The Best Coffee Urn 2024 [Reviews and Guide]

If you regularly make coffee for large groups of people, then it’s time to consider investing in one of the best coffee urns. Having the best coffee urn comes in handy in so many situations.

Whether you’re after the best coffee maker for large groups, like at a family get together, a wedding or your weekly church or community group, the best coffee urn for parties or even the best commercial coffee maker to have at your workplace for a large conference or work function, a large coffee urn is essential.

If you’ve considered purchasing an electric coffee urn but have no idea where to start, then our best coffee urn reviews will point you in the right direction. 

In this guide, I will take you through everything you need to consider in terms of buying a great urn coffee maker and compare 10 of the current best rated coffee urns for sale.

No matter what sort of large gathering you’re catering for, in these coffee urn reviews, I have no doubt you will find the perfect coffee water urn.

The Best Coffee Urn 2024 Comparison

Below is a handy table where you can see all the large coffee urns reviewed within this guide. 

It lists the various features side by side to help you choose a big coffee maker that’s just perfect for you.

Keep reading below for more information on each of the electric urns listed below.

Image	Model	Size	Material	Our Rating	Price
	Elite Cuisine Coffee Maker	30 cup	Stainless steel	4.8	CHECK
	Nesco Automatic Coffee Urn	25 cup	Stainless steel	4.6	CHECK
	West Bend 58002 Commercial Coffee Urn	42 cup	Aluminum	4.4	CHECK
	Hamilton Beach Fast Brew Coffee Urn 40521	45 cup	Aluminum	5.0	CHECK
	Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Urn 40515R	45 cup	Aluminum	4.6	CHECK
	NESCO Coffee Urn	50 cup	Stainless steel	4.8	CHECK
	Hamilton Beach Commercial D50065 Urn	60 cup	Stainless steel	4.8	CHECK
	SYBO Extra Large Coffee Maker	100 cup	Stainless steel	4.6	CHECK
	West Bend 33600 Commercial Coffee Urn	100 cup	Aluminum	4.4	CHECK
	Waring Commercial WCU110 Coffee Urn	110 cup	Stainless steel	5.0	CHECK

Top Pick Of The Best Coffee Urns 2024: Hamilton Beach 40521 Coffee Urn

Don’t have time to read my entire coffee urn reviews and just want to hear my recommendation for one? 

I love the 45 cup capacity Hamilton Beach coffee urn.  While in terms of the smaller urns it does come with a slightly higher price, the additional features are worth it.

What Is A Coffee Urn?

An urn for coffee is a large coffee maker, capable of not only brewing coffee in large quantities but also keeping coffee warm for long periods of time.

Also commonly referred to as commercial coffee urns, catering coffee pots and party coffee makers, you’ve no doubt used a coffee urn yourself at a work function or event.

Unlike a coffee pot or carafe, which both still require some effort from you in brewing the coffee, making coffee in an urn is pretty effortless. 

For most urns you just fill it up with water, put the brewing basket in place, add the coffee grounds, close the lid and turn it on. 

Then voila, once the indicator light is on, you have freshly brewed coffee for your large group.

Also called a large coffee percolator urn, these large coffee makers are just excellent to use when you have a big group of people to cater for. 

A catering coffee urn comes in handy for pretty much any gathering of more than ten people, when constantly brewing up coffee is inconvenient. 

Think family gatherings, your local community group weekly event, school meetings, church group or even just for the office kitchen.

And the other great thing is that you can use a coffee urn only for coffee, but for any hot drinks. Hot chocolate, tea and apple cider can all be kept warm and dispensed from a coffee urn.

Things To Consider When Purchasing The Best Commercial Coffee Maker Urn

To purchase the best rated coffee urn that is right for you, consider the following factors.

Or, if you already know the features you need on your coffee urn, hop straight to the reviews.

1. Urn Capacity

One of the most important things to consider when buying a coffee urn is the capacity.  Do you need a small coffee urn or a big coffee urn? 

Coffee urns come in a range of sizes from a 12 cup to a 100 cup coffee urn plus and all sizes in between.  So consider how many people you often cater for.

