UPDATE/CORRECTION: The Sage/Breville tank issue might be my fault. A wise person in the comments suggested it was because I wasn't using the water filter that sits in the tank (because I don't need it). This would explain the missing volume, I think. I'll try and test it again soon. I regret the error. ADDITIONAL: Mark from Ratio comments: "James! Thank you for this detailed overview. The Ratio Six lid you have is defective, as you so gloriously captured on film. We’re contacting you to arrange a replacement, and anyone who is experiencing this issue can get a free replacement here: ratiocoffee.com/six-lid Very sorry for the trouble! With continuous improvement in mind, we're working on the next generation of the Ratio Six thermal carafe and heat shield, with a planned released in 2022. Timelines for making physical objects are much longer than we’d like these days... We just got word that the Ratio Six will soon have official SCA Gold Cup certification, and we do believe that our showerhead + heat shield combined with the built in “Bloom” phase work together to make the Six a very capable and consistent brewer, with very high extractions possible. We look forward to continuing to learn from the coffee community. ❤️"
So glad you included the Ratio in this comparison. I literally just bought it, and because of the cost, I’ve been convincing myself that the issues are in my head. Good to see that others see the issues as well. I bought it because of the look. Still like it, just has its issues.
Our MoccaMaster(KBT) stopped working after 30 months. I checked the ops manual and learned they have a 5 yr full warranty. Called the US office and they paid shipping both ways and voila, the unit came back working just great. They never did tell me what they fixed, but this level of customer service is virtually unheard of these days. I was already a very loyal Technivorm fan but this experience was just so impressive.
Great review, thank you! I own a 1980s Moccamaster - and there is a great advantage to this machine you did not mention: You can completely repair it - Technivorm provides spare parts for everything, so you do not have to throw the whole thing away once it gets broke. This makes it expensive in the short term, but a really sustainable choice that you can keep running forever
The Moccamaster has a reputation for long-term reliability. That's worth a lot to me, especially when so many kitchen goods seem intentionally designed to fail in two to five years (so you have to buy another). I'd pay more for that reputation and I wouldn't consider it a 'brand tax'.
Lack of repair parts availability is a depressing reality of modern life. I've thrown out too many things that I have the ability to fix but nobody makes parts available any more. Kudos to Moccamaster (which I do not own). I personally feel there should be federal requirement for parts availability and right to repair, not just for John Deere tractors and iPhones, but for all consumer products over say $50, indexed to inflation.
We bought a Moccamaster a couple of years ago and are very pleased with the coffee it brews! And I actually love the way the carafe pours! I have a Nespresso mug that pours the same way. No more messes on my shirt! The Moccamaster is simply and beautifully designed. No bells and whistles, just a solid focus on brewing temperature and time. I also love the open top basket so that I can stir the grounds. I highly recommend this brewer!
Just purchased a refurbished Moccamaster at about 35% off retail. It only comes with a 1-year warranty as opposed to 5-years. No physical damage on the brewer. Fortunately, the 35% savings is enough where I'm still ahead with 1 or 2 repairs. The repair facility is in Portland, Oregon, so Americans don't have to send their brewer back to Europe.
@theProntoI went in the opposite direction. I got tired of the variability of my pour over - not a morning person - so I put the Hario gear away and went with the Moccamaster. No regrets.
I have one, but I probably wouldn’t buy one again - the build quality is abysmal for the price. The “stack” design Hoffmann rightly complains about scratches the bottom and flakes paint/finish off the top. I’ve had mine repaired under warranty multiple times. The customer service is great, and they’re down the street from me in Portland, but it’s just a hassle!
Love my Moccamaster! I went from a coffee maker with a thermal carafe, and a slew of "features" to the simplistic design of the Moccamaster with a glass carafe (personal choice). The most classic version of the Moccamaster (KB 59691) has a flow restricter that I use to increase my extraction when making 16oz or less. It also has a switch allowing you to turn down the hotplate, but claims neither setting will burn the coffee. I also love the simplicity of the device. Turn it on, have gold cup standard coffee, everytime. Aside from great coffee, It comes with a 5 year warranty, all parts are replaceable and can be ordered online, and a super long power cord so you can really place it anywhere.
I used to love my Moccamaster, too. I bought it, since it came with a 10 year warranty. Sadly some parts broke and between Moccamaster and my dealer they gave me the run-around on who will service the machine. I first contacted Moccamaster, they told me to go to the place of purchase. They were then supposed to send it to Moccamaster for service. Long story short: after more than 2 months of waiting I was told that my machine got lost. I really want a Moccamaster again, but I don't dare to buy one after this service experience.
We've had ours for almost a year, and it makes great coffee. I agree with James on the messy pouring and is my only complaint. Regarding the carafe sucking heat out of the coffee, it's a simple solution: fill it with hot water (my tap water is super hot) while grinding the coffee and setting up. He also commented that extraction is a little lighter. I tend to give the coffee a stir during the first bloom and I feel like that beefs up the body a bit.
@@sophya5796 I was hoping they would last forever! Sadly the water reservoir plastic cracked where the metal pipe for the hot water was touching. Also the plastic of the coffee pod broke.
James what really sold me on my moccamaster is that it is highly replaceable. All of the parts are sold by moccamaster, it's simplicity really is a feature. I expect this brewer to last me many years and would outlast any other brewer in this video.
I've had 3 Moccamasters over the years, and I've loved every one of them. One was ruined in a small kitchen fire, I sold the 2nd one (replaced with a V60) and the 3rd has been in regular use for almost 30 years at the family cottage.
I've always felt like the moccamaster is akin to a work horse. It will brew well, it will do it well every time for a very long time and if something breaks after a decade of use, you can just replace the part. Not the most features (or any), not the best brew, but all in all a good machine. The Toyota of coffee machines.
After watching this a few times, I ended up recently buying the Oxo 8-cup brewer instead of the 9-cup (in the US here), and while it's a simpler machine so no programmability, the simplicity is nice and the coffee it makes is excellent. If someone is not looking to spend quite as much on the 9-cup and doesn't mind the lack of programming option, or has shorter cabinets, I'd say the Oxo 8-cup is a great option!
I got one and the coffee would come out hot, but the carafe just would not sustain the heat for very long in my experience. I’m returning mine and might just get a Moccamaster
After toiling over V60 pour overs for 2 years, I finally switched to the OXO 8 cup and I haven’t looked back. It’s very nice to eliminate so many variables and truly compare different coffees based on grind, water, dose, etc.
When it comes to built quality and longevity, which to me is a significant part of value for money, I’ve had a Moccamaster for 20 years with no breakdowns or noticeable performance differences.
I have a Moccamaster built in the 1970s and it still works perfectly, looks great and all the parts are still readily available. I love it and recommend it highly to everyone...
Yeah the moccamaster my parents own is older than me (24) and only needed some plastic parts replaced last year even though they have used it pretty much every day at least once if not more.
@@davidbergin4223 We have the largest size one, with the flat bottom basket fitre and the glass pot/hot plate. Love it, but not as visually appealing as the smaller size one. Not sure why they went with the fluted round tank section over the much more appealing, and brand recognizable square style. My issue is the interface of the glass pot with the plastic rim/handle. The seam on the in and outside is open and coffee gets in there making it difficult to clean out and dry. Have you, or anyone else reading this, hand this issue? Thanks.
One thing that I wish you covered more here is how easy they are to maintain and clean. I appreciate that some of these brewers can be easily disassembled and cleaned whereas others look like can be a nightmare. I tend to prefer wider carafes for the same reason as they are easier/quicker to clean.
Absolutely! It’s been my experience that those tall metal carafes eventually stain. I use baking soda to clean it but that leads to deterioration of the plastic over time. Some of those have very narrow openings. That’s why now I choose glass carafes with a wide opening.
I have been using the sage/breville for more than a year. The carafe lid is hard to clean and starting to mold. It’s funny because I just bought the ratio because it appeared easier to clean, but has the same problem lol
It seems any coffee holding vessel, thermal carafe, travel mug, etc, that has a mechanized/trigger actuated spout opening is really awful, if not impossible, to clean. And if you want a really horror show, the coffee shops that use the pump carafes for milk/cream. Just don't do it. The pump unit is likely a science experiment as they often aren't disassembled and cleaned properly or regularly.
American here. OXO generally makes plain, simple, no-nonsense but well thought out pieces of kitchenware at affordable prices, from is cheap, detergent holding scrub brush to gooseneck kettles to coffee-makers like this. They put in everything you need, nothing you don't, don't charge a fortune and make things relatively durable, so their stuff is absolutely everywhere and generally gets high marks in the reviews, both among normal customers and among the experts.
Detailed, fair and balanced review. The production quality is excellent and I can appreciate the effort that goes into the final product of all these videos. Thank you!
i know this video is a year old and probably wont b seen but I've been watching your videos for the past two weeks or so and I love these videos I love your voice and how you talk about everything. your videos are just so nice to watch.
I'm a year after you. I really appreciate his complaints about the Ratio 6 lid and heat shield. Those things would bother me especially for the price. Another deal breaker is that the basket has to be taken out and set aside. Now you have a coaster for it you have to have laying around too. The only thing he didn't say is if any of the beep. I hate needlessly beeping appliances. Especially if it's a coffee maker and you're trying to not wake everyone up.
I have the Moccamaster, and I really love that the carafe is water-tight and durable. On a few occasions, I’ve done a big brew and taken it out to a picnic with some friends. No worries about it leaking or getting damaged - just throw it in a bag!
@@matthewhildebrandt4425 definitely, part of the reason I purchased one was the fact it could be repaired instead of going in the bin, reducing waste is important.
I like fixing things and the idea of reducing waste by buying something with easily replaceable parts. I knew James had recommended the Precision in the past, but buying something with a lot of electronics from China just did not seem like the type of thing that would have the longevity of the Moccamaster. First brew tomorrow.
I also have the moccamaster, a present from our son. I typically brew 65g of fresh ground beans with 1300g of water. As a result of watching one of your earlier videos, I have been experimenting with the brewing process. Previously I had put cold water into the reservoir, preheated the carafe with boiling water, then dumped that out and brewed the coffee. Recently I have been preheating the carafe with boiling water, then pouring that slightly cooled water into the reservoir, closing the basket valve to create a bloom phase, and moving the carafe (there is a switch that controls the reservoir heater) to control the water heating and prevent overflow. I think this change has produced a noticeable change (improvement) in the flavor. Thanks for the idea.
