Can you still use them for hot drinks?

Yes, they function well for serving hot drinks today. The metal is stable and heat-resistant, provided the interior is clean. Boiling water will not damage the silver. You just need to ensure the wooden handle is secure before filling it. A loose handle can be dangerous when pouring boiling liquids.

My grandmother left me one that has a very dark, tarnished interior, and I was wondering if there is any safe way to clean it out without ruining the metal?

The dark staining inside is standard. Coffee oils build up over decades of use and bond to the surface. It does not harm the silver. You can wash the inside with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Avoid using harsh abrasives, as scratching the interior makes it harder to keep clean in the future. Leave stubborn dark marks alone. Most collectors expect to see them on a piece of age.

What is the small hole near the lid for?

That is a steam vent. It prevents pressure from building up inside the vessel when it holds boiling liquid. Without it, the steam might force the lid open or disrupt the pour. You will find these vents on many forms of covered domestic silverware.

I have noticed some pots have smooth bodies while others are covered in raised patterns of flowers and leaves, so did the plain ones come first?

Plain surfaces were common on the earliest conical examples. Mid-eighteenth-century tastes shifted towards heavy floral decoration. The trade calls this embossed work repoussé. Plain styles returned during the Neoclassical period. Silversmiths mirrored the restrained tastes of late Georgian architecture, creating smooth, unornamented urn shapes. A plain surface does not automatically mean an early date. Tastes swung back and forth across the centuries.

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Antique Silver Coffee Pots

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These tall, tapering or baluster-shaped silver vessels were built with side-mounted insulated handles and long spouts to serve hot coffee safely at the table.