Technivorm Moccamaster Review: We Bought This Drip Coffee Maker & This Happened…

Last updated on February 19th, 2024 by MJ

I have been wanting to do this Technivorm Moccamaster review for a while now after seeing this coffee machine everywhere. It has been hailed the king of all coffee machines and the epitome of a perfect brewed cup of coffee.

I introduce to you the Technivorm Moccamaster!

This machine was conceived in the Netherlands in 1968 and continues to be one of the leading coffee makers to date. It’s recognized in the coffee world as one of the best drip coffee makers on the market.

Now, if you are a coffee enthusiast this is definitely a machine you have heard of, or even own. We are avid coffee drinkers in our house and use our coffee maker at least twice a day.

I was excited to finally convince my husband to spend the money and invest in the Moccamaster when our Bonavita’s life came to an end. The price tag is quite steep especially for a drip coffee machine so I was curious to see if it was worth the hype to be called ‘master’. I went ahead and bought the Moccamaster KBT after reading up on the different ones available on the market.

Want the cliff notes? We loved the simplicity and yet sheer effectiveness of the Moccamaster. Its design and build is strong enough to brew a nice flavorful hot cup of coffee, while looking good on our countertop. We loved the brew baskets ability to customize your coffee steeping time, while being fitted with a copper heating element to brew coffee fast.

While it does lack auto programming features and comes with a higher price tag, the easy one button use, and effortless cleanup and maintenance, may make it worth it to you…especially if you really look forward to your black coffee in the morning like we do!

Last update on 2024-03-29

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What’s the difference between the Moccamaster KBT and KBGT?

The KBT and the KBGT are sister machines. The only difference between the two is that the KBGT has an automatic drip-stop function that stops the coffee drip when you remove the carafe from its place and will restart when you place it back. It will not disrupt the brewing cycle like the KBT.

The prices of both are similar, but the KGBT is slightly taller than KBT. If you plan on putting it under your kitchen cabinet make sure it fits! This was the main reason for us getting the KBT since we did not the space. This model has 3 colors to choose from: black, polished silver and stone grey.

Technivorm Moccamaster Review

Design and Build

I got the polished silver and my first impression was how sleek it looked! It had a coffee machine from a coffee shop feel and look to it.

While the Moccamaster looks heavy duty, it actually wasn’t. I felt like a barista using it the first time! “Your grande black coffee coming right up.”

Its also nice the company prides itself on using sustainable environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing practices. This means a longer lasting durable machine.

Ease of Use and Setup

Once I opened the Moccamaster out of the package, first thing I did was clean it. The parts are all removable so it was easy to clean and maintain. I cleaned all the parts with soap and hot water. The parts are all dishwasher safe which is an added plus.

Next, I followed the instruction manual provided and set up the Moccamaster according to the model I purchased. Then, I ran 2 cycles of just water to give it a nice thorough rinse. Yes, I am a nut when it comes to making sure my appliances are very clean! Now it was finally ready for my first brew and boy was I excited!

How to Make Coffee with the Technivorm Moccamaster: Step by Step

1. First, I filled the water tank to the desired amount of cups of coffee.

This drip coffee maker uses a No. 4 paper filter. I like to fold the filter both on the side and bottom in order to fully fit into the basket perfectly in order to prevent it from folding over during the brew process.

2. Next, add your measured coffee grounds. According to Technivorm, grind size is an important variable to get the perfect cup of joe using the Moccamaster. The grind size will affect the flavor of your coffee and the performance of your brewer.

For instance, if your coffee grounds are too fine, your coffee may become over-extracted which causes bitter and even burned taste. Too fine of a grind size can also cause your brew basket to overflow because the water is flowing too slowly through the dense grounds.

If your coffee grounds are too coarse, the coffee will not have a chance to fully bloom during the brewing process and therefore, be under-extracted and taste weak.

When using the Moccamaster, the perfect grind size for an ideal cup every time is to use medium coarse grounds, like sea salt or rough sand. If you use fresh ground beans every time, this improves the flavors even more.

3. Now it is time to screw the shower head arm in place. This little piece of beauty makes a big difference in the taste of your coffee. It simulates a pour-over method and helps the coffee bloom giving you that burst of flavor. Who knew such a tiny device can do all that!

4. Next, place both the water reservoir and basket lid on top. Screw on the brew-thru lid into the carafe.

5. Place the carafe on to the tray and depress the white button. This button along with the ON switch will start the brewing process.

I was immediately impressed with how fast the water temperature heated up and started coming through the glass tubing. You can see the water pumping through into the outlet arm and pulsing over the brew basket.

It was oddly satisfying to watch the process since it is a see through container. I even took the cover off the filter to see the shower head in action. Something about the simplicity of it all made me appreciate it even more.

The Pros and Cons

After using this machine consistently for 2 weeks I came up with a few pros and cons based on its design, features, performance, and maintenance. Hopefully this review will help you decide if the Moccamaster deserves a chance to sit on your counter top.

Pros: Features We Like

• A simple one button operation brews 40 oz. or 10 cups of coffee in 4-6 minutes. Fast but also quietly too.

