The reason the temperature is so accurate is because Technivorm uses physics and not a pump. As the water boils in the coil it climbs it's way up and over to the shower head, cooling slightly from 212 degrees and thus the perfect temp. It's just an expensive design to manufacture but very effective.
I've been using this coffee brewer for 30 years. The same one. I have replaced the thermal carafe but that's it. It's simple and well made and never, ever fails. I preheat the carafe with hot water before brewing and i do close the filter basket before brewing to pre-wet the grinds . I usually only brew 6 cups at a time (mug and a half) so i will use the 1/2 open feature on the brew basket to slow down the brewing time. The best coffee brewer ever. No bells and whistles. Just good hand made quality craftsmanship.
If you put the top on and twist it one time and have the straight part you turn in line w the direction you are pouring it pours perfectly. That is how it’s designed.
Hi Joseph - I bought myself one of these for Christmas and have been enjoying it. I've mostly brewed with a Chemex at home, but have recently found myself requested to make more and more and finally decided to try something slightly less manual with larger capacity. Anyway you mentioned in this review about the carafe pouring being less than optimal. Mine came with the lid you show here, and also with what they call the "travel lid", which is a pretty standard plug that screws into the carafe. The travel lid has channels cut in it that improve the pour quite a bit, as well as keeping the coffee warmer longer. So I swap out that "brew through" lid with the travel one as soon as brewing is complete, and am much happier with the carafe. Best wishes for the new year!
@@Coffeeloversmag I had no idea there was a button on the side that had to be pushed in. It wouldn’t work the third time I used it, so I thought it broke. I reread the directions. Then, I found and watched your video and realized the carafe was not pushed all the way in, so thank you for that!
Exploring an “automatic” option. Coming from a Bonavita electric kettle and manual pour over with a Chemex glass carafe. Using Baratza Encore burr grinder. Daily ritual. How would quality of this brewer compare?
It's not the same. So don't go into it thinking it's the same. You'll get a really delicious coffee auto brewed, but if you're like me, you'll still prefer the manual brew just because nothing tops that experience ... unless you're in a situation where the convenience tops the experience :)
Thanks! I bought one recently with the shorter insulated metal carafe. Strange to use this after years of using either a Chemex or French Press. Actually just got an Espro P7 Stainless Steel press same time I got my Moccamaster. . Fantastic! I love that press! So I’m still within my return period and I’m on the fence about keeping this machine. I have a friend who is a small commercial roaster in my area and him and his Wife swear by this machine. I’m not sure I understand or GET IT! So basically it’s a well made machine hand built for the most part in Holland. Still a lot of plastic and really all it does is seem to brew at the proper temperature. When brewing I have been looking in the basket and all the grounds are not getting covered with water unless you stir it. Again I don’t think I am understanding. Are the grounds being saturated from the bottom on parts? They all are getting wet but not from overhead. Seems even with 9 holes on spray arm the coffee is still not getting covered unless you stir. A stove top kettle 30 - 60 seconds off boil or a temperature controlled kettle provide perfect temperature. Then either a pour over or French Press seems to work better. I mean if I have to stir, what’s the point??? I will say though that I just made 2 full pots for testing purposes. One I didn’t stir and one I did. Same coffee and same grind size. Actually the one I didn’t stir brewed through the grounds quicker and tasted better. The one I stirred up took almost twice as long and was much more bitter. When not stirring it seems like an uneven extraction. But yet it tasted better. Any thoughts???
So to answer your press vs autobrewer question - there is no automated brewer for home use that will brew 'as well' (objectively even) as a manual coffee brewer. The Moccamaster, the Oxo, and the Bonavita all come really close though, to the point where it's perfect if your desire for automation and/or large brewing amounts outweighs the difference in result. I should also say that comparing an immersion brew and a paper filter drip is a tough ask - it's possible you may just prefer more oils in your coffee, along with the more natural thickness that comes with an immersion brew. To your next point - the whole stirring thing is something I've observed as well. I tried stirring and not stirring and I like the result better when not. It might look a little odd how the water is getting to all the grounds (which is why I tried stirring, just as you did) - but it seems to all work out, and afterward, the coffee does all appear saturated. You are right that the primary 'magic' of the moccamaster is in their water heating element, and you could say the same for the rest. On your concerns of extraction, these brewers are all SCA certified, which means they've gone through rigorous testing to prove that they do create a proper extraction without any extra fiddling. So it might look odd, but it's doing it right. All these companies are trying their darndest to make the best possible quality of automated homebrew at the lowest price they can within their desires for quality. There are automated machines which make coffee BETTER and more consistently than any manual brewing, but they cost as much as your car :P (look for Poursteady and Alpha Dominche Steampunk as examples), and are intended for commercial use of course. I personally 95% of the time brew manually. But there are occasions when the auto brewer is super nice (mostly when brewing with guests, because manually brewing more than a couple cups of coffee can be a pain).
