Reforming processes are the backbone of hydrogen production routes, given the flexibility of their feedstock, such as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, waste plastics, or biomass. Heat transfer is a drawback at the industrial scale, reducing efficiency. We incorporate SiC in the technical composite, extrudate catalyst and develop a holistic approach to optimize and understand the effect of each constituent and its mixtures. We apply Ni-Ce as an active phase, bentonite or kaolin as a binder, alumina as a filler, and carborundum as the heat-transport carrier. We characterize the extrudate catalysts using various techniques, including crushing strength and thermal conductivity. We test the samples in the steam reforming of a model molecule, calculate the kinetics and deactivation, perform a multivariate analysis, and model an industrial reformer. The results lead to optimal catalyst formulations, demonstrating the authentic influence of individual and combined constituent at multiple scales: reaction, deactivation, properties, and reactor performance.