I do not recall a specific video...James may not have been talking about the moccamaster or another specific brewer, but suggesting that we play around with the details of our brewing process, regardless of the type of brewer we use. I will however put in a plug for the moccamaster. It has been a great machine for us, brewed many many batches over, I guess its been nearly 10 years now. @@lluccodina1757
As someone living in Norway, a lot of the design choices of the Wilfa (a Norwegian company) makes a ton of sense to me. Basically our tap water (in many regions) is derived from melted snow that flows into a lake. So the water is extremely soft, and calcium residue basically doesn't exist as an issue, and water filters is simply not a thing that anyone uses here - so having that detachable tank to pour into under the tap makes a ton of sense. It was actually one of the main reasons I bought the Wilfa rather than the Moccasmaster, where I would have had like 20 centimeters of headroom above the machine under my kitchen cabinets. Very annoying when you have to fill it from the top. Also, a lot Norwegians love their coffee scolding hot. A lot of them grew up with cooking coffee over a bonfire in the forrest, and I could imagine that they became accustomed to the sensation of a scolding hot coffee - which is a very nice thing if you want to get warm while out in the snow - and I think that's a big part of why they stuck with the hotplate design.
I'm sorry for an irrevelant question, but is it allowed to burn bonfires in the woods in Norway? And can you set up a tent in a random spot out wild or you can only do it in campings?
@@dddsa5951 As a general rule, yes you can burn bonfires in the wilderness. However, in the spring and summer there might be periods where it's banned in certain areas if it's very dry. However come fall or winter, you're good to go. And yes, in the wilderness you can put your tent up wherever you want - only rule is that you leave no trace behind (i.e. bring your garbage with you and dispose of it once your back in civilisation)
I'm from Värmland, Sweden and have water that comes from Norway (via Klarälven) so we have a similar experience. I remember making the specific water for the Coffee Tasting and the difference in flavor from our tap water was minimal. Right now I don't have space for an electric brewer, but I'm definitely thinking of the Wilfa. I like the simplicity and the detachable water tank, and the design is exactly up my alley (I also have the Wilfa Svart Uniform which matches very well). I've never been a huge fan of the look of Moccamaster which is otherwise the standard choice for Swedes who want to spend more money on coffee quality so I like this as an alternative. I also prefer glass carafes for especially the look but also what James mentioned in the video :P
Technivorm Moccamaster owner going on two years. It's simple, modular in the event of a component failure (have had none). Great customer support and brews consistently good coffee.....no complaints. Thank you James for all the tips and tricks you have taught me through the years. You've made coffee so much more enjoyable for me....thank you.
Hahaha best comment I’ve seen in a while … still laughing
3 роки тому+1235
90% of the products we EU citizens see on UA-cam aren't available in the EU, so I think it's appropriate that the Americas get to try that feeling every once in a while ;)
You guys can actually buy a Toyota truck with a turbo diesel. I am thoroughly envious. I'll never understand my fellow countrymen's pig headed resistance to small diesel engines.
me making coffee this morning: "i haven't seen a james hoffmann video in a while. i wonder if he's gonna upload soon" congrats, you've hardwired yourself into my brain
I’ve had a Moccamaster for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it! Yes, it’s quite basic but it does brew amazing coffee which is the most important thing. That it also looks beautiful is a plus
Today, these looks are valued. Rather retro, but original from the 60's (Moccamaster design essentially unchanged since then) However, at some point in the 80's, these would go unnoticed in any second hand shop
I’ve had the OXO for about 7 years and it’s been awesome. I like that it alerts me when to descale. The auto-start clock is a luxury for those of us who have to get up really early. The carafe keeps the coffee very hot for nearly an hour. I’m glad even though it’s been out for so long that OXO has kept it around as a product without messing with the winning formula.
Have you ever had trouble with too little agitation and under extraction? I've never got it to brew a decently strong cup of coffee. When I look inside the basket towards the end of the brew with a flashlight, the water is clear and sitting on top of the coffee bed, which makes me think its not agitating it enough, and therefore not extracting enough.
@@jelliott1458 that’s interesting - I’ll have to look. But no I’ve found mine to brew a great cup of coffee. I’d try different grind settings. I’ve found quite a difference of taste playing around. Also I use a gold metal filter for a robust cup and smooth cup because it lets through the oils. If you prefer a more acidic or sharp taste then go paper, there’s grades to that to play around with too. Obviously the coffee you use will be a big factor. I get good quality mostly African green beans and roast them in a counter top air roaster.
I had the original 12 cup brewer from OXO. It died unexpectedly. They had quite making them, so OXO sent me a 9 cup as a replacement. I have had the 9 cup for OXO for about 6 years. I have had very good luck with it. No real issues other than build up oils in the carafe that are hard to clean out.
American owner of a Behmor Brazen Plus here, a version 2. I bought it nearly seven years ago; it's still going strong, & gives excellent results. The fact that this, and the others tested by James, are not built down minimum commodity prices, is a factor to consider when weighing initial costs - think about longevity. The cheaper brewers I used to buy lasted three years if I was lucky.
I think the best feature of my Moccamaster is the one you gave the briefest mention of: the valve on the basket. It does both flow rate for a partial vs. full batch, but best of all it allows one to manually bloom the coffee or do a partial infusion brew with very little added fuss. Just start the batch with the valve closed; when it has dispensed around a hundred ml of water, turn off the power, maybe stir the grounds a bit, then open the valve and turn the power back on. On the one hand it's completely manual, and on the other hand one can make it do some interesting things because it's completely manual.
Except for the ADHD among us. *close valve*...... "Oh I should warm my cup"......"Oh, need to run the dishwasher"....... "Opps, need to get dishwasher pucks from the basement pantry"........ "Jeez, I really need to organize this space"......... *coffee overflowing on the counter, down into the draws and onto the tiles. Dog enjoying your morning brew off the floor.....again*.........😥🤦♂
There are actually two versions of the Moccamaster basket. The one you speak of with the manul 2-setting control, and the one in the video that uses a spring-loaded valve which only closes when you remove the carafe. Yes, you can perform the same "fully closed" option for the bloom stage, but the one in the video does not allow for a "partial batch" option like the one you mentioned.
So glad you included the Ratio in this comparison. I literally just bought it, and because of the cost, I’ve been convincing myself that the issues are in my head. Good to see that others see the issues as well. I bought it because of the look. Still like it, just has its issues.
Frankly i just dodge the crappy spout issue altogether. I use the lid only to retain heat. It’s less effort to take the lid off, pour, and put the lid back on than deal with the lid mechanism. Other than that, I love the coffee it makes. I also got mine on a pretty large sale. I think it is a bit overpriced.
I gave my 85 year old mom my old Baratza Sete 270W - She is not comfortable weighing coffee but wants good coffee. So today she bought the Wilfa Performance, we are very exited to try it out when it comes. I think this is the perfect setup for her. Grind by weight and only one button on the brewer.
Isn’t the measurement line inaccurate for the Sage brewer because you don’t have the filter installed in the tank? I believe lines are based on the amount of water that it displaces.
Thanks for all your thoughtful reviews. I owned the Oxo for about six months, but as a one-mug a day coffee drinker, I sold it once I tasted pour-over. The improvement in all respects was amazing. Then, too, the added benefits included no more clean-up of the machine and the occasional de-scaling, plus it's quicker to make the mug of pour-over!
I bought the Sage Precision as an exam pass reward, discovering the strong setting three months in to ownership was my revelation. It's made my coffee during lockdown while working from home and unable to get to coffee shops.
James you are one of my favorite UA-cam personalities and I always thoroughly enjoy your videos. I've learned so much about the coffee making process from you and I've enjoyed every minute.
Technivorn Moccamaster: Twelve years of daily use & going strong! Over the years I've replaced many of the plastic pieces and outlet arm, but it is reliable and consistent in what it does: brew great coffee. The stainless carafe keeps coffee hot for a very long time. I've found the carafe pours much easier and 'better' if one leaves the carafe lid on & loosened the right amount for a smoother, less 'splashy' pour.
I grew up listening to my grandparents' Moccamaster. They had that thing for at least 20 years before replacing it with one that fit their new kitchen colour scheme better, so I've always been impressed with the durability of these machines, and I suppose also have a slight bias towards owning them myself. That being said, the design (internal and external) is tried and true, and spares are readily available should you - against all odds - manage to break something. I will be getting a V60 or similar soon, but for my everyday needs I'd be hard pressed to not go with a Technivorm. It does what I need, and it does it with no fuss or frippery.
The problem (..) with Moccamaster, is that; if they happen to have a xtra button or two on the machine. It's not explained anywhere how it actually works. And the symbols are not explained, and nowhere on earth have they explained it. It is horrible 😅😁 but always works those machines.
@@igottmituns the first time I'm thinking about getting my own at least! I've been spoiled by a few friends that already have their own setup, so it's making me want my own :)
@@feenyx6394 I prefer the v60 for everyday use. Doesn't take that long to brew, and I do that while I make breakfast. A machine is much more useful when you have several guests.
Having purchased more than my fair share of questionable coffee brewers I finally invested in a Moccamaster 5 years ago. It brews consistently great coffee. Due to issues I've had with thermal carafes in the past I opted for a glass carafe version (KBG). Once the coffee is brewed any remainder goes directly into a preheated Stanley thermos which keeps it hot for hours. My only complaint with this brewer is the glass used in the carafe. It's thinner and a little more fragile than others I've used. Otherwise, a great brewer which I expect will last many years. Very informative video James. Thank you.
I have a Moccamaster. I love how simple it is, how it looks and how consistently it performs. Extra features are nice but what really matters is how easily you can make a good brew. I know exactly how it will perform so I can focus on grind, ratios and roast variation.
James, if you are looking for video ideas, it would be very interesting to see a remake of this video in 2023. Even if the content and machines compared were largely the same. I am in the market for one of these, and always find your reviews particularly helpful!
Not a lot has really changed in the last few years. If you want temperature control, you’re all two options are still the Breville (Sage) and the Behmor. I just bought the Behmor, myself.
I would like to say that for me repairability is also a huge deal, and for the Moccamaster you can get nearly all parts to repair yours. My grandma still has one that is making coffee for over 40 years.. renewed the water tank and some smaller bits and bobs but other than that no issues. I feel that a Moccamaster is a brewer for life, where a sage product……. I have almost never seen aftermarket parts for one of those.. would be interesting to see parts for the other ones as well. Cheers
As a moccamaster owner (glass carafe), i can also say that the warranty is outstanding and service in North America is great. I had one of the rocker switches break for setting the warmer, and they replaced it free of charge with no drama. Also the filters you use - and this maybe true for most of them, will definitely impact the taste of your coffee. Simple to clean and simple to own.
I bought the Breville about a year ago and have been very happy with the coffee and attention to details. One of the important things to me was a brewere that could correctly brew a smaller amount of coffee.