Coffee Lovers TV Thanks! I appreciate your quick reply. Funny because this morning only because I am off from work today I brewed 4 test pots with some beans I wasn’t crazy about. All except a little less than a cup from each it got dumped. Again all the same grind size but 2 different beans. I noticed the second bean I tried actually enabled the water to cover much more of the surface. I think it could be the whole fresh / bloom. I think the more it seems to bloom the less surface it covers. Probably due to gas and bubbles. Anyway I am happy to hear that we are on the same page. Stirring versus not stirring. I also think it tastes better not stirring and playing with it. I’m actually happy with the results I’m getting and decided I am not going to return it. I keep hearing way too many great things especially from professionals. As far as French Press goes I was never a huge fan. Actually preferred the Chemex to anything. I just tried the new to market somewhat an Espro Press. It’s got the dual micro filter system. Makes a great press coffee with very little sediment left in the cup. Plus it doesn’t get much easier than a press pot. Well I guess except now the MoccaMaster. After looking closely today I think if they just made that simple spray arm an inch longer it would cover the grounds better. Who knows. Like you said. It might not look like an even extraction but all the grounds are definitely getting wet and it tastes great. I am liking the connivence in the morning just grinding beans and filling machine with water. I have been running a couple of cups through the night before to wet and rinse the filter. One less thing to deal with in the morning. I make a full pot which is enough for the morning cup and fill a thermos for work.
I'm not a coffee expert in any way, so take this for what it's worth: I always put the ground coffee in a little pile tilting to the left in the brewing cone (that is, opposite the handle), directly under the holes in the spray arm. That way all the coffee gets emersed quickly in water from the beginning. Since the water is dripping in pulses, this has a kinetic effect, like a gentle stirring. I only brew half a carafe, though, if that would make it different.
hi jeremy, i just ordered my cup one. since you have both, have you noticed any difference in coffee quality or other things between the kbg and cup one? i’m the only coffee drinker at home so i went for the cup one.
have you experimented much with closing off the the bottom of the brewer during brewing and what the results were like? I see someone else had a worry that the shower head doesn't wet very evenly. if you were to brew with the bottom closed and agitate slightly, would this make a difference or be interesting to mess around with?
Well, here's my thoughts on automated brewers like this and others. If you run them the way they were designed to be run, then the coffee is excellent. As soon as you start doing a bunch of modifications and trying to "improve" the coffee, then you might as well just get something else. I've never found a need to modify the shower head on this or do any kind of thing with the bottom of the brewer. I did try playing around with the bloom, and this only made the coffee worse.
Do you like this better than the Oxo and the Bonavita? Do you think it's worth to invest more on this even though those three are all SCA-certified coffee makers? And what would you recommend between the Oxo and the Bonavita? Thank you.
Really depends on what you want out of your machine. I think there's something to be said for the materials and style of the technivorm, but if you aren't concerned about those sorts of things, then there are other machines that make coffee just as well. As far as functionality and result, my favorite is actually the Behmor (but I've had serious connectivity issues with their 'connected' version which has made using it impossible). If money and space were no object, I'd take the Moccamaster over the oxo or the bonavita (and now the Behmor considering the usability problems I've had). I've always enjoyed the taste result of the Moccamaster just slightly better than those two brands can provide. Between the oxo and the Bonavita, I'd probably lean towards the Bonavita.
@@Coffeeloversmag Thanks a lot for this reply! I'm limited by space right now so I think I would go for either 8-cup Technivorm (either thermal or glass) or Bonavita. I'm concerned that there are a lot of bad reviews regarding the durability of the Bonavita products but Technivorm might be too fancy for a starter like me so I'm still doing some research. Thanks again.
Yea, this is the balance to be found in these machines - there's a reason some machines cost a lot more than others when they all make 'certified' coffee. That pretty much comes down to materials used. Some of the machines like the Behmor and Breville have a few other perks and controls built in (but this doesn't seem to be a factor on price). You also might consider Breville's brewer. It's in the same price range as the Moccamaster, sporting a more traditional auto-drip design look, but with loads more features to it. I actually need to do a video on this machine. (I would still put the moccamaster over this one, but I also like simplicity, and I don't use an auto drip very often). amzn.to/2nuOHpd
I reckon as long as the amount of water in the tank isn't greater than the travel mug that would work fine. When you flip on the Moccamaster to brew, it will brew through all the water in the tank, there's no setting. So just make sure you don't have more water than your mug can hold.
Lovable about these MM reviews is that machine is so simple, that halfway the Reviewers tend to go - Oh well, that's it then, Ive said it all, I'll brew some coffee to complete this time frame I'd reserved. That is the strongest point of the machine though : no complicated savvy techware that'll break on you, no expensive water filters or software which can no longer updated, just on/of switch, a half Jug lever, and that's about it. Plus the advice : Descale when you've finished a pack of 100 filters and you be fine. Yep, no light for that, and you just gotta love those ways Wonna see the heating element, watch one of the vid's of how it's made, it'll show you. And now, I'm off to get mine :^)
Thanks for the review! We got the KBG with the glass carafe. Just had my first cup of Mokamaster coffee yesterday, and it was delicious. We only bought it after our Mr. Coffee died two days ago, so I really feel your vid was speaking to me!
congrats! It's always nice having a quality machine around. I did a big batch brew myself for this fine lazy saturday (different machine, but same idea ;D )
paid over 300.00 dollars for mine. Within the first year the warmer toggle switch broke and fell into the body of the coffeemaker. about 8 months later the power switch broke and fell into the body as well . But it made a great cup of coffee. So save your receipt and the box! By the way, I'm a 62 year old that lives alone.
yes , but I couldn't find the receipt, and I had thrown the box out. They send you a form to fill out, and you had to send back the form and the coffeermaker with the receipt.
