Chances are good that when you first lay your eyes upon the Technivorm Moccamaster you will think it belongs in your local diner. The thing looks like a commercial coffee maker in many ways: it’s tall, heavy, and has that ubiquitous light-up switch. It also functions as a commercial coffee maker…brewing about 12 cups of coffee in 6 minutes. Talk about speed.
Fortunately for all of us coffee fans, this is a machine that can make its way into our kitchens for a low relative cost, considering its long-lasting durability and overall value. The Technivorm Moccamaster will give most top rated coffee makers a run for their money, so let’s take a closer look!
The Review
There is a ton of debate when it comes to this top-rated coffee maker, so let’s first break down the pros and cons before revealing each category’s rating.
There is a lot of debate on the Technivorm 79112 KBT, so let’s take a closer look at some of the features (or lack thereof) before breaking down the review by each rating category.
SCAA Certification means great coffee
At the time of this writing, the Technivorm Moccamaster is one of only four seven home brewers certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. A few of the things that make it certified: the filter basket does not overflow with coffee grounds, the brewing temperature falls between 195-205˚ F, the extraction is even, and the brew time is between 2 and 8 minutes. To read about the entire SCAA Certification criteria, visit the link here.
The bottom line here is that TV Moccamaster makes coffee the right way.
Keeping it Simple
This is a very simple coffee maker, which many people seem to have a problem with considering its price tag. There are no fancy features here that you may have grown accustomed to with cheaper automatic coffee makers.
You can’t leave your coffee maker on overnight to schedule brewing right before you wake up. There is no automatic shut-off for those of us who are forgetful. There is no automatic pause and serve feature to prevent spills when you pour a cup before the brew cycle has finished.
Still, to the majority of reviewers, these were very minor losses after experiencing the incredibly great tasting coffee, speedy brew time, and overall simplicity of this machine. You have to decide on the features that you value the most. If it’s great taste and simplicity you are after, the Technivorm is very likely to please you.
Cheap and “Flimsy” Parts
Many reviewers felt that the parts that make up the Technivorm Moccamaster were cheaply designed and manufactured. “Flimsy” was one of the most frequently used words among the negative reviews, particularly when it came to the base plate for the carafe and the filter basket.
Despite these complaints, there were very few reviewers who reported malfunctions with the machine.
The Unpredictable Carafe
This seemed to be where most of the disagreement was from review to review. Many people reported that the carafe keeps the coffee hot for up to 5 hours, while others claimed it couldn’t maintain its heat for more than 45 minutes.
Of course, there is always the question of whether the user pre-heats the carafe with hot water. You also need to apply the carafe lid immediately after the coffee has brewed if you want to maintain that hot temperature this coffee maker is so famous for.
Yes, It’s BPA Free
Originally, the Technivorm Moccamaster did not use BPA free materials. As of 3/31/11 however, the TV Moccamaster is completely BPA free. Thanks to the reviewer “Williams” on Amazon for this info!
The Price
The TechniVorm is one of the most expensive auto-drip coffee makers out there. However, considering that many reviewers have been using their machines for 2 or more years, the Technivorm Moccamaster has great value. It is conceivable that you could spend more than $300 on 2 or more inferior machines over 2 years, so consider this before completely casting this machine as outside of your budget.
Still, the price seems fairer for an espresso machine than it does for a coffee maker.
The Coffee Quality
This coffee maker produces great tasting and optimally hot coffee. For this reason alone, the coffee maker deserves 5 stars.
The Coffee Maker Quality
Many reviewers feel that the parts in this coffee maker are cheap and flimsy, which takes away from the Technivorm Moccamaster’s overall quality score (but not by much).
Ease of Use
Add coffee grounds to the filter basket, add water to the reservoir, flip the switch. If that isn’t easy, I don’t know what is.
Appearance
As noted in the first paragraph, this coffee maker looks like it belongs in a diner, not a home kitchen. Also, with all of the plastic in its design, I can’t say that it belongs in the MOMA like the Chemex.
Still, it’s not entirely ugly. What do you think?
Cleaning Ease
Most of the parts are removable (including the brew head wand), which allows for super easy cleaning. While some reviewers claimed to experience no problems when using the dishwasher for cleaning, Technivorm recommends washing everything by hand.
In either case, you should have no problems here.
Durability
Because numerous reviewers have had their Technivorm Moccamaster for more than 2 years, durability is not much of an issue with this coffee maker. Warranty’s for the machine ranged in the 1 to 5-year range, depending on where the Technivorm Moccamaster was purchased.
According to the video below, Technivorm themselves plan on offering a 10-year warranty at some point, so make sure you check the warranty terms before considering a purchase.
Brew Speed
Six minutes seems to be the consensus for how long it takes to brew a full pot of coffee. To me, this is pretty quick, although not the quickest. Plus, it’s within the SCAA standards…which makes sense given its certification.
Versatility
It makes coffee, but that’s about it. No auto shut-off. No brew pause. No timer. Having said that, you get high-quality coffee. For this reason alone, the Technivorm is saved from the lowest possible versatility score.
The Bottom Line
One of the most critical components to great tasting coffee is the temperature at which it is brewed. The optimal temperature is said to be between 198˚F and 205˚F, and the Technivorm consistently delivers this. This has a big impact on the coffee’s overall quality, and most automatic drip coffee makers don’t brew at a temperature anywhere close to this.
It should also be noted that this coffee maker requires a coarser grind than most automatic drip coffee makers. Of course, you will have to experiment a little bit to find the optimal grind with this machine. But as a guideline, think French Press.
I think this is a great coffee maker for anybody who likes quick, easy, and great-tasting coffee.
If you’d like to see a Technivorm in action, check out the video below!
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