One thing that's hard to evaluate in a brief test is long-term reliability. With both my Technivorm and my Zojirushi rice maker, I felt like a complete sap at the for buying a $300+ countertop appliance. But as of now, I have owned and used and loved them both for about two decades, and the cost of the appliance per cup of coffee or serving of rice is almost nothing. So a reliable product without a lot of dials or knobs or extra features that will last you for years and years ends up being a great investment, both financially and emotionally.
Let's face it, lazily watching James Hoffman Saturday morning uploads with a cup of coffee just fills the habit gap for a generation of millennials too sophisticated for cereal and cartoons any more.
I have two Moccamasters with the glass carafe. One is relatively new (at work and a cheerful funky colour to cheer us all up) and the other ancient, inherited from my Dad, so probably 1970s. The newer one had a different sprayhead and clearly wetted the grounds more effectively, so I replaced that on the older version. Much better and such an easy fix. Can't see any of the others still being upgradable 50 years later...
I have and love my Technivorm, and because it is so simple, it can be run off of an electric timer. I grind and set everything up the night before, flip the switch on, and the timer starts it the next morning. Just like the Barisieur, but quite a bit cheaper.
I was literally just about to start googling if this is possible, thank you so much! Thinking of doing the same with a wireless plug from my home automation system. Very glad to hear this btw, as I'm at the cynical point of automation that everything built to be "smart/connected" usually just means "overpriced and inferior to a regular, proven model" ;)
@@Fiendir as long as the switch is rated for the total wattage, it should work fine. I'll probably upgrade to a smart switch soon, I just had a timer lying around, and used that a proof of concept.
I think it's also important to consider how well built the machines are. I think the majority of people who owned a MM can say they're pretty well built and have a reputation of lasting years. My machine came with a 10 year warranty as well!
Thanks for the great review James. I'm another Technivorm user. We've had the latest glass carafe variant for about 6 months (pours great). Makes really great coffee and Technivorm claim some secret sauce with the hotplate inasmuch as it supposed to be independently temp controlled. I don't really know since we consume the entire 1.25L probably within 10 minutes. Each of our coffee mugs is a bit over 0.25L. A big plus for us is that it comes with a 5 year warranty and all the parts are available. In many respects the Mocchamaster is the only product Technivorm produces and so they are laser focused on making the best it can be. I paired it with a Eureka Mignon Filtro grinder in which I grind 75G of beans immediately before brewing. I am sure there are more expensive and better grinders but at $200 it felt like the best price performance for the Mocchamaster as far as I was concerned. The Mocchamaster is hopefully the last brewer I will ever buy. My family is very happy with my recommendations and it's simple enough to use that the less tech savvy members are not intimidated by the brewer and grinder. Would definitely buy again.
Agree. Just got the Select for our home paired with a Baratza Virtuoso +. My wife, Stepdaughter and granddaughter now love the morning and after dinner coffee ritual. Have the little Pearl scale for measuring. Thanks to James and the comments here.
Please do a more in-depth video on the Moccamaster! I've been to many prestigious coffee shops over the years but somehow the best three coffees I've had (yes they were that memorable!) have been brewed in a Moccamaster. There's no doubt in my mind that it's the machine I want for the rest of my life but I'd love to have more information about it, such as how people brew such incredible coffee in it consistently. Thanks James!
The Moccamaster is so simple in terms of features and usage that it's pretty impossible to brew bad coffee in it. I have the version with glass carafe rather than the thermal jug but it works exactly the same. You can make a slight improvement to the way it brews by letting it start to brew with the carafe removed so that the machine almost fills the brew basket, use a teaspoon to agitate/move around the coffee bed in the filter a couple of times and then quickly slide the carafe into place. As the machine finishes pumping water near the end I'll then agitate the coffee again while the basket still has water, just to get the maximum extraction and ensure no spots of dry coffee. Doing this works great but then again if that's too much faff, just leave the machine to do what it does and you'll still get great coffee from it.
I've had the Sage/Breville for a bit over a year and love the consistency of its brews, the adjustments available for different profiles, and the price I got it for ($30 second hand, like new). It does extract a bit light for the grind but after using it for awhile I have come to love it. It also just looks nice and being able to set it up to make coffee in the morning for when I wake up in exactly the way I want is great.
I would love some more elaborate Moccamaster techniques! Having grown up with it, and currently having one, I think its lack of features is its strongest feature. The current technique I use with it (glass caraffe) is as follows for 30g coffee to 5dl (500g) of water: Leave the heat shield off, and close the flow restrictor. Turn it on and wait for the two first squirts of water, then immediately turn it off. Enough water for the bloom will eventually come through after turning it off. Use a spoon to muddle around the grounds making sure everything is evenly soaked, and then leave it for 23 seconds before turning it back on again. This will give a bloom-time of 30 seconds as it takes 7 seconds before the flow resumes (for my machine at least). Just as the water in the filter-holder reaches the top of the grounds, I open up the flow restrictor. When the water in the tank reaches the 1/4 mark (halfway) I give it one forward and one backward stir with the spoon, giving it a more or less flat bed when the brewing is done (I think this is from a video on this channel). When the water is done going through, I turn off the machine, wait for single drops to come out of the filter holder, and then discard the used grounds. Doing this, I (in my opinion) get a vastly better result than just straight pouring some water and grounds into the machine and turn it on. I do not get equally good results with 1l (1000g) of water and 60g of coffee with this procedure though. I haven't analyzed this to the Hoffmann level, so I have no idea why it works for 5dl and not for 1l. Could it perhaps be the heat shield and amount of water, ground size or something like that?
I measured the first water coming out of the machine is about 70 C. I do almost identical technique, but run 250ml of water through into the empty basket to rinse the paper and warm the machine!
Wonderful. Sadly, this is why I elect to remain with manual brewing. For so much money, you'd expect the brewer to at least match my useless technique. Lol. Alas, I brew significantly better coffee manually. Grind size may be an issue for the larger brew for you. That sounds about right.
@@freezingsunbreaka It sounds like a lot, but in practice it isn't really that much more involved than just turning it on. For me the improvement vs letting it do its thing alone is worth it. It is more consistent and a lot less messy, fiddly and attention-consuming than using an aeropress, especially when making more than one cup.
Thank you for reviewing the Oxo. You literally read my mind and released this one day after I asked for it in the comments to your Sage Precision Brewer review. Bravo. We've had the Oxo for four years and have been very happy with it. We descale it when it tells us to (every 90 brews) and we have never had a single issue or failure over that period of time (other than having the dump the retained coffee in the carafe every time).
Have you ever had trouble with too little agitation and under extraction? I've never got it to brew a decently strong cup of coffee. When I look inside the basket towards the end of the brew with a flashlight, the water is clear and sitting on top of the coffee bed, which makes me think its not agitating it enough, and therefore not extracting enough.
So the issue I have, which I kind of figured was a defect in mine but I never got around to contacting OXO about it - when you take the carafe out it's supposed to seal the basket so it doesn't drip. Well, mine drips. I think it's a seal issue, because if I just put water in it in the sink, and the bottom spring valve thing is fully extended/not pressed, it still drips a bit. So unless I wait a while after the coffee's finished brewing and the basket is dry to pour coffee, I get coffee dripping onto the heating pad where the carafe goes. I also have the same issue with a bit of coffee retained, which I agree is annoying. Sometimes when I'm making sure to actually pour all of it, I'll just unscrew the top and pour, which will get that last bit out.
I've had a Moccamaster since 2017, and I've loved the coffee from it. I think it's consistent and easy to use in the morning (I'm not a morning person so fiddling around just makes me crossed and annoyed). The single issue I have with it is that I feel that it brews sort of like a cheap coffeemaker. It pours the water on the coffee quite aggressively leaving a worryingly big crater if you just let it brew on its own. But it is quite easy to manually adjust the quality of the brew by using the drip control and let it bloom whilst you give it a little swirl with a spoon and after the last coffee has reached the cone just like a V60 give it a little swirl. Still, the water spout placement makes it a bit awkward to do those manual bits. But the quality of the coffee after simply turning it on is still very good. It's just that the crater it can leave worries me that there might be some dry pockets of coffee left in the filter.
I do something very similar with mine. I do about 32 grams of coffee for 500ml. I manually adjust the filter closed and move the little handle so I get all the grounds wet as it fills. When it’s full I agitate the the grounds a little and let it empty at half speed. The coffee turns out delicious every time.
Exactly what you said, and to solve the problem with too "cold" water at first just make an empty brew with some water. So you can pre rinse your filter and the unkown aged water in the machine is gone, too. In the meantime I weigh and grind my beans.
I don’t get the crater. It could be grind size. Using a Wilfa Svart, I grind between the last two dots of the word ‘Filter’. I just put the lid on and walk away: no swirls, no stirring. The bet is always pancake flat, and coffee consistently extracted.
@@Slash_de I used to run an empty brew to warm everything up while I was grinding. I decided to stop after the second time my caffeine starved brain forgot to empty out the hot water and I ended up with about a liter of coffee on my counter.
I love the idea that if you’re constrained as to budget you buy a $200 coffee brewer. I have a Zojirushi Zutto that costs $75. It makes very good coffee.
I love my Technivorm. It is bulletproof. Simple design, minimal moving parts, quality construction. Rare case these days of spending for and getting real quality. Only issue I ever had was my fault, I tried to unscrew the water tank to clean it, and when I realized I couldn't and put it back together, discovered it was leaking. Technivorm has affordable repairs though so it was easy to get it fixed.
Love these videos so much! Recently moved country and couldn't bring anything with us but turning it into a dream experience where we get to start from scratch and make the right choices in our setup. The level of detail in your reviews is second to none!
Fun Fact the Technivorm Mocca Master is the Most Popular Coffe maker here, like no contest. Grandpa has had the same one for 30 years, and it still working as new.
I have had the same moccamaster for about 6-7 years now and love it. I really enjoy the simplicity of the device because my experience is that when you add all the controls and PCBs etc the more disposable they start to become. I do have a Breville(Sage) smart grinder that was a purchase to help my wife out because she won’t take the time to weigh out doses. I dial in the coffee when we first open the bag and then we are good to go. I will definitely say though that getting the grind right makes a Huge difference.
got my moccamaster for 60€ on ebay. it was broken but it still had warranty (5 years!) so technivorm repaired it within 2 days even though I didn't even have a receipt for it. Great service and great machine
I have a Ratio Six brewer and absolutely love it. As noted in your pinned comment, they're replacing the defective lids for free, and I've had no real problems with the new lid (but definitely noticed the problems you described in the old lid). I've also had the heat shield issue with it flicking water, which I've never loved. Other than that, though, I don't find it overly fiddly, and the coffee itself is just fantastic. We used it to replace our Chemex and have not regretted it yet, 16 months later. One note on the tank capacity: they do give a table with recommended grams of coffee for each cup amount, and when using those numbers, we have yet to go wrong. (the recommended numbers also don't go in a linear line--2 cups is 35g, 4 cups is 40g, 6 cups is 53g, and 8 cups is 70g--so I wonder if there's some math there dealing with the automated bloom.)