I read about the fragile switch issue before purchasing one. To reduce stress on the switches, I have mine plugged into a wifi-controlled smart plug. I leave the Technivorm switch in the on position and turn on the pot using either a button on the smart plug, my voice via Amazon Alexa, or using a timer feature built into the smart plug. I know for coffee quality purposes it is not recommended to prepare the grinds and let them sit overnight, but it is a convenient option on more busy workweeks.
sorry dont agree with your words, they are a good company with quality products.. I think you had bad luck, and hope you enjoy the taste of your coffee, because its topnotch
Moccamaster is definitely on the higher end of build quality for auto drip machines. Some parts are plastic yes, but very solid. Plenty of metal parts. The core (the heating element) is incredibly well built and should last a very long time.
Just brewed my first pot. Coffee I great, but there is definitely a cheapness to a few parts. The cover of the water reservoir is ill fitting and wobbly. The plate that the carafe sits on is also thin, cheap and doesn’t attach well. As pointed out the carafe has no spout and has a sloppy pour. I can see how this will become annoying quick. With that said, it’s the best cup of coffee I’ve had at home from a home brewer
I've never observed this problem, and I tested between stirring the coffee during a manually forced 'bloom' period (turning off the brewer temporarily), as well as just letting it run normally. One thing I do is I don't flatten the dry ground bed prior to starting the brew, I tend to let it 'mound' around where the drips are going to go (not excessively, I just pour my coffee in at that point and then let it sit that way, I don't flatten). Honestly I don't know how much of an effect that has. Are you displeased with the brewing result you've achieved?
@@Coffeeloversmag No, Im just thinking about buying one. Some people have complained about it on Amazon, just saw an after market shower head o youtube shaped round worked great. I currently use a Farberware Yosemite stove top percolator.
Yea I've certainly seen people comment on that, and its what lead me to fiddling with the coffee bed in the first place. But in all the experimentations, I've found the best coffee the machine makes is when you just leave it alone to do it's thing (and maybe don't shake the coffee grounds into a flat bed before starting the brew, just dump them in the center). For you there might be a better solution. Not that the Moccamaster isn't a great machine, but it's on the higher end of price, and what you're paying for compared to what other machines are able to brew comes down to the materials used (not the coffee result or even the brewing experience). How much coffee do you usually brew in a day?
The shower head is metal (not sure composition) with hard plastic caps on the ends, it fits onto a silicone connector to the water tank which is hard plastic.
Coffee Lovers TV Ah okay , thank you for you answer, I thought everything would be made of metal due to its high price i think i love my manual way to make coffee,, Thank you again and keep making beautiful videos
I think most of the development cost is in the copper heating element - though the entire build quality is quite excellent. While it does use plastic, it appears to be high quality plastic, and they do use metal in many places. If you want an auto brew option to go along with your manual on occasion, check out the Behmor video I just put up (also a great brewer, lower price point)
Coffee Lovers TV I just watched have of the video and so far I like that brewer especially the showering part it’s comes in a circular shape which is great to get all the coffee wet at the same time, and the brewer is more Featured, thank you bro for the video
It's too bad the certification process doesn't take into account the water dispersion surface coverage. The biggest flaw with the Technivorm is the shower head. It's water spray head is very center heavy and tends to clump up the water pour due to hole design. This means you get channeling in the coffee bed and not always even coverage. This often results in extraction issues. Also the reason why many folks stop the drip and stirr the slurry and do all kinds of tricks to evenly wet the grounds. For a brewer at this price you should not have to interact with the brew process at all. As a Technivorm owner with the auto basket this was a big let down for me. I found an Australian Artisan shop that made a custom shower head. But at the end of the day Bonavita's approved SCAA maker has a round shower head which accomplishes the same thing at half the price. This has a huge impact on extraction of specialty single origin roasts.
I've had a number of conversations on that because this was my initial thought as well. But there's one important thing about the certification process - it doesn't have to take into account the shape of the brew head. Examining how the coffee brews in the basket and how the brew turns out is sufficient. What is important in the SCA certification process (from my perspective) is the quality and consistency of the brew being produced. I've done a lot of fiddling with the moccamaster, and compared it with the bonavita, the oxo, and the behmor -- they all produce great coffee and in different ways. As far as the moccamaster goes, in my brewings with it, I find it brews best when you just leave it alone, and it produces a great cup of coffee. You're right that people shouldn't have to fiddle with it...and honestly doing so just makes it not as good. The thing is designed to be left alone. The only thing you need to do is make sure your grind size is where it needs to be, make sure you are using the right ratio, and that your water is of a good quality. The subject of channeling I find always difficult to address because it's just conjecture. You could argue theoretically every automatic machine is going to have channeling simply because no matter what you do the water is going in the brew basket from a fixed position, therefore concentrated in the same areas throughout the brew (no matter how the shower head is shaped).