• Comes with 2 lids for the carafe; one with pour through and other as solid screw on top that you can put on after brewing to keep the heat in longer or to take the carafe with you on the road!

• You can customize your coffee by manually adjusting the brew basket to 3 settings using a toggle switch located in the front of the basket. This allows you to regulate the flow of coffee out of the basket and controls the coffee steeping time which produces heightened flavor, aroma and quality of your coffee.
  • Open: Lets you leave the basket completely open so the coffee drips straight through
  • Closed: so the coffee can steep in the hot water until you release it. This can also prevent leakage while you remove the carafe from underneath the basket.
  • Open halfway

• Has a stainless steel thermal carafe to keep your coffee warm up to an hour. I like my coffee really hot and my husband does not. For him, the heat is good for up to an hour, but for me, I still need to warm it up extra. It depends on your preference.

• Carafe has a funnel like shape so it is easy to pour through any direction. Another benefit is if the filter basket overfills with water, the funnel part will also catch some of the spill over. (This happened to me!)

• Technivorm promises a 5-year warranty, which according to several customer reviews, comes in handy to swap out faulty parts. If you use your machine avidly, this is worth the money so you won’t have to buy a whole new one if it’s just a simple part that needs to be replaced.

• Has a unique copper boiling element that rapidly heats up the water in the reservoir to a temperature of 196-205 degrees F. which produces a perfect coffee bloom during extraction process.

• Once the water reservoir is empty, the boiler automatically turns off. If you are someone who is usually in a rush in the morning, you might forget to turn off the machine. At least you have comfort knowing that the machine will stop brewing!

• ECBC (European Coffee Brewing Center), SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certified after extensive and rigorous quality control and laboratory testing

• All plastics used are food-safe and BPA, BPS, BPF, and phthalate-free.

• Hot water only touches the glass tube so no plastic comes in contact with the hot water

Cons: Things to think about before you buy

• There is no automated pre infusion that some other machines provide. You can however close the filter basket manually to allow blooming to take place, then open it back up after 30 seconds or so.

• There is no pausing between the brew if you want a quick cup in between. You can however adjust the basket to ‘Close’ and once the drip stops, grab yourself a cup and turn it back on.

• Not able to set up auto brew or program different types of coffee. If you are someone who appreciate the process every morning then this wouldn’t matter, but if you like to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee then this machine might not be for you.

• Thermal carafe is difficult to clean/dry. The opening is too small to fit your hand in to clean or dry.

• Some of the parts felt a little cheap. For example, the tray to put the carafe and water reservoir is a bit flimsy and not even a necessity for the machine.

• The set up process can be tedious if you are someone in a rush. You have to take both lids and rod off before putting in filter and coffee and then attach all the pieces. If you are out of coffee filters, here are some choices that may work with a drip machine.

• This automatic drip coffee machine is on the bulkier and wider end (15.25” H – 11.50” W – 6.75). Therefore, it might not work for small kitchen spaces or narrow and low counter tops.

How does it Compare to Other Drip Machines?

Having previously owned the Bonavita and Cuisinart PerfectTemp, I have to say the coffee quality of the Technivorm Moccamaster drip machine was mind blowing!

I used the same brand of coffee beans with similar grind and the quality and taste was superior to the other 2 coffee makers. The sleek look of the Moccamaster was also well above the Bonavita and Cuisinart in my opinion. (None of the other two made me feel like a barista like the Moccamaster did!)

But at the same time the Bonavita and Cuisinart are more affordable. So it really depends on how important coffee is to you.

I have also used the Breville Precision Brewer. Both have similar coffee flavor and quality, but the Breville has a few more features.

I recently tried out the Ninja Specialty coffee maker. The drip coffee was comparable to the Moccamaster, but the espresso like beverages the Ninja makes is its real calling card.

Compared to the Oxo Brew, the flavor is almost the same, but the Oxo is more user friendly albeit with a few less features.

Compared to the Cafe Specialty drip coffee maker, the flavor is probably more robust with the Moccamaster but maybe not as stylish looking as the Cafe.

Compared the Ratio Six coffee maker, the flavor is too close to tell, but the Moccamaster is probably simpler to use.

Final Verdict

The Technivorm Moccamaster is probably one of the best coffee brewers you will find on the market. We loved the simplicity and yet sheer effectiveness of this coffee machine. Its design and build is strong enough to brew a great flavorful hot cup of coffee while looking good on our countertop. We loved the brew baskets ability to customize your coffee steeping time, while being fitted with a copper heating element to brew coffee in just minutes.

The Technivorm Moccamaster isn’t hard to use, but it does have a learning curve. You can play around with the notches on the brewing basket to see what level you enjoy your coffee the best. Experiment with the best grind size to get the coffee to your liking.

Last update on 2024-03-29

Once you get a hang of it, it is a perfect cup of coffee each time. The Moccamaster is not the fanciest machine on the market for the price you are paying. There is no auto brew or different brew types. But for a consistent coffee shop quality coffee at home with a 5 year warranty, I believe it is worth the price and investment.

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