I have this too. It makes great coffee, I don't care that it flicks hot water at me or that it is like building blocks. The coffee is excellent. I never use my french press anymore.
My dads birthday is coming up and i was planning on getting him a nice coffeemaker to replace his $19 mr coffee. Im so glad you made this video as im currently looking at machines. Im leaning towards moccamaster.
a good scale and a moccamaster along with a note saying how many grams of coffee he should put in for each line. this is what i did for my parents and they love the coffee they get out of the machine and how easy it is. you need to consider when people aren't interesting in coffee it should just work as such in this range of tests only the wilfa or the moccamaster is a choice.
James, you mentioned at some point you made make a video dedicated to Moccamaster hacks. Would love to see what you come up with. When I'm not in the mood for Chemex, I tend to have my own morning Moccamaster ritual around letting the grinds bloom for a set period of time before letting water run through, but really want your take on the ideal brew with this fun brewer.
Forgive me if you've covered this but, I'd love to see a video of a comparison between a basic standard coffee pot to a higher-end coffee maker. I'm a huge fan of your videos and appreciate how detailed and honest you are. Quite frankly, when the dust settles after receiving a new shiny thing, I am interested in the particulars of what's going to annoy me, how well it pours, etc.
One reason I like the the Technivorm is that I can put any number of pour-over devices on the glass carafe. There's also a model that has two cycles for different batch sizes.
Great video as always James! I recently bought a Moccamaster primarily for its simplicity and looks + also good long term customer support from the company in the Netherlands. Also wanted something that could work with a smart plug as I don’t want to faff with clocks/timers and have the coffee brewed at the same time every day. I set my Moccamaster up at night. When I get up in the morning, I hit a button on my phone or tell the nearest smart speaker to start the coffee and by the time I’m downstairs I’ve got a batch ready to go.
I've been using a Technivorm since the 1990s. Still using it. Never less than a delightful cup of coffee with no razzamatazz. Nothing to go wrong. Very simple. Hand built and it shows.
I have the Ratio 6 and I LOVE IT! Although I completely agree with all of the issues it has. You end up figuring out how to pour with the carafe without spilling and how to clean it out. I also agree that all the parts can be annoying. But I don’t mind because the coffee is amazing and I love the simplicity of only having to press the button.
I just bought a moccamaster, very grateful for your review! For me, when it comes to home coffee brewers, I gravitate toward quality of extraction and design.
A different opinion is exactly what we need from you, James. I would never buy a expensive coffee brewer no matter how good the coffee it can brew if it can't even have the lid fixed. Thank you so much for your detail inputs.
I've owned the Sage/Breville for 4 years now. The the conical brewer has indeed required both a finer-than-usual grind and also to note, it needs some bed pre-brew manipulation; I have to create a little plateau of grounds around the center of the basket. Otherwise, I get an under extracted cup and an uneven wet bed. Also the glass carafe is much better at pours and retention than the metal but a) it's a glass carafe b) the hot plate will cook the coffee and c) did I mention it's a glass carafe? To note, I believe it's the only brewer on this lineup that can brew a pour over like the Hario V60. Which, takes tweaking in it's own way - I won't take us down that rabbit hole because at the end of the day, if I want a V60 - I will brew it. If i want a decent cup of coffee at 6am and am too tired to make it, autostart with a prewet filter (cold water) w grounds from last night (it's our secret, James) and off to the races we go. For me the Sage/Breville takes it with the features, their stainless steel look and the overall quality of the thing. Excellent review, James!
I really love my Breville (with the glass carafe). I just end up grinding a little more finely and extend the bloom over the preset setting and seem to be getting consistently sweet and balanced cups of coffee. My biggest complaint with my brewer is the black coating on the hot plate began rubbing off almost immediately. I think the hot plate runs too hot. It would be great if that could be controlled as well or set to a specific temp to maintain, like my kettle. Ultimately though, I really love the brewer and would immediately buy it again if something were to happen to it.
I have also struggled with the coffee bed and also attempt to compensate with a the coffe topping in the middle. It seems to work best for ligther roasts, whereas medium-dark roasts are more easily scattered by the stream of water.
I am trying to get the bed flatter on the sage, I found I needed to reduce the amount of coffee and volume of water 55g/L vs usual 60g/L to reduce strength. I was also trying 750ml of water, but the bloom function in gold does not seem to bloom above a certain volume of water, not figured out where the limit is yet. Brewing 55g/L at 500ml today was an improvement today, now trying to get grind size right. It is fun playing, but taking a fair bit more time to dial in than V60 or Aeropress.
@@martin_miller today I made a slight cone, set bloom to 35 seconds, on the slow setting, with the brew at 198 degrees and it made a really sweet and well extracted cup with medium roast beans from costa rica.
I have had the OXO brewer for some 4 years and find it makes great coffee consistently. My brewer started to malfunction and after contacting OXO, they agreed to replace the brewer with the identical new one free of charge as long as I returned the defective unit ( that did cost $ 60 though ) but I now have the new brewer and am a 'happy camper' .
I purchased the Sage after seeing your video of it. I found a way to increase extraction and evenness which I use pretty often. It requires being near the brewer but in larger batch brews I move the basket around a bit by moving the handle back and forth (or side to side, whatever). My goal was to approximate the V60 swirl. I do this when I guess that the bed is saturated and once more just after it finishes pumping the last of water into the cone/basket. I even engage in the same “flat bed” V60-like challenge. Coffee does tend to be more to my liking when I manage to achieve a flat bed. I’ve always imagined it was improving the consistency of the extraction. I wish there was an easy way to mod the top such that I could stir the slurry during brewing.
My parents asked me to pick out a new coffee maker because I’m the “weird coffee person” in the family and their Walmart coffee maker kept overflowing the brew basket for 10 or more cups. I let my mom pick between the Oxo and Cuisinart Perfectemp and she decided on the Oxo. We’ve used it 8 times already. So far we’ve used preground Don Francisco, preground Folgers, and Stumptown Hairbender that I ground in a Virtuoso. So far it’s awesome and they love it. They love the auto-on, and I loved the taste/extraction we got out of all three coffees we’ve brewed. Yes, even the Folgers tasted good when brewed in there. I would highly recommend the Oxo to anyone who’s considering it.
Moccamaster with the glass carafe is what got me into truly enjoying coffee. Super simple and a great cup every time. That's all I ask for. However a detachable water reservoir would put it over the top.
My brother got me a Ratio for Christmas a couple months ago, and I love it. It brews really well. I wasn't initially sold on having a countertop brewer because counter space is at a premium in my apartment, but it makes making coffee an easy part of my morning routine, rather than the French press or cone I was using before (It also helps that receiving a gift of a massively expensive coffee machine compelled me to figure out a way of disposing of the coffee grounds). But I cannot get over how bad the carafe is. It's been redesigned since this video, or maybe it's a US/Euro difference, but you have to tip it so far over to get it to pour, and it retains so much coffee at the end. Because I'd been using a French press, I initially thought that maybe that was a way to catch dregs, but there are no dregs. Also, it's very heavy, which is a good thing for heat retention, of course, but makes me frequently misjudge how much coffee I have left. And, as James said, the fact that the graduations aren't accurate is not helping things.
I do think you should have considered something from the Bonavita line of brewers - they were kind of overshadowed by the kettles but I think they’re contenders with this lineup at decent price points and features (bloom timing, brew scheduling and one-touch options, etc.).
My brewer has two sets of markings on the glass carafe. One for water level for filling and one for coffee. They match exactly on the first several brews I have done. The standard setting is kind of an "average" extraction, but it does a very even spray from the shower head over the coffee. With the "strength" feature engaged, I get a very high extraction. Close to max in my opinion. Being that this pot costs a third of the price of my last one which was very basic (Brew on button, stopper to take a cup during the brew without spilling, and a program brewing function), has more features (reusable mesh filter, Strength adjustment, stopped to allow me to take a cup in the middle of the brew, really quick climb to the max water temperature, better water distribution, and higher extraction) than the old one did and gives me better tasting full flavored coffee. I'm quite pleased and lucky to have stumbled across this sale on a "budget" machine at the local Business Costco store. Things I do to make it a little better also are...I use paper filters instead of the mesh one, slightly dampen the filter beforehand, and I also don't put the carafe under right away when it first starts to let the coffee bloom a bit extra. Just saying all of this to tell others that you can get a very good brew from budget coffee makers. Make sure to do your research before buying. Also helps if you purchase from a store that has a really good return policy. Places like Costco in the US will take it back no questions asked for any number of reasons, including if I didn't like the quality of brew.
We have an OXO Brew 9-Cup machine and have been using it daily for over three years with no issues. My son and I find that it makes a wonderful cup. It is a no fuss machine, just pick the amount of water you need to use and hit start. We use the Melitta #4 bamboo filters and then put the filter and grounds in our compost. Recently we got a Baratza Encore grinder and that upped our game a lot. The first beans that I bought was a can of Illy Classico and it made our best brew to date. We have a lot of roasters nearby so we have a huge variety of coffees to choose from. We even have a Yemini coffee shop near us who is an importer from Yemin. OXO has great customer service BTW. I dropped the carafe and it no longer had an insulating vacuum. I looked on the OXO website but could not see how to buy a replacement. Contacted OXO and asked how I could buy a replacement and they told me to send a copy of my receipt and the serial number and they would send me a replacement for free which they then did.
For me, the best home coffee making machine is a Zojirushi CV-DCC40 water boiler set to 208 degrees, and a plastic Melitta pour over that sits on top of a mug. It's convenient, easy to clean, low waste, makes a solidly decent cup of coffee and takes only marginally more effort than a drip brewer. It's also scalable; if I want to make coffee for guests, I have a carafe pour over that I use instead. The machines you're showing here are beautiful, but I personally don't like having too many single use machines in my kitchen. The water boiler can also be used for tea, soup, getting hot water for poached eggs, pasta, etc. The pour overs can go in the cabinet when not in use.
I have had the technivorm moccamaster you have in the video for a while like the one shown and love it. So simple to use and produces a great cup. I put my yeti cup under the spout for a smaller dose and never use the carafe.
I have a Technivorm Mochamster and before the video even starts I'm saying it is the best and worth the price as it is an exceptional value. Great coffee every time for over a decade!