It's funny, after playing around with both for awhile, I'm drifting towards liking the glass better now too, for that reason. Not a fan of having coffee sit on a carafe, but I usually am drinking coffee that tastes great as it cools anyways.
Ok, I've had this Moccamaster for about a month now. It makes REALLY good f***ing coffee! I'm actually enjoying trying out different flavors and blends (it's that good). I describe it as like having some insane perfectionist making your coffee.
This is a great review. I'm considering getting the thermal carafe model, but most other reviews I've seen are of the glass & hotplate type. Any queries I've had have been answered either in the video or the comments below, so thanks for both. I want it to brew a couple of coffees in the morning, one for then, and one or two for the road, so I might try prepping it the night before and connecting it to a smart plug to power on at a certain time.
Thanks! Yea i'm a fan of thermal carafes over glass carafes with heating elements. You might also check out the Breville Precision brewer. I'm going to do a video on that soon (probably this week)
Seems people were still complaining that you have to stir the grounds as it blooms to get even distribution. Unacceptable for the price of this machine....not to mention there's literally no programming for something as simple as auto brew should you be so lazy in the morning lol.
That's a common thought. I'd challenge it though. The machine was made with the end result of the cup in mind (and was indeed tested and certified based on this), not a seemingly perfect process. I think the brewing result from this machine is fantastic. If I want a more precise brew, I hand brew. But if you're looking for a machine with more bells and whistles, I'd recommend Breville's auto brewer. It also produces an excellent result.
Disagree with you completly on build quality. I was surprised at how much plastic was in this build given the price point. There is a lot of hard plastic used in this build, the kind of plastic that snaps in two quite easily. However you are right about the hot plate, all the hot plate does is stew the coffee making it taste awfull. Also with the flsk you can take the coffee with you.
I don't mind plastic in a lot of places, and thus far from what I've seen in my own usage it's pretty solid plastic...haven't had any breakage issues. Though i can see how you could want no plastic at all given the price.
no reason to be hostile. some people don't like any kind of plastic - and the comment on the hot plate isn't unwarranted (but each person's experience will vary)
@@Coffeeloversmag You feel that was hostile? The company offer a 10 year guarantee and many people have had mocca masters running daily for 15+. Hotplate is not intended for keeping coffee warm for hours.
I don't disagree with you on those points. However there will always be a disconnect between intent and the reality of everyone's experiences. Just because his experience with the machine doesn't match up with yours or many people's (including mine, which has been all positive) doesn't make it a bullshit fake review, or misinformation. His words are opinion based and not misleading to the facts. I appreciate the sharing of personal experiences and viewpoints, including yours and his.
If you are concerned about a $10 difference (which also depends on which retailer you're purchasing from), why are you looking to spend $309 (or $299) for a coffee maker? I would have spent even more for my Moccamaster. Come on, man.
You can pour with the insert that is used while brewing or with the top that seals the carafe...or with neither of those. It all pretty much pours the same.
Hi. I was wondering, the machine does not decrease the flow when you use less water. Like when you want to do 4 cups, slowing down manually the dripping it extracts more with the same amount of water but you can spill on the side if it doesn't drip faster enough from the filter holder. I was thinking at the KBGT which has the pause filter holder. Using it for smaller quantities of coffee, is it possible to obtain the same quality as a full 10 cups?
Well any kind of alteration you make to the way the machine brews the coffee itself will likely adversely affect the result. Slowing down the drip will extend the extraction time, but that's not necessarily a good thing. You'd have to compensate with grind size. You can indeed brew less, all you need to do is add less coffee and water (just keep in mind the 16:1 water:coffee ratio by weight - or follow the measurement guidelines in the manual) - as long as you follow the proper measurements the quality of the brew should be the same.
The reason the temperature is so accurate is because Technivorm uses physics and not a pump. As the water boils in the coil it climbs it's way up and over to the shower head, cooling slightly from 212 degrees and thus the perfect temp. It's just an expensive design to manufacture but very effective.
I've been using this coffee brewer for 30 years. The same one. I have replaced the thermal carafe but that's it. It's simple and well made and never, ever fails. I preheat the carafe with hot water before brewing and i do close the filter basket before brewing to pre-wet the grinds . I usually only brew 6 cups at a time (mug and a half) so i will use the 1/2 open feature on the brew basket to slow down the brewing time. The best coffee brewer ever. No bells and whistles. Just good hand made quality craftsmanship.
I inherited my mother's Technivorm last year. She had used it for about 20 years, and now I make coffee with it. Technivorm's great.
Hi Kathleen I'm wondering how many grams of coffee you use for 6 cups and at what grind size
If you put the top on and twist it one time and have the straight part you turn in line w the direction you are pouring it pours perfectly. That is how it’s designed.
I received this model as an early birthday gift the other day, and I love it! Thank you for this video-it is very informative and helpful!
I've had mine for 5 years. We brew one to three pots a day in our home. Absolutely love it.
good to hear! quality equipment for sure
Which grinder do use? What setting? Thanks!
Hi Joseph - I bought myself one of these for Christmas and have been enjoying it. I've mostly brewed with a Chemex at home, but have recently found myself requested to make more and more and finally decided to try something slightly less manual with larger capacity.
