Looking forward to your next office event, a family reunion or a friends’ get together? – Well, if you have a nice 100-cup coffee maker, you will have your guests’ coffee cravings covered.
Large scale coffee brewing is always a challenge, particularly if you are trying to achieve that through non-commercial coffee brewers, as they might not be able to live up to the task. Depending on the number of cups and the frequency you need, we recommend a commercial coffee urn.
In this read, we will walk you through some of the very best commercial-grade coffee urns that will take your large-scale coffee brewing hassle away!
Editor’s Choice – Large Coffee Maker
Keeping into consideration all the major elements of a commercial-grade coffee urn that is expected to brew and store hot coffee for longer hours, our top pick is the SYBO commercial-grade coffee maker.
It has all the main features that a 100-cup coffee urn should have – capacity, brewing quality, ease-of-use and design quality. With this device, you do not have to worry anymore about the coffee cravings of the guests at your event, or the employees if you are buying it for your workplace.
Best 100-Cup Coffee Maker to Buy in 2020
We have handpicked the 5 best commercial-grade coffee urns that are best suited for large-scale coffee brewing, either on a regular basis or occasionally.
Let us review each of these coffee urns now.
- SYBO Commercial Grade Coffee Maker
- Zulay Premium Commercial Coffee Urn
- Waring Commercial WCU110 Coffee Urn
- Cafe Amoroso Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
- Continental Electric PS-SQ018 Coffee Urn
SYBO Commercial Grade Coffee Maker
With a capacity of 16 liters (4.2 gallon), the SYBO RCM016S percolate coffee maker will give you 110 cups of freshly brewed coffee in just 40 minutes.
This product stands out among a lot of other competitor products within this product category. Whether it’s the durability element, refilling, brew quality or usability – this coffee maker will serve your needs pretty well.
Huge Yet Smartly Designed
Yes, it does have a big capacity, but that does not mean that it is a big, ugly device that you would find hard to adjust on your kitchen slab or any other indoor or outdoor place.
It has a sleek design with a metallic surface that adjusts pretty well with most of the modern-day home or office kitchen interiors.
Keeps Coffee Warm
One of the most important features of any commercial-grade coffee maker is its ability to maintain an ideal beverage temperature at any given time. This device certainly performs well in this category, too.
There are two lights at the bottom of this coffee urn that indicate the working status – one says ‘heating’ and the other one says ‘keep warm’.
No Additional Paper Filters Required
This coffee urn comes with a filter basket, spill-proof inner lid and a percolate tube. Moreover, it has a duty-ready filter grid which means you do not need to spend your hard-earned bucks on paper filters anymore.
Perfect Choice for Most Commercial Setups
This coffee urn is specifically designed for places like restaurants, offices, shops, schools, medical facilities, etc. You do not have to worry about the high demand of coffee that you might have, and that too, quite frequently.
With its coffee level markings and filter basket, this device is quite simple and quick to use and it does not even require a paper filter, which makes the whole process even easier.
Pros
- Brews up to 110 cups in 40 minutes (around 16 liter/4.2 gallons)
- No paper filter required
- Food grade 304 Stainless Steel Body Design
- Auto shut-off
- Keeps beverage warm with a ‘Keep Warm’ function
- Easy to refill and clean
Cons
- Few users have complained about the fact that this coffee urn needs more coffee as compared to rival products
Zulay Premium Commercial Coffee Urn
The Zulay premium commercial-grade coffee urn is another great option if you want to cater to a large gathering or a commercial setup like restaurants and shops.
This certified coffee maker will give you freshly-brewed cups of coffee at an ideal temperature, regardless if its the first cup you take out or the last one.
Heavy-Duty Design Built for Commercial Use
If there is one thing that you would naturally expect from any commercial-use device, let alone a coffee maker, it will be its built quality. Appliances, devices or machines that are made for large-scale operation, need to have a strong, well-engineered body design.
This coffee urn has exactly that! A double-wall insulator with a 0.38 mm thick 430 stainless steel outer layer, combined with a 0.4 mm thick 304 stainless steel inner layer – this coffee maker is carefully designed and engineered to perform well at high demands.
Auto-Temperature Control Keeps Coffee Warm
We cannot emphasize enough on the fact that no coffee tastes good if it does not have the right temperature. Whether a home coffee maker, or a commercial one – maintaining the ideal temperature is one of the most important aspects of the machine.
