If you have found a Coffee Vending Machine in Subnautica: Below Zero but cannot figure out how to get a cup of coffee from it, you are not alone. The machine works differently than you might expect: you don’t simply interact with it to get coffee.
In Below Zero, you need a Thermos. Craft the Thermos, place it in a Coffee Vending Machine, and wait for it to fill with coffee. The resulting drink is useful because it restores 50 heat, although drinking it also costs 2 water.
Here is the complete process.
What Do You Need to Make Coffee?
You need two things:
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Coffee Vending Machine | Brews the coffee |
| Thermos | Holds the coffee |
The important part is that the Thermos is the container for the finished drink. The Coffee Vending Machine itself does not simply hand you a cup of coffee. (Subnautica Fandom)
How to Get the Coffee Vending Machine
To build your own Subnautica Below Zero coffee machine, first scan a Coffee Vending Machine with your Scanner.
Coffee Vending Machines can be found at several Alterra locations, including:
- Delta Station
- Omega Lab
- Phi Robotics Center
- Outpost Zero
- Delta Island / Architect Phase Gate Facility
Scanning one unlocks the blueprint so you can build your own machine with the Habitat Builder. (Subnautica Fandom)
The Coffee Vending Machine requires 2 Titanium to construct. (Subnautica Fandom)
Important: The Machines You Find May Not Work
Finding a Coffee Vending Machine inside an abandoned facility does not necessarily mean you can immediately use it there.
The practical solution is to scan the machine and build your own at your base. Once you have the blueprint, you can place a functional Coffee Vending Machine inside your seabase. (Reddit)
How to Craft the Thermos
Once you have access to the Thermos blueprint, open your Fabricator.
The Thermos recipe requires:
- 1 Titanium
- 1 Glass
The Thermos is crafted directly in the Fabricator. (Subnautica Fandom)
You can make more than one Thermos if you want to prepare several coffees before heading into a cold area.
How to Make Coffee in Subnautica Below Zero
Once you have your Coffee Vending Machine and an empty Thermos, follow these steps:
Step 1: Build the Coffee Vending Machine
Use your Habitat Builder to place the Coffee Vending Machine inside your base.
Step 2: Craft a Thermos
Use the Fabricator to make a Thermos from 1 Titanium and 1 Glass. (Subnautica Fandom)
Step 3: Put the Thermos Into the Machine
Approach the Coffee Vending Machine and place the empty Thermos into it.
The machine can hold up to two Thermoses at once. (Subnautica Fandom)
Step 4: Wait for the Coffee to Brew
The machine takes approximately 17 seconds to fill a Thermos.
When the brewing process is complete, retrieve the Thermos from the machine. It will now contain coffee. (Subnautica Fandom)
Step 5: Drink the Coffee
Keep the filled Thermos in your inventory and consume it when you need the heat boost.
A full coffee Thermos restores 50 heat points, but it also reduces your water level by 2. (Subnautica Fandom)
What Does Coffee Do in Below Zero?
Coffee has a practical survival purpose in Below Zero. It provides a quick source of heat that you can carry with you.
A filled Thermos provides:
- +50 Heat
- -2 Water
That makes coffee particularly useful when exploring cold environments away from your base. (Subnautica Fandom)
Because it consumes water, however, coffee should not be treated as a replacement for your normal hydration supplies.
Why Isn’t My Coffee Machine Working?
If your Coffee Vending Machine appears to do nothing, check these common issues.
You Are Trying to Use It Without a Thermos
This is the most common source of confusion. In Below Zero, coffee is placed into a Thermos rather than simply appearing as a drink in your inventory.
You Haven’t Built Your Own Machine
If you found a machine at an Alterra facility, scan it first and unlock the blueprint. Building your own machine at your base gives you a functional coffee station. (Subnautica Fandom)
You Have an Empty Thermos
Make sure you are inserting the actual Thermos into the machine. The Thermos is the container that receives the coffee.
You Didn’t Wait Long Enough
The brewing process takes about 17 seconds, so don’t immediately remove the Thermos after inserting it. (Subnautica Fandom)
Is Coffee Worth Using?
Coffee is mainly useful when you need a portable heat source.
For example, if you’re preparing for an extended trip through a cold region, carrying a filled Thermos gives you another way to recover heat without immediately returning to your base.
However, coffee has a drawback: drinking it reduces water by 2. (Steam Community)
So it makes sense to carry drinking water alongside your coffee rather than relying on coffee alone.
Coffee Machine vs. Thermos
These two items have different roles:
| Item | Function |
|---|---|
| Coffee Vending Machine | Brews coffee |
| Empty Thermos | Holds the drink |
| Filled Thermos | Portable heat source |
The Thermos can be reused by returning it to the Coffee Vending Machine and filling it again. (Subnautica Fandom)
Quick Method
If you just want the shortest possible answer to how to make coffee in Subnautica Below Zero, remember this:
- Find and scan a Coffee Vending Machine.
- Unlock the blueprint.
- Build your own machine with the Habitat Builder.
- Craft a Thermos using 1 Titanium + 1 Glass.
- Put the empty Thermos into the Coffee Vending Machine.
- Wait about 17 seconds.
- Remove the filled Thermos.
- Drink it when you need a heat boost.
That’s all you need to make coffee.
FAQ
Can you make coffee in Subnautica: Below Zero?
Yes. You can make coffee by placing a crafted Thermos into a Coffee Vending Machine. The machine fills the Thermos with coffee. (Subnautica Fandom)
How do you craft the coffee machine in Subnautica Below Zero?
First scan a Coffee Vending Machine to unlock its blueprint. Then use the Habitat Builder to construct your own machine. The machine requires 2 Titanium. (Subnautica Fandom)
What do you put in the coffee machine in Below Zero?
You put an empty Thermos into the Coffee Vending Machine. It uses the Thermos as the container for the finished coffee. (Subnautica Fandom)
How do you craft a Thermos in Below Zero?
Craft a Thermos in the Fabricator using 1 Titanium and 1 Glass. (Subnautica Fandom)
How long does the Coffee Vending Machine take?
It takes approximately 17 seconds to fill a Thermos with coffee. (Subnautica Fandom)
How much heat does coffee give you in Below Zero?
A filled Thermos restores 50 heat points when consumed. It also reduces water by 2. (Subnautica Fandom)
Can you use the Coffee Vending Machine more than once?
Yes. The machine has unlimited usage, so you can refill your Thermos whenever you return to your base. (Subnautica Fandom)
Can the Coffee Vending Machine hold two Thermoses?
Yes. The machine can have up to two Thermoses inside it while brewing. (Subnautica Fandom)
Bottom Line
Making coffee in Subnautica: Below Zero is simple once you understand how the Coffee Vending Machine works. You need to craft a Thermos, place it inside the Coffee Vending Machine, and wait for it to fill. The resulting coffee can restore 50 heat, making it useful when you’re exploring the game’s cold environments.
The key thing to remember is that the machine does not give you coffee directly. The Thermos is the container, and you can refill it whenever you return to your Coffee Vending Machine. Keep some water with you as well, since drinking coffee reduces your water level.