Note that the standard cup size used for coffee makers is usually 5 ounces, which is smaller than most people are used to.

So a 30 cup urn will make 30 x 5 ounce cups of coffee or 15 x 10 oz cups which is the average mug size at home. Be sure to factor that in when choosing an urn.

Of course not everyone drinks coffee, but at the same time, some people will have two cups, so I’d allow at least one cup per person.

If you need a hot coffee urn for a function that runs for several hours or even an entire day, you could consider a larger coffee urn.

For example, if you’re using your commercial coffee percolator for a whole day work function where morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea is served, you will need to allow for around 3 cups of coffee per person if using one coffee urn.

Of course you have the option of refilling the urn of coffee during the day, so keep this in mind too when determining what size you need. 

The larger the urn, the more expensive and difficult to transfer it will be.

2. Coffee Urn Heating System

Another factor to consider is the heating system of your urn.  Generally there are two options, either:

• An active heating system
• Or a passive heating system.

An active heating system is most common and is where the urn keeps the coffee warm as long as its plugged in. 

A passive heating system, on the other hand, works like a thermos, in that it has insulation to keep the coffee warm.

While an urn with an active heating system is more expensive to run than an insulated coffee urn, it is also a much better option because your coffee will remain hot for longer.

Our hot water urn reviews only include urns with active heating systems.

3. Coffee Urn Filters

These days most commercial coffee percolator urns have a built in filter basket for the coffee grounds. 

If you buy an older style or cheap coffee urn it may not have a built in filter, in which case you will need to purchase disposable paper coffee filters.

The one thing to keep in mind with urns with built in filters is that they do require you to use larger, more coarse grounds, to ensure the grounds don’t pass through the filter basket.

Most budget coffee urns will use a plastic coffee filter, whereas commercial urns will commonly have a stainless steel filter.

Tip: For a fast and easy clean up, check whether the built in filter is removable and dishwasher safe.

4. Urn Material

Most coffee urns are made from metal like stainless steel or aluminum. 

Aluminum coffee urns tend to be cheaper and much lighter than a stainless steel coffee urn but they don’t retain the heat as well.

There is also the option of a cheap plastic urn, however these types are only really recommended for those on a super tight budget.

5. Ease of Use And Cleaning

Like any appliance you purchase, you want it to be easy to use as well as easy to clean. 

Some great features to look for that make an urn easy to use is one with a clear coffee/water level indicator and an easy to remove lid.

In terms of easy to clean, look for urns that have:

• A simple and sleek design to minimise coffee build up inside the urn
• A dripless faucet
• Drip tray
• Dishwasher friendly parts to make them easy to clean.

Summary Of The Best Commercial Coffee Urn Reviews 2024

Below is a quick summary of the best commercial coffee urn reviews we include – read on for the detailed reviews!

• Elite Cuisine CCM-035FFP 30 Cup Electric Stainless Steel Coffee Maker Urn
• Nesco CU-25 Automatic Coffee Urn
• WestBend 58002 Coffee Urn
• Hamilton Beach 45 Cup Fast Brew Coffee Urn (40521)
• Hamilton Beach 45-Cup Coffee Urn (40515R)
• NESCO CU-50 Professional Coffee Urn
• Hamilton Beach Commercial Stainless Steel Coffee Urn (D50065)
• SYBO Commercial Large Coffee Urn (RCM016S-16B)
• West Bend 33600 100-cup commercial coffee urn
• Waring commercial filter coffee urn (WCU110)

The Best Coffee Urn Reviews 2024

Below I’ve reviewed 10 of the best coffee urns currently available, listed from the 30 cup coffee urn options up to the best 100 cup coffee maker options.

1. Elite Cuisine 30 Cup Coffee Urn Review

The best 30 cup coffee urn

The Elite Cuisine coffee urn is a good option for those after a great quality urn which isn’t too big or expensive.  The Elite Cuisine 30 cup coffee maker is a great urn for office meetings, small parties or social gatherings.

