused By Coffee Makers?
There is no record of the number of house fires that coffee makers cause. There are reports of fires that coffee makers generate, but these numbers don't indicate whether the fire spread to burn the house. The Consumer Product Safety Commission gets from 30-70 reports of fires caused by coffee makers every year in the United States.
This number is low enough to call coffee maker fires rare, but it sometimes happens. This should give you some thought about how you can ensure your coffee maker will not start a fire. You can make sure there are no flammable objects near the coffee maker at any time. You should not run your coffee maker for any longer than 2 hours to keep your coffee hot.
How Can I Prevent A Fire From A Coffee Maker?
Do not run the coffee maker for longer than 2 hours. You can buy a coffee machine that will turn off automatically after two hours. If your coffee maker does not contain an automatic shutoff option, you could set a kitchen timer to remind you to turn off the machine. You can set the alarm when you grab your first cup to remind you to turn off the machine.
Alternate Methods To Keep Coffee Warm
The coffee machine stays on for hours to keep your coffee hot so you can top off your glass at any time. If you can't leave your machine on for several hours, then you should try an alternative to keeping your coffee hot.
There are coffee machines that contain a thermal carafe, like the Cuisinart coffee maker below. You can expect this thermal carafe to keep the coffee hot for 2 hours and acceptably hot for another two hours.
Coffee machines brew coffee at about 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature for getting the most flavorful cup of coffee. After the near-boiling water runs through the coffee grounds, the temperature of your coffee will be about 150-160.
You can learn more about the brewing temperature of coffee makers by checking out this post, including a suggestion for the coffee maker that makes the hottest cup of joe. How Hot Does Water In A Coffee Machine Get?
Cuisinart Stainless Steel Thermal Coffee Maker
Click here to check out the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Thermal Coffee Maker (12-Cup) on Amazon.
Several thermos options can keep coffee hot throughout the day. One thermos on the market can keep coffee hot for up to 24 hours. If you use a coffee maker with a thermal carafe, you can transfer some coffee from the carafe to this thermos to extend the time the coffee stays hot.
Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Wide-Mouth Bottle
Click here to buy the Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Wide-Mouth Bottle (2 Qt.) at Amazon.
Do Bunn Coffee Makers Use A Lot Of Electricity?
Bunn coffee makers are similar to other coffee makers in the amount of electricity it uses. You can expect it to use about 1 watt per hour when plugged in but not being used. Add another 80 watts for a pot of coffee each day for a total of 104 watts per day. This equates to 3 kWh per month for an approximate cost of 40 cents to operate your coffee machine each month while leaving it plugged in.
Should I Unplug My Coffee Maker When Not In Use?
It is not a fire hazard to keep your coffee maker plugged in when it is not in use. The cost of keeping your coffee machine plugged in for 24 hours a day and 365 days a year comes to a little over $1. This is not enough cost savings to motivate your behavior.
When you factor in other small and large appliances that can also be unplugged, you could save at least several dollars up to tens of dollars each year by unplugging all of your appliances when not in use.
In Closing
Coffee makers can be fire hazards when left running throughout the day. Coffee makers are not made to keep coffee warm for the entire day, so it is best to get a thermal coffee machine or a warm thermos that can keep your coffee hot for up to 24 hours. There is no fire concern if your coffee machine is plugged in but not in use. This will only cost about $1 in electricity for the entire year.
For more information about coffee, check out more posts on Kitchen Seer.
Can A Coffee Maker Boil Water?
Is Keurig Coffee Weaker Than Drip Coffee?