I think your evaluation of the Ratio Six is on point. I just got mine less than a week ago, and I noticed the exact same issues. I too find those massively frustrating. It can't be that hard, I think they just stopped thinking knowing they'd get their money. I am loving the machine but truly hating the company right now. I'm hoping they catch on and make these ridiculously easy improvements asap.
I have a MoccaMaster with the glass carafe. After about 20 months I still love it. My brother had one and highly recommended it as did Americas Test Kitchen. I like that it is repairable and after reading some of the comments it sounds like they have great customer service to boot! 🤠
I use a Cuisinart (and the shirt with the alligator on LOL) 14 cup clinkotwinkulator here at home. It was $80 plus tax at Costco, and to my amateur palate it makes a damn fine pot of coffee on the high temperature setting! (it has 3 temperature settings; low, medium, and high)
Mocamaster all the way. I’ve had mine for a few years now. Use it everyday and it’s easy to manipulate the coffee to your taste. The design just works - easy to use, easy to clean and looks nice on the counter top.
I bought the Sage/Breville >1 year ago after watching your review of it. It has been exactly what James says. Super consistent brew and makes most coffee taste better. One annoying thing, however, in the lid design. It has a tendency to trap coffee/water. You have to really shake it out. I used to use a Bunn maker, so everything seems slow after that, but it has been a favorite. I’m glad you reviewed the the Behmor. I roast coffee using John Behmor’s roaster and have been curious about his brewer.
I’ve owned my Behmor for 6 plus years, and it’s still working as expected. It was fondly nicknamed “Gort” (after the Robot in “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”) My only caveat is the carafe not retaining heat very well. The solution if brewing a full pot is dumping the coffee in my trusty Nissan.
I just bought a Behmor to replace the BUNN I’ve had for nine years because the BUNN did not get hot enough to properly extract the lightly roasted coffee that I have come to really like lately. MADE MY FIRST POT WITH IT THIS MORNING, AND IT WAS DELICIOUS! AS SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO DIVE INTO TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THINGS, I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW THE MACHINE OPERATES. And the accuracy of the temperature control. No idea why that sentence above was in. Stupid voice to text.
I've had the behmor brazen for about 6yrs now and have been happy with it. I think we paid $120 US for it. I mostly make French press lately, but the behmor is very good, and it is SCAA certified, which is why I bought it originally. Maybe that's not a big deal, but it helped me find something that actually brewed properly, with bloom, temperature, and time being kept in mind as a main function. Overall I'm happy with it but I haven't used it as a main brewer for a while.
UPDATE/CORRECTION: The Sage/Breville tank issue might be my fault. A wise person in the comments suggested it was because I wasn't using the water filter that sits in the tank (because I don't need it). This would explain the missing volume, I think. I'll try and test it again soon. I regret the error.
ADDITIONAL: Mark from Ratio comments: "James! Thank you for this detailed overview. The Ratio Six lid you have is defective, as you so gloriously captured on film. We’re contacting you to arrange a replacement, and anyone who is experiencing this issue can get a free replacement here: ratiocoffee.com/six-lid
Very sorry for the trouble!
With continuous improvement in mind, we're working on the next generation of the Ratio Six thermal carafe and heat shield, with a planned released in 2022. Timelines for making physical objects are much longer than we’d like these days...
We just got word that the Ratio Six will soon have official SCA Gold Cup certification, and we do believe that our showerhead + heat shield combined with the built in “Bloom” phase work together to make the Six a very capable and consistent brewer, with very high extractions possible.
We look forward to continuing to learn from the coffee community. ❤️"
Way to admit a mistake always appreciated!
So glad you included the Ratio in this comparison. I literally just bought it, and because of the cost, I’ve been convincing myself that the issues are in my head. Good to see that others see the issues as well. I bought it because of the look. Still like it, just has its issues.
Does the machine pavoni 2a EBR make Good expresso shot ? Because i have the chance To buy one buth i have not see any review ! Thanks
Good to know !
Are you sure this isn't a fill mark for desired output? Water retention in the grinds factored in
Our MoccaMaster(KBT) stopped working after 30 months. I checked the ops manual and learned they have a 5 yr full warranty. Called the US office and they paid shipping both ways and voila, the unit came back working just great. They never did tell me what they fixed, but this level of customer service is virtually unheard of these days. I was already a very loyal Technivorm fan but this experience was just so impressive.
Not related to coffee but i had a similarly good experience with peak designs mobile car mount. And that cones with a lifetime warranty.
Is there a more James Hoffman comment than, “I have opinions about carafes”?
I’d buy that t-shirt or coffee mug!
This felt quintessential James Hoffmann to me: "it makes people feel a certain way"
Or a carafe...
I have ....OPINIONS about carafes....
I heard that and immediately thought “uh oh, one of you is in trouble “
I'd buy "you get one slurp"
Great review, thank you! I own a 1980s Moccamaster - and there is a great advantage to this machine you did not mention: You can completely repair it - Technivorm provides spare parts for everything, so you do not have to throw the whole thing away once it gets broke. This makes it expensive in the short term, but a really sustainable choice that you can keep running forever
The Moccamaster has a reputation for long-term reliability. That's worth a lot to me, especially when so many kitchen goods seem intentionally designed to fail in two to five years (so you have to buy another). I'd pay more for that reputation and I wouldn't consider it a 'brand tax'.
Lack of repair parts availability is a depressing reality of modern life. I've thrown out too many things that I have the ability to fix but nobody makes parts available any more.
Kudos to Moccamaster (which I do not own).
I personally feel there should be federal requirement for parts availability and right to repair, not just for John Deere tractors and iPhones, but for all consumer products over say $50, indexed to inflation.
This is a big part of the draw for me. Same reason I bought a Gaggia Classic instead of a Breville machine. I'm tired of throwaway culture!
We bought a Moccamaster a couple of years ago and are very pleased with the coffee it brews! And I actually love the way the carafe pours! I have a Nespresso mug that pours the same way. No more messes on my shirt! The Moccamaster is simply and beautifully designed. No bells and whistles, just a solid focus on brewing temperature and time. I also love the open top basket so that I can stir the grounds. I highly recommend this brewer!
Just purchased a refurbished Moccamaster at about 35% off retail. It only comes with a 1-year warranty as opposed to 5-years. No physical damage on the brewer. Fortunately, the 35% savings is enough where I'm still ahead with 1 or 2 repairs. The repair facility is in Portland, Oregon, so Americans don't have to send their brewer back to Europe.
I think the reason why James is the first reviewer complaining about the Ratio 6 is because he is the first one to pay for the Ratio 6...
@theProntocame here to write this. I was between the Ratio 6 and Moccamaster 32oz. Prices were essentially the same. Went with the Technivorm.
@theProntoI went in the opposite direction. I got tired of the variability of my pour over - not a morning person - so I put the Hario gear away and went with the Moccamaster. No regrets.
I have one, but I probably wouldn’t buy one again - the build quality is abysmal for the price. The “stack” design Hoffmann rightly complains about scratches the bottom and flakes paint/finish off the top. I’ve had mine repaired under warranty multiple times. The customer service is great, and they’re down the street from me in Portland, but it’s just a hassle!
Love my Moccamaster! I went from a coffee maker with a thermal carafe, and a slew of "features" to the simplistic design of the Moccamaster with a glass carafe (personal choice).
The most classic version of the Moccamaster (KB 59691) has a flow restricter that I use to increase my extraction when making 16oz or less. It also has a switch allowing you to turn down the hotplate, but claims neither setting will burn the coffee.
I also love the simplicity of the device. Turn it on, have gold cup standard coffee, everytime.
Aside from great coffee, It comes with a 5 year warranty, all parts are replaceable and can be ordered online, and a super long power cord so you can really place it anywhere.
I used to love my Moccamaster, too. I bought it, since it came with a 10 year warranty. Sadly some parts broke and between Moccamaster and my dealer they gave me the run-around on who will service the machine. I first contacted Moccamaster, they told me to go to the place of purchase. They were then supposed to send it to Moccamaster for service. Long story short: after more than 2 months of waiting I was told that my machine got lost. I really want a Moccamaster again, but I don't dare to buy one after this service experience.
We've had ours for almost a year, and it makes great coffee. I agree with James on the messy pouring and is my only complaint. Regarding the carafe sucking heat out of the coffee, it's a simple solution: fill it with hot water (my tap water is super hot) while grinding the coffee and setting up. He also commented that extraction is a little lighter. I tend to give the coffee a stir during the first bloom and I feel like that beefs up the body a bit.
Another MM user here and I really like the hotplate off-switch! If you only brew a little coffee (like 2 cups), it get's burnt if the plate is on.
@@Viggo_Frb Sorry to hear about this 😕 What was wrong with your machine? I'm just curious as they usually seem to work forever 🤔
@@sophya5796 I was hoping they would last forever! Sadly the water reservoir plastic cracked where the metal pipe for the hot water was touching. Also the plastic of the coffee pod broke.
James what really sold me on my moccamaster is that it is highly replaceable. All of the parts are sold by moccamaster, it's simplicity really is a feature. I expect this brewer to last me many years and would outlast any other brewer in this video.
Mine have lasted for 12 year's and going. :)
Great build quality as well. Did a teardown of mine and was very surprised to see it's built like an appliance from the 60's.
I've had 3 Moccamasters over the years, and I've loved every one of them. One was ruined in a small kitchen fire, I sold the 2nd one (replaced with a V60) and the 3rd has been in regular use for almost 30 years at the family cottage.
Same for me! I love mine!
I've always felt like the moccamaster is akin to a work horse. It will brew well, it will do it well every time for a very long time and if something breaks after a decade of use, you can just replace the part. Not the most features (or any), not the best brew, but all in all a good machine. The Toyota of coffee machines.
After watching this a few times, I ended up recently buying the Oxo 8-cup brewer instead of the 9-cup (in the US here), and while it's a simpler machine so no programmability, the simplicity is nice and the coffee it makes is excellent. If someone is not looking to spend quite as much on the 9-cup and doesn't mind the lack of programming option, or has shorter cabinets, I'd say the Oxo 8-cup is a great option!
I second this
i needed this final answer
I got one and the coffee would come out hot, but the carafe just would not sustain the heat for very long in my experience. I’m returning mine and might just get a Moccamaster
@@Stuke51 dumb reason to return a product. Just prewarm the carafe with hot water
After toiling over V60 pour overs for 2 years, I finally switched to the OXO 8 cup and I haven’t looked back. It’s very nice to eliminate so many variables and truly compare different coffees based on grind, water, dose, etc.
When it comes to built quality and longevity, which to me is a significant part of value for money, I’ve had a Moccamaster for 20 years with no breakdowns or noticeable performance differences.
Same here.
Yes! And, at least where I am in Canada, parts and repairs are available!