The automatic temperature control of this device ensures that you get a hot, aromatic cup of Joe each time you take out one. The indicator lights at the bottom keep you informed about the temperature at any given time.
Easily Visible Coffee Level Indicator
You do not have have to be worried about the quantity of the coffee beverage inside the device, while you are attending to your guests or customers.
The coffee level indicator on this coffee urn is quite easy-to-read and will tell you about the amount of beverage that is still there inside the urn, so that you know when to have your second batch of beverage made, depending on your need.
Pros
- 100 coffee cup capacity
- Brews one 5 oz cup per minute (up to 100 5 oz cups)
- Heavy-duty design
- Perfect for large gatherings
- Sleek, metallic design
- Heat and Keep Warm indicator lights
- Twist-lock lid avoids accidental spillage
Cons
- Brand name is not as well-known as other competitor products might be, giving it a lesser edge over others in terms of brand positioning, advertisement, etc.
Waring Commercial WCU110 Coffee Urn
Planning your next friends’ reunion or your kid’s birthday and already worried about how to meet the coffee needs for the day? – You need not to worry anymore, Waring WCU110 coffee urn will make your life a whole lot easier!
This coffee urn will give you fresh, delightful and aromatic coffee cups as long as your event lasts. It’s brewing and heating mechanism ensures that the beverage maintains its richness and flavor, regardless of the time it stays inside the device.
Dual-heating Maintains Optimal Temperature
This coffee urn comes with the dual-heating mechanism to keep your coffee beverage nice and hot at any given time. It brews at 200 F and dispenses at around 185 F – perfect temperatures for the ultimate coffee experience.
Whether one of your friends or customers was the first person to be served a cup after brewing, or the last one – he or she would get the ideal coffee temperature regardless.
Drip-less Pour and Cool-touch Handle Makes the Job Easy
Nobody wants a messy coffee maker that increases your work instead of making your life easier. This coffee urn has a drip-less pour, making sure your table or kitchen slab remains clean throughout your event.
Moreover, it has a cool-touch/stay-cool handle system which means that if you have mistakenly placed the coffee urn on a slab you didn’t want to, you can easily transport or move the coffee urn without worrying about its handles being hot.
110 Cups of Delicious Coffee in Just Over an Hour
With this coffee urn, you will get 110, 5 oz cups of flavorful coffee that would require a little over an hour of brewing time. Whether you need this for a shop, restaurant, family gathering or any other commercial-use, this coffee urn will serve your needs well.
Pros
- Brews 110, 5 oz cups in just over an hour
- Commercial-grade dual-heating system
- Brews at 200 F and dispenses at 185 F
- Comes with a ‘Ready’ indicator light to keep you informed
- Cool-touch handle makes it easy to move or transport
Cons
- Some users have complained about the positioning of the spigot – being too high on the coffee pot (coffee cups still left but do not come out)
- Also, coffee comes out rather slowly from the spigot
Cafe Amoroso Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
Looking to meet your large-scale coffee needs in the most optimal way? The Cafe Amoroso commercial-grade coffee urn is one of the better options that you would find in this product niche.
Whether your coffee needs are related to a commercial environment, a religious gathering at a church or a party that you have thrown at your backyard – this stainless steel coffee maker will give you fresh, warm coffee cups throughout the day.
Smartly Designed with High-Grade Stainless Steel
The double-wall commercial-grade stainless steel design of this coffee urn ensures that the body is capable enough to resist dents and maintain luster over a longer period of time as compared to other products that come in polished aluminum finish.
Safety Comes First
With commercial-use machines or appliances that are built to perform at high capacities, safety is and should be the most important element. As far as coffee urns are concerned, these devices have high amount of hot coffee beverages inside. Accidental spills or touches can be harmful.
The Cafe Amoroso coffee urn comes with a double-wall design due to which the sides of the urn remain cool, as compared to other single-wall coffee urns. Because of this, accidental touches will not result in severe skin burns or other injuries.
No Disposable Filters Required
The convenient built-in filter basket comes in quite handy as this omits the need for disposable filters that are an unnecessary addition to your expense.
In addition to this, it also comes with a drip tray that will help you to keep the adjacent area clean and dry at all times.