Anyway you mentioned in this review about the carafe pouring being less than optimal. Mine came with the lid you show here, and also with what they call the "travel lid", which is a pretty standard plug that screws into the carafe. The travel lid has channels cut in it that improve the pour quite a bit, as well as keeping the coffee warmer longer. So I swap out that "brew through" lid with the travel one as soon as brewing is complete, and am much happier with the carafe.
Best wishes for the new year!
Ah interesting, good to know. Yea I never really tried out anything but the lid with the drip channel in it.
@@Coffeeloversmag I had no idea there was a button on the side that had to be pushed in. It wouldn’t work the third time I used it, so I thought it broke. I reread the directions. Then, I found and watched your video and realized the carafe was not pushed all the way in, so thank you for that!
@@aimeemcbride7676 happy to help!
I just purchased one. Took some research but got one on amazon for under $300. I’m satisfied. Best coffee maker I have ever owned.
nice choice!
I also prefer the steel carafe version. I have had my KBT 741 since 2008 and use it every day. . Works like a charm!
I just bought two. Yes two! I’ve wanted one for along time, they are the ultimate!😃👏👏👏👏👏👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸☕️
Nice choice. I love how well built they are, and how straightforward they are. Just add coffee and turn on.
N+1
@@Coffeeloversmag wow years later Coffee Lovers TV is still responding to Q's... amazing
Well done, thank you! Expecting mine in a few days. 🙂
Exploring an “automatic” option. Coming from a Bonavita electric kettle and manual pour over with a Chemex glass carafe. Using Baratza Encore burr grinder. Daily ritual. How would quality of this brewer compare?
It's not the same. So don't go into it thinking it's the same. You'll get a really delicious coffee auto brewed, but if you're like me, you'll still prefer the manual brew just because nothing tops that experience ... unless you're in a situation where the convenience tops the experience :)
Great review, very helpful thanks
cheers
Thanks! I bought one recently with the shorter insulated metal carafe. Strange to use this after years of using either a Chemex or French Press. Actually just got an Espro P7 Stainless Steel press same time I got my Moccamaster. . Fantastic! I love that press!
So I’m still within my return period and I’m on the fence about keeping this machine.
I have a friend who is a small commercial roaster in my area and him and his Wife swear by this machine. I’m not sure I understand or GET IT! So basically it’s a well made machine hand built for the most part in Holland. Still a lot of plastic and really all it does is seem to brew at the proper temperature.
When brewing I have been looking in the basket and all the grounds are not getting covered with water unless you stir it. Again I don’t think I am understanding. Are the grounds being saturated from the bottom on parts? They all are getting wet but not from overhead. Seems even with 9 holes on spray arm the coffee is still not getting covered unless you stir. A stove top kettle 30 - 60 seconds off boil or a temperature controlled kettle provide perfect temperature. Then either a pour over or French Press seems to work better. I mean if I have to stir, what’s the point??? I will say though that I just made 2 full pots for testing purposes. One I didn’t stir and one I did. Same coffee and same grind size. Actually the one I didn’t stir brewed through the grounds quicker and tasted better. The one I stirred up took almost twice as long and was much more bitter.
When not stirring it seems like an uneven extraction. But yet it tasted better.
Any thoughts???
So to answer your press vs autobrewer question - there is no automated brewer for home use that will brew 'as well' (objectively even) as a manual coffee brewer. The Moccamaster, the Oxo, and the Bonavita all come really close though, to the point where it's perfect if your desire for automation and/or large brewing amounts outweighs the difference in result.
I should also say that comparing an immersion brew and a paper filter drip is a tough ask - it's possible you may just prefer more oils in your coffee, along with the more natural thickness that comes with an immersion brew.
To your next point - the whole stirring thing is something I've observed as well. I tried stirring and not stirring and I like the result better when not. It might look a little odd how the water is getting to all the grounds (which is why I tried stirring, just as you did) - but it seems to all work out, and afterward, the coffee does all appear saturated. You are right that the primary 'magic' of the moccamaster is in their water heating element, and you could say the same for the rest.
On your concerns of extraction, these brewers are all SCA certified, which means they've gone through rigorous testing to prove that they do create a proper extraction without any extra fiddling. So it might look odd, but it's doing it right.
All these companies are trying their darndest to make the best possible quality of automated homebrew at the lowest price they can within their desires for quality. There are automated machines which make coffee BETTER and more consistently than any manual brewing, but they cost as much as your car :P (look for Poursteady and Alpha Dominche Steampunk as examples), and are intended for commercial use of course.
I personally 95% of the time brew manually. But there are occasions when the auto brewer is super nice (mostly when brewing with guests, because manually brewing more than a couple cups of coffee can be a pain).
Coffee Lovers TV Thanks! I appreciate your quick reply. Funny because this morning only because I am off from work today I brewed 4 test pots with some beans I wasn’t crazy about. All except a little less than a cup from each it got dumped. Again all the same grind size but 2 different beans. I noticed the second bean I tried actually enabled the water to cover much more of the surface. I think it could be the whole fresh / bloom. I think the more it seems to bloom the less surface it covers. Probably due to gas and bubbles. Anyway I am happy to hear that we are on the same page. Stirring versus not stirring. I also think it tastes better not stirring and playing with it. I’m actually happy with the results I’m getting and decided I am not going to return it. I keep hearing way too many great things especially from professionals. As far as French Press goes I was never a huge fan. Actually preferred the Chemex to anything.