That reputation was a big factor for me in choosing the Moccamaster.
That was my no 1 reason. Second was brew quality.
Moccamaster for six years has been rock solid. Love it.
I have a Moccamaster built in the 1970s and it still works perfectly, looks great and all the parts are still readily available. I love it and recommend it highly to everyone...
Yeah the moccamaster my parents own is older than me (24) and only needed some plastic parts replaced last year even though they have used it pretty much every day at least once if not more.
Well why wouldnt it, it is basically a $380 water kettle, it boils water, theres no other functionality.
I would love to see a picture of it. How awesome!!!
I’ve had mine for 2 years. It’s running as good now as it was on the first day. I love the coffee it brews. I’m also a home roaster.
@@davidbergin4223 We have the largest size one, with the flat bottom basket fitre and the glass pot/hot plate. Love it, but not as visually appealing as the smaller size one. Not sure why they went with the fluted round tank section over the much more appealing, and brand recognizable square style. My issue is the interface of the glass pot with the plastic rim/handle. The seam on the in and outside is open and coffee gets in there making it difficult to clean out and dry. Have you, or anyone else reading this, hand this issue?
Thanks.
One thing that I wish you covered more here is how easy they are to maintain and clean. I appreciate that some of these brewers can be easily disassembled and cleaned whereas others look like can be a nightmare. I tend to prefer wider carafes for the same reason as they are easier/quicker to clean.
Absolutely! It’s been my experience that those tall metal carafes eventually stain. I use baking soda to clean it but that leads to deterioration of the plastic over time.
Some of those have very narrow openings.
That’s why now I choose glass carafes with a wide opening.
@@TheDevnul I use Cafiza in my metal carafe once every 2-3 months (when I finish a pack of filters). It gets rid of all of the staining.
I have been using the sage/breville for more than a year. The carafe lid is hard to clean and starting to mold. It’s funny because I just bought the ratio because it appeared easier to clean, but has the same problem lol
It seems any coffee holding vessel, thermal carafe, travel mug, etc, that has a mechanized/trigger actuated spout opening is really awful, if not impossible, to clean. And if you want a really horror show, the coffee shops that use the pump carafes for milk/cream. Just don't do it. The pump unit is likely a science experiment as they often aren't disassembled and cleaned properly or regularly.
Yesssssss - same with coffee grinders!
American here. OXO generally makes plain, simple, no-nonsense but well thought out pieces of kitchenware at affordable prices, from is cheap, detergent holding scrub brush to gooseneck kettles to coffee-makers like this. They put in everything you need, nothing you don't, don't charge a fortune and make things relatively durable, so their stuff is absolutely everywhere and generally gets high marks in the reviews, both among normal customers and among the experts.
They also tend to make things easy to use for people with grip problems (arthritis, etc.).
@@Adderkleetgood design all around
Detailed, fair and balanced review. The production quality is excellent and I can appreciate the effort that goes into the final product of all these videos. Thank you!
i know this video is a year old and probably wont b seen but I've been watching your videos for the past two weeks or so and I love these videos I love your voice and how you talk about everything. your videos are just so nice to watch.
I'm a year after you.
I really appreciate his complaints about the Ratio 6 lid and heat shield. Those things would bother me especially for the price. Another deal breaker is that the basket has to be taken out and set aside. Now you have a coaster for it you have to have laying around too.
The only thing he didn't say is if any of the beep. I hate needlessly beeping appliances. Especially if it's a coffee maker and you're trying to not wake everyone up.
I have the Moccamaster, and I really love that the carafe is water-tight and durable. On a few occasions, I’ve done a big brew and taken it out to a picnic with some friends. No worries about it leaking or getting damaged - just throw it in a bag!
Also the longevity! The fact that you can get parts/repairs is underrated.
I'm with you
@@matthewhildebrandt4425 definitely, part of the reason I purchased one was the fact it could be repaired instead of going in the bin, reducing waste is important.
I like fixing things and the idea of reducing waste by buying something with easily replaceable parts. I knew James had recommended the Precision in the past, but buying something with a lot of electronics from China just did not seem like the type of thing that would have the longevity of the Moccamaster. First brew tomorrow.
I also have the moccamaster, a present from our son. I typically brew 65g of fresh ground beans with 1300g of water. As a result of watching one of your earlier videos, I have been experimenting with the brewing process. Previously I had put cold water into the reservoir, preheated the carafe with boiling water, then dumped that out and brewed the coffee. Recently I have been preheating the carafe with boiling water, then pouring that slightly cooled water into the reservoir, closing the basket valve to create a bloom phase, and moving the carafe (there is a switch that controls the reservoir heater) to control the water heating and prevent overflow. I think this change has produced a noticeable change (improvement) in the flavor. Thanks for the idea.
Can you tell me which video are you talking about please?
I do not recall a specific video...James may not have been talking about the moccamaster or another specific brewer, but suggesting that we play around with the details of our brewing process, regardless of the type of brewer we use. I will however put in a plug for the moccamaster. It has been a great machine for us, brewed many many batches over, I guess its been nearly 10 years now. @@lluccodina1757
Love the bripe chilling in the back of the set. Long live the bripe.
I'd love to see an updated review of new Brewers that you'd recommend. This is the best review and comparison I've ever seen.
As someone living in Norway, a lot of the design choices of the Wilfa (a Norwegian company) makes a ton of sense to me.
Basically our tap water (in many regions) is derived from melted snow that flows into a lake. So the water is extremely soft, and calcium residue basically doesn't exist as an issue, and water filters is simply not a thing that anyone uses here - so having that detachable tank to pour into under the tap makes a ton of sense. It was actually one of the main reasons I bought the Wilfa rather than the Moccasmaster, where I would have had like 20 centimeters of headroom above the machine under my kitchen cabinets. Very annoying when you have to fill it from the top.
Also, a lot Norwegians love their coffee scolding hot. A lot of them grew up with cooking coffee over a bonfire in the forrest, and I could imagine that they became accustomed to the sensation of a scolding hot coffee - which is a very nice thing if you want to get warm while out in the snow - and I think that's a big part of why they stuck with the hotplate design.
scalding hot coffee causes throat damage, if enough can turn to cancer.
I'm sorry for an irrevelant question, but is it allowed to burn bonfires in the woods in Norway? And can you set up a tent in a random spot out wild or you can only do it in campings?
@@dddsa5951 As a general rule, yes you can burn bonfires in the wilderness. However, in the spring and summer there might be periods where it's banned in certain areas if it's very dry. However come fall or winter, you're good to go.
And yes, in the wilderness you can put your tent up wherever you want - only rule is that you leave no trace behind (i.e. bring your garbage with you and dispose of it once your back in civilisation)
1
I'm from Värmland, Sweden and have water that comes from Norway (via Klarälven) so we have a similar experience. I remember making the specific water for the Coffee Tasting and the difference in flavor from our tap water was minimal.
Right now I don't have space for an electric brewer, but I'm definitely thinking of the Wilfa. I like the simplicity and the detachable water tank, and the design is exactly up my alley (I also have the Wilfa Svart Uniform which matches very well). I've never been a huge fan of the look of Moccamaster which is otherwise the standard choice for Swedes who want to spend more money on coffee quality so I like this as an alternative.
I also prefer glass carafes for especially the look but also what James mentioned in the video :P
Technivorm Moccamaster owner going on two years. It's simple, modular in the event of a component failure (have had none). Great customer support and brews consistently good coffee.....no complaints. Thank you James for all the tips and tricks you have taught me through the years. You've made coffee so much more enjoyable for me....thank you.
"I have opinions about giraffes."
-James Hoffman
(Though I could be slightly hard of hearing)
I want the t-shirt!
Just incase this wasn't a joke (you did make me laugh), the actual word was "carafe ".
I think this needs to be a children's cartoon character "The carafe giraffe"
Hahaha best comment I’ve seen in a while … still laughing
90% of the products we EU citizens see on UA-cam aren't available in the EU, so I think it's appropriate that the Americas get to try that feeling every once in a while ;)
Most of us would not buy coffee brewers for Euro 300 anyway.
We do. Car manufacturers offer better options over there that we don’t get in the States. So I know this feeling.
y'all have no idea how latin america is, 9/10 don't exist
You guys can actually buy a Toyota truck with a turbo diesel. I am thoroughly envious. I'll never understand my fellow countrymen's pig headed resistance to small diesel engines.
* laughs in Philippines *
I felt the Ratio carafe pour on a personal level. James cares about spouts as much as I do
Nothing made me smile more than seeing the Moccamaster in this thumbnail which has been the de facto brewer at my parent’s house for over a decade.
me making coffee this morning: "i haven't seen a james hoffmann video in a while. i wonder if he's gonna upload soon"
congrats, you've hardwired yourself into my brain
He's living in your head rent free
@@drthmik he is, and honestly my life is better for it😂😂
I don't care anywhere near this much about coffee but I love watching this guy talk...
I’ve had a Moccamaster for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it! Yes, it’s quite basic but it does brew amazing coffee which is the most important thing. That it also looks beautiful is a plus
Today, these looks are valued. Rather retro, but original from the 60's
(Moccamaster design essentially unchanged since then)
However, at some point in the 80's, these would go unnoticed in any second hand shop
I’ve had the OXO for about 7 years and it’s been awesome. I like that it alerts me when to descale. The auto-start clock is a luxury for those of us who have to get up really early. The carafe keeps the coffee very hot for nearly an hour. I’m glad even though it’s been out for so long that OXO has kept it around as a product without messing with the winning formula.
Have you ever had trouble with too little agitation and under extraction? I've never got it to brew a decently strong cup of coffee. When I look inside the basket towards the end of the brew with a flashlight, the water is clear and sitting on top of the coffee bed, which makes me think its not agitating it enough, and therefore not extracting enough.
@@jelliott1458 that’s interesting - I’ll have to look. But no I’ve found mine to brew a great cup of coffee. I’d try different grind settings. I’ve found quite a difference of taste playing around. Also I use a gold metal filter for a robust cup and smooth cup because it lets through the oils. If you prefer a more acidic or sharp taste then go paper, there’s grades to that to play around with too. Obviously the coffee you use will be a big factor. I get good quality mostly African green beans and roast them in a counter top air roaster.
I had the original 12 cup brewer from OXO. It died unexpectedly. They had quite making them, so OXO sent me a 9 cup as a replacement. I have had the 9 cup for OXO for about 6 years. I have had very good luck with it. No real issues other than build up oils in the carafe that are hard to clean out.
I love that your reviews are so comprehensive and cover all aspects - makes it so much easier when looking for advice on what to choose!