This 30 cup coffee urn is quick brewing with the ability to make one cup every minute, and an indicator light will let you know when the coffee is ready to go. 

Once the coffee is hot, you’ll appreciate the dripless two way beverage dispenser that allows you to easily fill a single cup or the continuous fill option for a pot. 

Constructed with a stainless steel interior and exterior body, this best buy coffee urn is well made. 

This large coffee pot for parties also has cool to touch handles which makes it easy to carry and with the simple twist lock lid, you won’t have any accidental spillage. 

Other features include a removable lid and BPA free plastic coffee filter basket which are both dishwasher safe.

Best for: If you often find yourself serving coffee for groups of people and it’s becoming inconvenient to run the coffee maker constantly, the Elite Cuisine 30 cup coffee pot is a great option for small gatherings.

>> Click here to check the price for the Elite Cuisine Coffee Urn

2. Nesco CU-25 Stainless Steel Coffee Urn Review

Best small coffee urn

Another good and affordable small urn option is the Nesco CU-25 stainless steel urn. It is a great option to consider if you’re after a big coffee pot for small gatherings or for a household of coffee drinkers.

The Nesco coffee urn is a 25 cup capacity urn. But this is based on a 5.7 oz cup, so the total capacity in liters is very similar to the Elite Cuisine urn.

Constructed from stainless steel and sitting on non slip feet, the Nesco urn has a nice sleek look to it.  For your safety, it has a lid which locks securely into place as well as cool to touch handles. This makes transporting it from kitchen to table easy.

This large volume coffee maker can brew 1 cup of coffee every minute and has a simple on/off switch.

The two way faucet is great for either filling a single cup or a carafe and is dripless, which keeps surfaces clean.  The plastic removable coffee filter is dishwasher safe on the top shelf, which is also great for ease of cleaning.

Note if you are using tall mugs, you may need to place the urn on a box in order to fit the mugs under the spout. It is fine for regular coffee cups though.

Best for: If you’re after the best large capacity coffee maker or an easy to use party coffee maker but don’t want to waste coffee with a larger unit, the Nesco urn is one of the best small coffee urns to consider. 

>> Click here to check the price for the Nesco small coffee urn

3. 42 Cup West Bend Coffee Urn Review

Moving on to slightly larger coffee urns, the West Bend 58002 coffee urn is a 42 cup capacity urn and another great option if you’re after one of the big coffee makers or a party sized coffee maker.

With the ability to make one cup of coffee every minute, serving coffee to large groups of a people is easy with the West Bend coffee urn. 

The urn has an indicator light to let you know when the coffee is ready, and the two way dripless faucet makes filling a cup or pot easy.

Automatic temperature control will keep coffee hot for hours, reducing the need to empty and refill.

The West Bend urn is made from durable, lightweight aluminum and features a heat resistant base and handles for additional safety.  It also comes with a built in removable filter basket.

This urn also comes with a one year warranty. Note there is also a West Bend 55 cup coffee maker and 100-cup urn available in the West Bend coffee urns range.

Best for: Whether you regularly host large gatherings in your home or cater for business meetings, the West Bend 42 cup coffee maker will make serving coffee for your guests a breeze. 

>> Click here to check the price for the 42 cup West Bend coffee urn

4. Hamilton Beach Coffee Urn Fast Brew Review

Overall best coffee urn

Hamilton Beach is well known for making a range of great quality coffee related products, so it’s no surprise that a few Hamilton Beach urns feature in our best coffee urns reviews.  First, this is the Hamilton Beach 40521 coffee urn.

With this Hamilton Beach 45 cup coffee urn, you’ll be able to serve coffee to your guests fast!  This silver coffee urn brews 30% more quickly than most others, with the ability to make 45 cups in just 28 minutes thanks to dual heaters! 

A light will come on to let you know when the brew is ready, and with the clear level window, you’ll know when it’s time for a refill.

With one hand dispensing, this is great for events when people often have their hands full. Simply press the lever with your cup and coffee will be dispensed. 

