Wood Handle Thermal Carafe, 1 Litre

A litre of coffee, made once in the morning and still hot at lunchtime. The liner is glass rather than steel, which is the older approach and still the better one for flavour: glass is inert, so the tenth pot tastes the same as the first and yesterday's coffee leaves nothing behind in today's. Double-walled vacuum insulation holds hot drinks for up to twelve hours and cold ones for up to twenty-four.

The handle is real wood set into the plastic casing, which does two things. It stays cool when the carafe is full of something boiling, and it stops the whole object looking like office equipment. On a breakfast table or beside a laptop it reads as part of the room rather than a flask, which is the reason a carafe earns its place on a worktop instead of living in a cupboard.

Five colours are offered: white, black, green, brown and red. Care is hand wash only, and a glass-lined carafe should not be knocked against a tap or a hard sink edge, as the liner can crack even when the outer casing is unmarked. Do not put it in a dishwasher or a microwave. Rinse with warm water after use and let it drain upside down rather than storing it sealed and damp.

• 1 litre capacity; double-wall vacuum insulation with a glass liner
• Keeps drinks hot up to 12 hours or cold up to 24 hours
• PP casing with a real wood handle
• Five colours: white, black, green, brown and red
• Hand wash only; not dishwasher or microwave safe
• Avoid knocking the carafe against taps or hard sink edges; the glass liner can crack