American owner of a Behmor Brazen Plus here, a version 2. I bought it nearly seven years ago; it's still going strong, & gives excellent results. The fact that this, and the others tested by James, are not built down minimum commodity prices, is a factor to consider when weighing initial costs - think about longevity. The cheaper brewers I used to buy lasted three years if I was lucky.
Moccamaster for life. Literally...you'll have it for your children.
Still use a Moccamaster from the early 80's in my cabin and it is as good as new.
Yeah, I’ve only had mine for a few years, but it has already outlasted all of the cheap coffee makers I’ve had in the past.
I agree... unless you forget that you left it on and the heating element somehow burns out.
I think the best feature of my Moccamaster is the one you gave the briefest mention of: the valve on the basket. It does both flow rate for a partial vs. full batch, but best of all it allows one to manually bloom the coffee or do a partial infusion brew with very little added fuss. Just start the batch with the valve closed; when it has dispensed around a hundred ml of water, turn off the power, maybe stir the grounds a bit, then open the valve and turn the power back on. On the one hand it's completely manual, and on the other hand one can make it do some interesting things because it's completely manual.
Except for the ADHD among us. *close valve*...... "Oh I should warm my cup"......"Oh, need to run the dishwasher"....... "Opps, need to get dishwasher pucks from the basement pantry"........ "Jeez, I really need to organize this space"......... *coffee overflowing on the counter, down into the draws and onto the tiles. Dog enjoying your morning brew off the floor.....again*.........😥🤦♂
There are actually two versions of the Moccamaster basket. The one you speak of with the manul 2-setting control, and the one in the video that uses a spring-loaded valve which only closes when you remove the carafe. Yes, you can perform the same "fully closed" option for the bloom stage, but the one in the video does not allow for a "partial batch" option like the one you mentioned.
@@jaminotto8402 Wait, they don't both close off when you pull out the carafe? I think I might be misunderstanding you, apologies.
So glad you included the Ratio in this comparison. I literally just bought it, and because of the cost, I’ve been convincing myself that the issues are in my head. Good to see that others see the issues as well. I bought it because of the look. Still like it, just has its issues.
Frankly i just dodge the crappy spout issue altogether. I use the lid only to retain heat. It’s less effort to take the lid off, pour, and put the lid back on than deal with the lid mechanism.
Other than that, I love the coffee it makes. I also got mine on a pretty large sale. I think it is a bit overpriced.
Did you see Ratio’s response at the top? They’ll replace the lid if you have a defective one.
I gave my 85 year old mom my old Baratza Sete 270W - She is not comfortable weighing coffee but wants good coffee. So today she bought the Wilfa Performance, we are very exited to try it out when it comes.
I think this is the perfect setup for her. Grind by weight and only one button on the brewer.
Isn’t the measurement line inaccurate for the Sage brewer because you don’t have the filter installed in the tank? I believe lines are based on the amount of water that it displaces.
Wait - you might be right, and I'm an idiot!
Interesting quirk
@@jameshoffmann Time to delist the video and issue an official apology. :P
yip, it is even mentioned in the manual
@@jameshoffmann you don't have a Bunn velocity brew in your video, so I'll agree
Thanks for all your thoughtful reviews. I owned the Oxo for about six months, but as a one-mug a day coffee drinker, I sold it once I tasted pour-over. The improvement in all respects was amazing. Then, too, the added benefits included no more clean-up of the machine and the occasional de-scaling, plus it's quicker to make the mug of pour-over!
I bought the Sage Precision as an exam pass reward, discovering the strong setting three months in to ownership was my revelation. It's made my coffee during lockdown while working from home and unable to get to coffee shops.
You know I've struggled to get a good cup of coffee out of my Breville, I'm going to give the strong a go.
@@tommy_lyon The strong setting is all we use!
It's a shame he didn't include any of the Ninja line, they do different sizes, different strengths and a smart method of keeping the carafe warm.
James you are one of my favorite UA-cam personalities and I always thoroughly enjoy your videos. I've learned so much about the coffee making process from you and I've enjoyed every minute.
Technivorn Moccamaster: Twelve years of daily use & going strong! Over the years I've replaced many of the plastic pieces and outlet arm, but it is reliable and consistent in what it does: brew great coffee. The stainless carafe keeps coffee hot for a very long time. I've found the carafe pours much easier and 'better' if one leaves the carafe lid on & loosened the right amount for a smoother, less 'splashy' pour.
I have had a sage/Breville for 12 months and it’s been fantastic for a my daily morning coffee.
Freshly ground in my Breville grinder also!
I grew up listening to my grandparents' Moccamaster. They had that thing for at least 20 years before replacing it with one that fit their new kitchen colour scheme better, so I've always been impressed with the durability of these machines, and I suppose also have a slight bias towards owning them myself.
That being said, the design (internal and external) is tried and true, and spares are readily available should you - against all odds - manage to break something.
I will be getting a V60 or similar soon, but for my everyday needs I'd be hard pressed to not go with a Technivorm. It does what I need, and it does it with no fuss or frippery.
I'm with you on the Moccamaster. Is it your first time getting into pour over, Kim?
The problem (..) with Moccamaster, is that; if they happen to have a xtra button or two on the machine. It's not explained anywhere how it actually works. And the symbols are not explained, and nowhere on earth have they explained it. It is horrible 😅😁 but always works those machines.
@@igottmituns the first time I'm thinking about getting my own at least!
I've been spoiled by a few friends that already have their own setup, so it's making me want my own :)
@@feenyx6394 I prefer the v60 for everyday use. Doesn't take that long to brew, and I do that while I make breakfast.
A machine is much more useful when you have several guests.
@@feenyx6394 Go for it! Enjoy!!
Having purchased more than my fair share of questionable coffee brewers I finally invested in a Moccamaster 5 years ago. It brews consistently great coffee. Due to issues I've had with thermal carafes in the past I opted for a glass carafe version (KBG). Once the coffee is brewed any remainder goes directly into a preheated Stanley thermos which keeps it hot for hours. My only complaint with this brewer is the glass used in the carafe. It's thinner and a little more fragile than others I've used. Otherwise, a great brewer which I expect will last many years.
Very informative video James. Thank you.
I have a Moccamaster. I love how simple it is, how it looks and how consistently it performs. Extra features are nice but what really matters is how easily you can make a good brew. I know exactly how it will perform so I can focus on grind, ratios and roast variation.
James, if you are looking for video ideas, it would be very interesting to see a remake of this video in 2023. Even if the content and machines compared were largely the same. I am in the market for one of these, and always find your reviews particularly helpful!
Agree. And would like a weigh in on toxic chemicals released when plastic makes contact with hot liquid.
Not a lot has really changed in the last few years.
If you want temperature control, you’re all two options are still the Breville (Sage) and the Behmor.
I just bought the Behmor, myself.
Would likely be a waste since it's about the same.
I would like to say that for me repairability is also a huge deal, and for the Moccamaster you can get nearly all parts to repair yours. My grandma still has one that is making coffee for over 40 years.. renewed the water tank and some smaller bits and bobs but other than that no issues. I feel that a Moccamaster is a brewer for life, where a sage product……. I have almost never seen aftermarket parts for one of those.. would be interesting to see parts for the other ones as well. Cheers
As a moccamaster owner (glass carafe), i can also say that the warranty is outstanding and service in North America is great. I had one of the rocker switches break for setting the warmer, and they replaced it free of charge with no drama. Also the filters you use - and this maybe true for most of them, will definitely impact the taste of your coffee. Simple to clean and simple to own.
I bought the Breville about a year ago and have been very happy with the coffee and attention to details. One of the important things to me was a brewere that could correctly brew a smaller amount of coffee.
How much did it cost?
One thing that's hard to evaluate in a brief test is long-term reliability. With both my Technivorm and my Zojirushi rice maker, I felt like a complete sap at the for buying a $300+ countertop appliance. But as of now, I have owned and used and loved them both for about two decades, and the cost of the appliance per cup of coffee or serving of rice is almost nothing. So a reliable product without a lot of dials or knobs or extra features that will last you for years and years ends up being a great investment, both financially and emotionally.
Let's face it, lazily watching James Hoffman Saturday morning uploads with a cup of coffee just fills the habit gap for a generation of millennials too sophisticated for cereal and cartoons any more.
You think millennials are his audience,?
@@jorismak the majority of people I know who watch his videos are. But that might just be because I am one too
I know I may not be a millenial, but I object to the idea that I'm too sophisticated for anything, let alone cereal.
I, for one, feel completely (and accurately) called out by this comment hahaha.
@@seanthebluesheep Hear Hear!!
I have two Moccamasters with the glass carafe. One is relatively new (at work and a cheerful funky colour to cheer us all up) and the other ancient, inherited from my Dad, so probably 1970s. The newer one had a different sprayhead and clearly wetted the grounds more effectively, so I replaced that on the older version. Much better and such an easy fix. Can't see any of the others still being upgradable 50 years later...
I have and love my Technivorm, and because it is so simple, it can be run off of an electric timer. I grind and set everything up the night before, flip the switch on, and the timer starts it the next morning. Just like the Barisieur, but quite a bit cheaper.
I was literally just about to start googling if this is possible, thank you so much! Thinking of doing the same with a wireless plug from my home automation system.
Very glad to hear this btw, as I'm at the cynical point of automation that everything built to be "smart/connected" usually just means "overpriced and inferior to a regular, proven model" ;)
@@Fiendir as long as the switch is rated for the total wattage, it should work fine. I'll probably upgrade to a smart switch soon, I just had a timer lying around, and used that a proof of concept.
I have had the Behmor for 6 years now. I love the temp control, the initial pre-spray is also nice. It makes nice coffee.
I actually like the design
I think it's also important to consider how well built the machines are. I think the majority of people who owned a MM can say they're pretty well built and have a reputation of lasting years. My machine came with a 10 year warranty as well!
Years? Generations.
Thanks for the great review James. I'm another Technivorm user. We've had the latest glass carafe variant for about 6 months (pours great). Makes really great coffee and Technivorm claim some secret sauce with the hotplate inasmuch as it supposed to be independently temp controlled. I don't really know since we consume the entire 1.25L probably within 10 minutes. Each of our coffee mugs is a bit over 0.25L. A big plus for us is that it comes with a 5 year warranty and all the parts are available. In many respects the Mocchamaster is the only product Technivorm produces and so they are laser focused on making the best it can be. I paired it with a Eureka Mignon Filtro grinder in which I grind 75G of beans immediately before brewing. I am sure there are more expensive and better grinders but at $200 it felt like the best price performance for the Mocchamaster as far as I was concerned. The Mocchamaster is hopefully the last brewer I will ever buy. My family is very happy with my recommendations and it's simple enough to use that the less tech savvy members are not intimidated by the brewer and grinder. Would definitely buy again.