Maintains Ideal Temperature for a Delightful Cup
When it comes to beverage temperature, this coffee urn checks in that area, mainly due to its insulation mechanism. The air-filled space between its inner and outer walls is insulated which allow lesser heat to exit the area – maintaining optimal temperature for coffee.
Pros
- Brews 100 cups, perfect for large gatherings
- High-grade stainless steel double-wall design
- Maintains ideal temperature
- Avoids skin burns if there is an accidental touch
- Comes with a built-in filter basket
- No disposable filters required
Cons
- Not as durable as other products in this category
- Some users have complained about coffee being weak when the device runs at full capacity
Not Sure If You Would Need 100-Cups? Go with a 50-Cup Coffee Urn
Depending on your coffee needs according to the number of guests at your next BBQ party, or the number of customers at your restaurant or shop – you can also go with a 50-cup coffee urn.
Since your commercial setup might be relatively new and you do not want to invest too much or make too many coffee cups that might probably go to waste initially, a 50-cup coffee urn can serve your coffee needs well. Later on, you can always upgrade if your coffee requirement increases.
Here is a nice 50-cup coffee urn that we have picked for you:
Continental Electric PS-SQ018 Coffee Urn (50-Cup)
For relatively smaller gatherings at home, office or public commercial setups, this 50-cup coffee urn by Continental Electric can do the job well for you.
With its stainless design and digital controls, it makes the coffee brewing process real easy and hassle-free. Due to its ease of use, you can even let your guests to serve themselves perfectly brewed cups of coffee.
Digital Controls Make it Easy to Use
Easy-to-operate digital controls give this coffee maker an increased usability as compared to other 50-cup coffee makers in this category. This self-service coffee station is perfect for small gatherings at home, office or commercial environments with normal coffee demand.
Stainless Steel Design Gives More Durability
This one also comes with a stainless steel body that gives it more durability and a better outlook as compared to plastic-designed coffee makers.
Pros
- 50-cup self-service coffee maker
- Increased usability with digital controls
- Stainless steel design
- Easy to use
- Easy to Clean
Cons
- The digital software is not long-lasting. Some users have complained about functions not working after the first few months of use
Factors to Consider Before Buying a 100-Cup Coffee Urn
It might seem quite easy to choose between various coffee urns, however, there are some things that you need to keep in mind before making a purchase.
Let us have a look at those factors.
Capacity
One of the major things that you need to consider is the capacity of the coffee urn, according to your coffee requirements. A simple assumption could be that a person drinks 3 cups of coffee per day – multiply this number with the number of people that will be within a given setup or environment.
For instance, if you are hosting a BBQ event and you have invited people, you would probably need 60 cups of coffee.
Heating Mechanism
Nobody wants a cup of Joe that doesn’t have its ideal temperature. After the initial brewing process, it is important for the coffee urn to keep the beverage hot for longer time periods, just like you get from the West Bend 33600 Coffee Urn.
There are usually two types of heating mechanisms:
Active Heating – this system maintains temperature as long as the device is plugged in.
Passive Heating – this system conserves heat through insulation, to maintain beverage temperature.
Coffee Filters
Modern-day coffee urns usually come with a built-in filter basket, however, if you feel that more coffee grounds are passing through the filter basket, you can go with paper filters to give you your perfect cup of coffee.
Design Quality
Stainless steel or aluminum are the two main body types that you would find in this product category. Aluminum coffee urns are slightly cheaper and lighter than the stainless steel urns, but they do not preserve heat that well.
Stainless steel, on the other hand, provide better temperature control and are more durable as well.
Usability and Cleaning
Always go with a coffee urn that comes with an easily removable lid and a level indicator as well. This makes the cleaning and maintenance process relatively easier.
Our Final Word on Large Scale Coffee Brewing
Once you know your coffee requirements, number of people to be served and the amount of money that you are willing to spend, only then you should be going ahead with a commercial-grade coffee maker.
When buying a 100-cup coffee maker, it is imperative to know your needs, more than the features the device offers. This product category will give you similar features amongst various products and not a lot might change from one product to another.
Remember, without proper research, your coffee maker could easily under-perform or over-perform in terms of number of coffee cups brewed or the amount of coffee that you need to put in.
Apart from this, dependability, usability and durability are other factors that you need to keep in mind. We hope that the models that we reviewed will make your decision-making a whole lot easier, as all major elements of commercial-grade coffee urns have been covered.