Other features of the Hamilton Beach coffee urn include cool to touch handles, a lockable lid to avoid spillages and a dishwasher safe plastic filter basket.

Best for: For a great quality and fast coffee maker for parties, work events or any other large gathering of people, this 45 cup Hamilton Beach large coffee maker is our top pick.

>> Click here to check the price for the Hamilton Beach Fast Brew Urn

5. Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Urn 40515R Review

Similar to the previous Hamilton Beach coffee urn, the Hamilton Beach 40515R is also a 45 cup capacity urn, but it has fewer features making it a slightly cheaper option if you are looking for cheap coffee urn.

This Hamilton Beach 40515R urn can brew 1 cup per minute, which is slightly slower than the Fast Brew urn, but you’ll still have a full urn of hot coffee in just 45 minutes. 

Similar to the Fast Brew coffee urn though is the standard indicator light which will let you know when the coffee is ready.

Other features of this Hamilton Beach urn include the two way dispenser which allows you to easily fill a single cup or a coffee pot, cool to touch handles and a twist to lock lid.

Best for: This is a great quality urn, but if you like the Hamilton Beach brand, it’s recommended that you consider the previous 45 cup Hamilton Beach Fast Brew urn which comes with several more superior features for not a lot more.

>> Click here to check the price for the Hamilton Beaach 45 cup coffee urn

6. NESCO CU-50 Large Coffee Urn Review

Best 50 cup coffee pot

If you’re after stainless steel large coffee pots, but not quite the size of the commercial coffee makers, then this NESCO 50 cup coffee urn is one of your best options.

Constructed from double walled stainless steel, and with a metal coffee filter, this is a great quality urn which will keep the coffee hot for your guests.

Like most urns, this NESCO coffee urn brews coffee at a cup a minute, has an on/off switch and the green indicator light will let you know when it’s ready. 

The urn also has a coffee and water level markings window, so you’ll know when it’s time for a refill.

For safety, the 50 cup percolator urn comes with a locking lid and cool to touch handles. 

While for ease of cleaning, this urn has a drip free spout, a drip tray and a dishwasher safe stainless steel filter basket.

Best for: The NESCO 50 cup coffee maker is a great option if you’re after the best large coffee maker for office functions or a large coffee pot for party gatherings and it is one of the best 50 cup coffee maker brands on the market.

>> Click here to check the price for the Nesco 50 cup urn

7. Hamilton Beach Commercial Coffee Maker D50065 Review

Best 60 cup coffee maker

For fans of Hamilton Beach coffee related products who need commercial coffee urns, you’ll undoubtedly want to check out the Hamilton Beach commercial coffee urn. 

The Hamilton Beach 60 cup coffee urn is perfect for your next work or community event.

Constructed for longevity from polished stainless steel on the outside and stainless steel components on the inside, this commercial urn brews one cup per minute.

You’ll know when the coffee is ready to be served thanks to the light indicator, and with the keep warm heater, the coffee will remain at the optimal temperature until your guests are ready.  

The Hamilton Beach D50065 only requires one hand to dispense the coffee, which is great when your guests have their hands full. It also has a handy cup trip handle so you can just use your coffee cup to switch it on and off.

You’ll also know at a glance when its time for a refill thanks to the clear coffee level window.

Other features of this large Hamilton Beach commercial coffee pot include a locking lid to avoid spills, cool to touch handles, two way coffee dispenser so you can easily fill a single cup or a pot and a dishwasher safe lid and stainless steel filter basket.

Best for: When it comes to coffee makers for large groups, this Hamilton Beach 60 cup capacity urn is a great one to consider – particularly for coffee lovers who are one of the many fans of Hamilton Beach products.

>> Click here to check the price for the 60 cup Hamilton Beach coffee urn

8. SYBO Industrial Coffee Urn Review

Best budget 100 cup coffee urn

If you are looking for one of the best commercial coffee makers for serving coffee at large catering functions such as a work conference or community event, then a giant coffee maker such as this SYBO coffee urn is well worth investing in.

This 100 cup capacity SYBO urn is constructed from commercial food grade stainless steel, so it is durable and has longevity. 