I just tried the new to market somewhat an Espro Press. It’s got the dual micro filter system. Makes a great press coffee with very little sediment left in the cup. Plus it doesn’t get much easier than a press pot. Well I guess except now the MoccaMaster. After looking closely today I think if they just made that simple spray arm an inch longer it would cover the grounds better. Who knows. Like you said. It might not look like an even extraction but all the grounds are definitely getting wet and it tastes great.
I am liking the connivence in the morning just grinding beans and filling machine with water. I have been running a couple of cups through the night before to wet and rinse the filter. One less thing to deal with in the morning. I make a full pot which is enough for the morning cup and fill a thermos for work.
don't stir! the water saturates the grounds from the inside, it's fine
I'm not a coffee expert in any way, so take this for what it's worth: I always put the ground coffee in a little pile tilting to the left in the brewing cone (that is, opposite the handle), directly under the holes in the spray arm. That way all the coffee gets emersed quickly in water from the beginning. Since the water is dripping in pulses, this has a kinetic effect, like a gentle stirring. I only brew half a carafe, though, if that would make it different.
Do you have suggested ratios?
I usually recommend starting at 18:1 and adjusting from there
Great review! I have a red metallic KBG and the cup one I love the build quality of their products. Enjoy your Technivorm :-)
Yea I kinda wish they had the colored versions for the metal carafe 😄
hi jeremy, i just ordered my cup one. since you have both, have you noticed any difference in coffee quality or other things between the kbg and cup one?
i’m the only coffee drinker at home so i went for the cup one.
have you experimented much with closing off the the bottom of the brewer during brewing and what the results were like? I see someone else had a worry that the shower head doesn't wet very evenly. if you were to brew with the bottom closed and agitate slightly, would this make a difference or be interesting to mess around with?
Well, here's my thoughts on automated brewers like this and others. If you run them the way they were designed to be run, then the coffee is excellent. As soon as you start doing a bunch of modifications and trying to "improve" the coffee, then you might as well just get something else.
I've never found a need to modify the shower head on this or do any kind of thing with the bottom of the brewer. I did try playing around with the bloom, and this only made the coffee worse.
I just picked up a Technivorm Moccaserver for 40 USD, its a pro BEAST.
nice deal! im a bit jelly
Do you like this better than the Oxo and the Bonavita? Do you think it's worth to invest more on this even though those three are all SCA-certified coffee makers? And what would you recommend between the Oxo and the Bonavita? Thank you.
Really depends on what you want out of your machine. I think there's something to be said for the materials and style of the technivorm, but if you aren't concerned about those sorts of things, then there are other machines that make coffee just as well. As far as functionality and result, my favorite is actually the Behmor (but I've had serious connectivity issues with their 'connected' version which has made using it impossible).
If money and space were no object, I'd take the Moccamaster over the oxo or the bonavita (and now the Behmor considering the usability problems I've had). I've always enjoyed the taste result of the Moccamaster just slightly better than those two brands can provide. Between the oxo and the Bonavita, I'd probably lean towards the Bonavita.
@@Coffeeloversmag Thanks a lot for this reply! I'm limited by space right now so I think I would go for either 8-cup Technivorm (either thermal or glass) or Bonavita. I'm concerned that there are a lot of bad reviews regarding the durability of the Bonavita products but Technivorm might be too fancy for a starter like me so I'm still doing some research. Thanks again.
Yea, this is the balance to be found in these machines - there's a reason some machines cost a lot more than others when they all make 'certified' coffee. That pretty much comes down to materials used. Some of the machines like the Behmor and Breville have a few other perks and controls built in (but this doesn't seem to be a factor on price).
You also might consider Breville's brewer. It's in the same price range as the Moccamaster, sporting a more traditional auto-drip design look, but with loads more features to it. I actually need to do a video on this machine. (I would still put the moccamaster over this one, but I also like simplicity, and I don't use an auto drip very often). amzn.to/2nuOHpd
Could you use a large travel mug with it (ie single cup) vs. Carafe?
I reckon as long as the amount of water in the tank isn't greater than the travel mug that would work fine. When you flip on the Moccamaster to brew, it will brew through all the water in the tank, there's no setting. So just make sure you don't have more water than your mug can hold.
@@Coffeeloversmag thank you!
Lovable about these MM reviews is that machine is so simple, that halfway the Reviewers tend to go - Oh well, that's it then, Ive said it all, I'll brew some coffee to complete this time frame I'd reserved. That is the strongest point of the machine though : no complicated savvy techware that'll break on you, no expensive water filters or software which can no longer updated, just on/of switch, a half Jug lever, and that's about it.
Plus the advice : Descale when you've finished a pack of 100 filters and you be fine. Yep, no light for that, and you just gotta love those ways
Wonna see the heating element, watch one of the vid's of how it's made, it'll show you.
And now, I'm off to get mine :^)
Does that model shut off on its own or do you have to turn it off every time?
