In this paper, the use of calorimetric techniques to characterize different carbon materials is reviewed. The focus of the review is on the use of calorimetric techniques to assess chemical properties of carbons (e.g. nature of surface groups, hydrophobic/hydrophilic character, acidic/basic behavior, etc.), and a small section is dedicated to the application of calorimetry in determining the physical properties of carbons (e.g. surface areas, pore size distribution, etc.). The following techniques are described : immersion and flow-adsorption calorimetry and gas-adsorption microcalorimetry. Several representative examples of the use of calorimetry techniques to evaluate both physical and chemical properties are presented. It is demonstrated that calorimetry has provided unique insights into the structure and chemistry of active sites on the surface of various carbons.