This industrial coffee urn also features a high quality non drip spigot dispenser which is designed for heavy use.

Despite holding a massive 16 litres (4.2 gallons) of coffee, the SYBO commercial grade coffee maker will have coffee brewed in just 40 minutes. 

It has an on/off switch and a light will indicate when the coffee is ready to be served and when it’s in the keep warm function. 

Other great features of this giant coffee pot include the clear window gauge, lockable lid to avoid spillages, heat proof handles and removable stainless steel filter basket (which is dishwasher safe).

With its commercial food grade build, this urn is capable of heavy use and will serve you well for years to come. 

Best for: For those who regularly make coffee for large groups and are looking for the best commercial coffee urn or catering coffee maker that won’t cost a tonne, the SYBO industrial coffee brewer is a great option. 

>> Click here to check the price for the 100 cup SYBO coffee urn

9. West Bend 33600 Commercial Coffee Urn Review

Best 100 cup coffee urn

The West Bend 100 cup coffee maker is an aluminum commercial coffee maker machine worth considering for those that regularly cater for large events. 

This large aluminum coffee urn can make between 40 to 100 cups of coffee in an average of less than one minute per cup.  Once the coffee is brewed, the urn will automatically switch over to the keep warm setting.

The West Bend 33600 urn has a handy non drip two way faucet which is excellent for filling either a single cup or to fill carafes. 

Other features of this giant coffee maker include an easy to see coffee level gauge, heat resistant base and handles, a twist to lock lid to avoid spillages and a stainless steel dishwasher safe filter basket. It even comes with a cleaning tool and brush.

It also comes in the option of a smaller 30 or 42 cup coffee maker.

Best For: This West Bend urn is a great commercial coffee making machine, perfect for serving guests at your next large conference or event.

>> Click here to check the price for the West Bend commercial coffee urn

10. Waring Commercial WCU110 Review

Best 110 cup coffee urn

At a capacity of 110 cups, the Waring Commercial Urn is the largest urn in our commercial coffee urn reviews and a great one to consider if you require coffee pots for large groups. 

Constructed from stainless steel and featuring a commercial grade dual heater, this extra large coffee maker has been constructed with longevity and durability in mind.

This Waring coffee urn will have 110 cups of coffee ready to serve in just under an hour and once the coffee is ready to be served, it will automatically switch over to the second heater, which keeps the coffee at the optimal drinking temperature.

Other features of this huge coffee maker for commercial use include on/off switch, easy to read water gauge, cool to touch dripless spout and handles and a stainless steel dishwasher safe filter basket.

Best for: If you are looking for a premium commercial coffee urn with a super large capacity, the Waring commercial urn is a great choice.

>> Click here to check the price for the Waring coffee urn

Coffee Urn FAQs

What are coffee urns used for?

Coffee urns are extra large coffee makers and are often used for catering events, business functions, community functions and parties. They can brew large quantities of coffee at a time and keep it hot for hours.

Do coffee urns need filters?

Most coffee urns use permanent dishwasher safe coffee filters, and you do not need to use paper filters.

How long does a coffee urn take to brew coffee?

A large coffee dispenser takes between 30 seconds and 1 minute per cup to brew a full urn of coffee.

What kind of coffee do you put in a coffee urn?

You should use coarse ground (or percolator grind) coffee in a coffee urn.

What is the best coffee urn?

The best coffee urn will depend on what type of event you want to use it for and how many people you are catering for. Our coffee urn reviews highlight the urn capacity, brew time and urn features to look for in order to help you choose the best catering coffee pot.

How To Use A Coffee Urn

If you haven’t used a coffee urn before, the video below gives you a quick introduction on how it works.

Before You Go

We hope you found the right automatic coffee urn for your next event in our best coffee urn reviews.

Ready to make great coffee? Read our guide to the best coffee beans or take a look at all our coffee maker reviews.

More Coffee Brewing Guides

• How long does coffee last?
• Tips to enjoy drinking black coffee
• How to keep coffee hot
• How many ounces in a coffee cup?

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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