It's a plain o'le on/off switch, so you gotta shut it off.
Thanks for the review! We got the KBG with the glass carafe. Just had my first cup of Mokamaster coffee yesterday, and it was delicious. We only bought it after our Mr. Coffee died two days ago, so I really feel your vid was speaking to me!
congrats! It's always nice having a quality machine around. I did a big batch brew myself for this fine lazy saturday (different machine, but same idea ;D )
paid over 300.00 dollars for mine. Within the first year the warmer toggle switch broke and fell into the body of the coffeemaker. about 8 months later the power switch broke and fell into the body as well . But it made a great cup of coffee. So save your receipt and the box! By the way, I'm a 62 year old that lives alone.
that's a bummer! Were you able to get in touch with Technivorm support about the issues?
yes , but I couldn't find the receipt, and I had thrown the box out. They send you a form to fill out, and you had to send back the form and the coffeermaker with the receipt.
they were unsympathetic
I read about the fragile switch issue before purchasing one. To reduce stress on the switches, I have mine plugged into a wifi-controlled smart plug. I leave the Technivorm switch in the on position and turn on the pot using either a button on the smart plug, my voice via Amazon Alexa, or using a timer feature built into the smart plug. I know for coffee quality purposes it is not recommended to prepare the grinds and let them sit overnight, but it is a convenient option on more busy workweeks.
sorry dont agree with your words, they are a good company with quality products.. I think you had bad luck, and hope you enjoy the taste of your coffee, because its topnotch
great review... no comments on build quality? I heard it was cheap feeling.
Moccamaster is definitely on the higher end of build quality for auto drip machines. Some parts are plastic yes, but very solid. Plenty of metal parts. The core (the heating element) is incredibly well built and should last a very long time.
Just brewed my first pot. Coffee I great, but there is definitely a cheapness to a few parts. The cover of the water reservoir is ill fitting and wobbly. The plate that the carafe sits on is also thin, cheap and doesn’t attach well. As pointed out the carafe has no spout and has a sloppy pour. I can see how this will become annoying quick. With that said, it’s the best cup of coffee I’ve had at home from a home brewer
Where's the best place to buy? Seems hard to find all the different models
I got this exact one in off white on ebay brand new for 280
Have you had problems with dry coffee in the basket?
I've never observed this problem, and I tested between stirring the coffee during a manually forced 'bloom' period (turning off the brewer temporarily), as well as just letting it run normally.
One thing I do is I don't flatten the dry ground bed prior to starting the brew, I tend to let it 'mound' around where the drips are going to go (not excessively, I just pour my coffee in at that point and then let it sit that way, I don't flatten). Honestly I don't know how much of an effect that has.
Are you displeased with the brewing result you've achieved?
@@Coffeeloversmag No, Im just thinking about buying one. Some people have complained about it on Amazon, just saw an after market shower head o youtube shaped round worked great. I currently use a Farberware Yosemite stove top percolator.
Yea I've certainly seen people comment on that, and its what lead me to fiddling with the coffee bed in the first place. But in all the experimentations, I've found the best coffee the machine makes is when you just leave it alone to do it's thing (and maybe don't shake the coffee grounds into a flat bed before starting the brew, just dump them in the center).
For you there might be a better solution. Not that the Moccamaster isn't a great machine, but it's on the higher end of price, and what you're paying for compared to what other machines are able to brew comes down to the materials used (not the coffee result or even the brewing experience).
How much coffee do you usually brew in a day?
The showering part made of what?
Kindly I need an answer :)
The shower head is metal (not sure composition) with hard plastic caps on the ends, it fits onto a silicone connector to the water tank which is hard plastic.
Coffee Lovers TV Ah okay , thank you for you answer, I thought everything would be made of metal due to its high price i think i love my manual way to make coffee,,
Thank you again and keep making beautiful videos
I think most of the development cost is in the copper heating element - though the entire build quality is quite excellent. While it does use plastic, it appears to be high quality plastic, and they do use metal in many places.
If you want an auto brew option to go along with your manual on occasion, check out the Behmor video I just put up (also a great brewer, lower price point)
Coffee Lovers TV I just watched have of the video and so far I like that brewer especially the showering part it’s comes in a circular shape which is great to get all the coffee wet at the same time, and the brewer is more Featured, thank you bro for the video
Old models have a chrome plated brass shower head with rubber end caps. But since several years it's made of stainless steel with rubber end caps.
It's too bad the certification process doesn't take into account the water dispersion surface coverage. The biggest flaw with the Technivorm is the shower head. It's water spray head is very center heavy and tends to clump up the water pour due to hole design. This means you get channeling in the coffee bed and not always even coverage. This often results in extraction issues. Also the reason why many folks stop the drip and stirr the slurry and do all kinds of tricks to evenly wet the grounds. For a brewer at this price you should not have to interact with the brew process at all.
As a Technivorm owner with the auto basket this was a big let down for me. I found an Australian Artisan shop that made a custom shower head. But at the end of the day Bonavita's approved SCAA maker has a round shower head which accomplishes the same thing at half the price. This has a huge impact on extraction of specialty single origin roasts.
I've had a number of conversations on that because this was my initial thought as well. But there's one important thing about the certification process - it doesn't have to take into account the shape of the brew head. Examining how the coffee brews in the basket and how the brew turns out is sufficient. What is important in the SCA certification process (from my perspective) is the quality and consistency of the brew being produced.
I've done a lot of fiddling with the moccamaster, and compared it with the bonavita, the oxo, and the behmor -- they all produce great coffee and in different ways. As far as the moccamaster goes, in my brewings with it, I find it brews best when you just leave it alone, and it produces a great cup of coffee.
You're right that people shouldn't have to fiddle with it...and honestly doing so just makes it not as good. The thing is designed to be left alone. The only thing you need to do is make sure your grind size is where it needs to be, make sure you are using the right ratio, and that your water is of a good quality.
The subject of channeling I find always difficult to address because it's just conjecture. You could argue theoretically every automatic machine is going to have channeling simply because no matter what you do the water is going in the brew basket from a fixed position, therefore concentrated in the same areas throughout the brew (no matter how the shower head is shaped).
stirring the grounds definitely makes an inferior pot leave it alone it's fine.
Just busted my budget and bought one of these. Prefer glass cause its easier to clean. Definitely a great improvement over my prior Cuisinart.
It's funny, after playing around with both for awhile, I'm drifting towards liking the glass better now too, for that reason. Not a fan of having coffee sit on a carafe, but I usually am drinking coffee that tastes great as it cools anyways.
Ok, I've had this Moccamaster for about a month now. It makes REALLY good f***ing coffee! I'm actually enjoying trying out different flavors and blends (it's that good). I describe it as like having some insane perfectionist making your coffee.
This is a great review. I'm considering getting the thermal carafe model, but most other reviews I've seen are of the glass & hotplate type. Any queries I've had have been answered either in the video or the comments below, so thanks for both. I want it to brew a couple of coffees in the morning, one for then, and one or two for the road, so I might try prepping it the night before and connecting it to a smart plug to power on at a certain time.
Thanks! Yea i'm a fan of thermal carafes over glass carafes with heating elements. You might also check out the Breville Precision brewer. I'm going to do a video on that soon (probably this week)
Seems people were still complaining that you have to stir the grounds as it blooms to get even distribution. Unacceptable for the price of this machine....not to mention there's literally no programming for something as simple as auto brew should you be so lazy in the morning lol.
That's a common thought. I'd challenge it though. The machine was made with the end result of the cup in mind (and was indeed tested and certified based on this), not a seemingly perfect process. I think the brewing result from this machine is fantastic. If I want a more precise brew, I hand brew. But if you're looking for a machine with more bells and whistles, I'd recommend Breville's auto brewer. It also produces an excellent result.
Disagree with you completly on build quality. I was surprised at how much plastic was in this build given the price point. There is a lot of hard plastic used in this build, the kind of plastic that snaps in two quite easily. However you are right about the hot plate, all the hot plate does is stew the coffee making it taste awfull. Also with the flsk you can take the coffee with you.
I don't mind plastic in a lot of places, and thus far from what I've seen in my own usage it's pretty solid plastic...haven't had any breakage issues. Though i can see how you could want no plastic at all given the price.
Bullshit fake review. I have it and it lasts for years, all parts are replaceable and is solid build quality. Good luck with the misinformation
no reason to be hostile. some people don't like any kind of plastic - and the comment on the hot plate isn't unwarranted (but each person's experience will vary)
@@Coffeeloversmag You feel that was hostile? The company offer a 10 year guarantee and many people have had mocca masters running daily for 15+. Hotplate is not intended for keeping coffee warm for hours.
I don't disagree with you on those points. However there will always be a disconnect between intent and the reality of everyone's experiences. Just because his experience with the machine doesn't match up with yours or many people's (including mine, which has been all positive) doesn't make it a bullshit fake review, or misinformation. His words are opinion based and not misleading to the facts. I appreciate the sharing of personal experiences and viewpoints, including yours and his.
link shows $309.00 before tax..not $299.00
Ah yea I think the pricing shifts from time to time
If you are concerned about a $10 difference (which also depends on which retailer you're purchasing from), why are you looking to spend $309 (or $299) for a coffee maker? I would have spent even more for my Moccamaster. Come on, man.
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You’re missing the piece to close and pour from the carafe. It’s after you brew.
You can pour with the insert that is used while brewing or with the top that seals the carafe...or with neither of those. It all pretty much pours the same.
Hi. I was wondering, the machine does not decrease the flow when you use less water. Like when you want to do 4 cups, slowing down manually the dripping it extracts more with the same amount of water but you can spill on the side if it doesn't drip faster enough from the filter holder. I was thinking at the KBGT which has the pause filter holder. Using it for smaller quantities of coffee, is it possible to obtain the same quality as a full 10 cups?
Well any kind of alteration you make to the way the machine brews the coffee itself will likely adversely affect the result. Slowing down the drip will extend the extraction time, but that's not necessarily a good thing. You'd have to compensate with grind size. You can indeed brew less, all you need to do is add less coffee and water (just keep in mind the 16:1 water:coffee ratio by weight - or follow the measurement guidelines in the manual) - as long as you follow the proper measurements the quality of the brew should be the same.