Agree. Just got the Select for our home paired with a Baratza Virtuoso +.
My wife, Stepdaughter and granddaughter now love the morning and after dinner coffee ritual.
Have the little Pearl scale for measuring.
Thanks to James and the comments here.
Please do a more in-depth video on the Moccamaster! I've been to many prestigious coffee shops over the years but somehow the best three coffees I've had (yes they were that memorable!) have been brewed in a Moccamaster. There's no doubt in my mind that it's the machine I want for the rest of my life but I'd love to have more information about it, such as how people brew such incredible coffee in it consistently. Thanks James!
The Moccamaster is so simple in terms of features and usage that it's pretty impossible to brew bad coffee in it. I have the version with glass carafe rather than the thermal jug but it works exactly the same. You can make a slight improvement to the way it brews by letting it start to brew with the carafe removed so that the machine almost fills the brew basket, use a teaspoon to agitate/move around the coffee bed in the filter a couple of times and then quickly slide the carafe into place. As the machine finishes pumping water near the end I'll then agitate the coffee again while the basket still has water, just to get the maximum extraction and ensure no spots of dry coffee. Doing this works great but then again if that's too much faff, just leave the machine to do what it does and you'll still get great coffee from it.
I've had the Sage/Breville for a bit over a year and love the consistency of its brews, the adjustments available for different profiles, and the price I got it for ($30 second hand, like new). It does extract a bit light for the grind but after using it for awhile I have come to love it. It also just looks nice and being able to set it up to make coffee in the morning for when I wake up in exactly the way I want is great.
I would love some more elaborate Moccamaster techniques! Having grown up with it, and currently having one, I think its lack of features is its strongest feature. The current technique I use with it (glass caraffe) is as follows for 30g coffee to 5dl (500g) of water:
Leave the heat shield off, and close the flow restrictor. Turn it on and wait for the two first squirts of water, then immediately turn it off. Enough water for the bloom will eventually come through after turning it off. Use a spoon to muddle around the grounds making sure everything is evenly soaked, and then leave it for 23 seconds before turning it back on again. This will give a bloom-time of 30 seconds as it takes 7 seconds before the flow resumes (for my machine at least). Just as the water in the filter-holder reaches the top of the grounds, I open up the flow restrictor. When the water in the tank reaches the 1/4 mark (halfway) I give it one forward and one backward stir with the spoon, giving it a more or less flat bed when the brewing is done (I think this is from a video on this channel). When the water is done going through, I turn off the machine, wait for single drops to come out of the filter holder, and then discard the used grounds. Doing this, I (in my opinion) get a vastly better result than just straight pouring some water and grounds into the machine and turn it on.
I do not get equally good results with 1l (1000g) of water and 60g of coffee with this procedure though. I haven't analyzed this to the Hoffmann level, so I have no idea why it works for 5dl and not for 1l. Could it perhaps be the heat shield and amount of water, ground size or something like that?
I measured the first water coming out of the machine is about 70 C. I do almost identical technique, but run 250ml of water through into the empty basket to rinse the paper and warm the machine!
@@MidnightSwamiNZ I've only rinsed the filter papers, but will try warming it as well next round!
Wonderful. Sadly, this is why I elect to remain with manual brewing. For so much money, you'd expect the brewer to at least match my useless technique. Lol. Alas, I brew significantly better coffee manually.
Grind size may be an issue for the larger brew for you. That sounds about right.
@@freezingsunbreaka I feel the same way.. It seems like an awful lot of work to do with an expensive brewer. Why not just use an V60 then?
@@freezingsunbreaka It sounds like a lot, but in practice it isn't really that much more involved than just turning it on. For me the improvement vs letting it do its thing alone is worth it. It is more consistent and a lot less messy, fiddly and attention-consuming than using an aeropress, especially when making more than one cup.
Thank you for reviewing the Oxo. You literally read my mind and released this one day after I asked for it in the comments to your Sage Precision Brewer review. Bravo. We've had the Oxo for four years and have been very happy with it. We descale it when it tells us to (every 90 brews) and we have never had a single issue or failure over that period of time (other than having the dump the retained coffee in the carafe every time).
Have you ever had trouble with too little agitation and under extraction? I've never got it to brew a decently strong cup of coffee. When I look inside the basket towards the end of the brew with a flashlight, the water is clear and sitting on top of the coffee bed, which makes me think its not agitating it enough, and therefore not extracting enough.
@@jelliott1458 I haven’t experienced that. I’d check to make sure your shower head is properly connected and perhaps adjust your grind.
So the issue I have, which I kind of figured was a defect in mine but I never got around to contacting OXO about it - when you take the carafe out it's supposed to seal the basket so it doesn't drip. Well, mine drips. I think it's a seal issue, because if I just put water in it in the sink, and the bottom spring valve thing is fully extended/not pressed, it still drips a bit. So unless I wait a while after the coffee's finished brewing and the basket is dry to pour coffee, I get coffee dripping onto the heating pad where the carafe goes.
I also have the same issue with a bit of coffee retained, which I agree is annoying. Sometimes when I'm making sure to actually pour all of it, I'll just unscrew the top and pour, which will get that last bit out.
I've had a Moccamaster since 2017, and I've loved the coffee from it. I think it's consistent and easy to use in the morning (I'm not a morning person so fiddling around just makes me crossed and annoyed). The single issue I have with it is that I feel that it brews sort of like a cheap coffeemaker. It pours the water on the coffee quite aggressively leaving a worryingly big crater if you just let it brew on its own. But it is quite easy to manually adjust the quality of the brew by using the drip control and let it bloom whilst you give it a little swirl with a spoon and after the last coffee has reached the cone just like a V60 give it a little swirl. Still, the water spout placement makes it a bit awkward to do those manual bits. But the quality of the coffee after simply turning it on is still very good. It's just that the crater it can leave worries me that there might be some dry pockets of coffee left in the filter.
I do something very similar with mine. I do about 32 grams of coffee for 500ml. I manually adjust the filter closed and move the little handle so I get all the grounds wet as it fills. When it’s full I agitate the the grounds a little and let it empty at half speed. The coffee turns out delicious every time.
Exactly what you said, and to solve the problem with too "cold" water at first just make an empty brew with some water. So you can pre rinse your filter and the unkown aged water in the machine is gone, too. In the meantime I weigh and grind my beans.
I don’t get the crater. It could be grind size. Using a Wilfa Svart, I grind between the last two dots of the word ‘Filter’. I just put the lid on and walk away: no swirls, no stirring. The bet is always pancake flat, and coffee consistently extracted.
@@Slash_de I used to run an empty brew to warm everything up while I was grinding. I decided to stop after the second time my caffeine starved brain forgot to empty out the hot water and I ended up with about a liter of coffee on my counter.
@@parallelcircuit Me too, once!
I love the idea that if you’re constrained as to budget you buy a $200 coffee brewer. I have a Zojirushi Zutto that costs $75. It makes very good coffee.
People insulated from the masses forget the baseline of poverty in which they operate.
If constrained by budget, get a $10 v60..! Or the "fancy" Hario Switch for $30
Quibble: that I can "de-bloom" my coffee so easily in my MM is a treat. No need to interrupt the brewing - just lift the lid and stir!
I love my Technivorm. It is bulletproof. Simple design, minimal moving parts, quality construction. Rare case these days of spending for and getting real quality. Only issue I ever had was my fault, I tried to unscrew the water tank to clean it, and when I realized I couldn't and put it back together, discovered it was leaking. Technivorm has affordable repairs though so it was easy to get it fixed.
This is exactly what I needed to see after the alarm clock video
Love these videos so much! Recently moved country and couldn't bring anything with us but turning it into a dream experience where we get to start from scratch and make the right choices in our setup. The level of detail in your reviews is second to none!
Fun Fact the Technivorm Mocca Master is the Most Popular Coffe maker here, like no contest. Grandpa has had the same one for 30 years, and it still working as new.
Cool😊
Thank you for lettiing me know I made a decent choice in the Moccamaster. Great review!
I have had the same moccamaster for about 6-7 years now and love it. I really enjoy the simplicity of the device because my experience is that when you add all the controls and PCBs etc the more disposable they start to become. I do have a Breville(Sage) smart grinder that was a purchase to help my wife out because she won’t take the time to weigh out doses. I dial in the coffee when we first open the bag and then we are good to go. I will definitely say though that getting the grind right makes a Huge difference.
got my moccamaster for 60€ on ebay. it was broken but it still had warranty (5 years!) so technivorm repaired it within 2 days even though I didn't even have a receipt for it. Great service and great machine
I have a Ratio Six brewer and absolutely love it. As noted in your pinned comment, they're replacing the defective lids for free, and I've had no real problems with the new lid (but definitely noticed the problems you described in the old lid). I've also had the heat shield issue with it flicking water, which I've never loved. Other than that, though, I don't find it overly fiddly, and the coffee itself is just fantastic. We used it to replace our Chemex and have not regretted it yet, 16 months later.
One note on the tank capacity: they do give a table with recommended grams of coffee for each cup amount, and when using those numbers, we have yet to go wrong. (the recommended numbers also don't go in a linear line--2 cups is 35g, 4 cups is 40g, 6 cups is 53g, and 8 cups is 70g--so I wonder if there's some math there dealing with the automated bloom.)
I have this too. It makes great coffee, I don't care that it flicks hot water at me or that it is like building blocks. The coffee is excellent. I never use my french press anymore.
My dads birthday is coming up and i was planning on getting him a nice coffeemaker to replace his $19 mr coffee. Im so glad you made this video as im currently looking at machines. Im leaning towards moccamaster.
a good scale and a moccamaster along with a note saying how many grams of coffee he should put in for each line. this is what i did for my parents and they love the coffee they get out of the machine and how easy it is.
you need to consider when people aren't interesting in coffee it should just work as such in this range of tests only the wilfa or the moccamaster is a choice.
James, you mentioned at some point you made make a video dedicated to Moccamaster hacks. Would love to see what you come up with. When I'm not in the mood for Chemex, I tend to have my own morning Moccamaster ritual around letting the grinds bloom for a set period of time before letting water run through, but really want your take on the ideal brew with this fun brewer.
Forgive me if you've covered this but, I'd love to see a video of a comparison between a basic standard coffee pot to a higher-end coffee maker.
I'm a huge fan of your videos and appreciate how detailed and honest you are. Quite frankly, when the dust settles after receiving a new shiny thing, I am interested in the particulars of what's going to annoy me, how well it pours, etc.
James: uploads a 30 minute video
Me: Christmas has come early!!!
One reason I like the the Technivorm is that I can put any number of pour-over devices on the glass carafe. There's also a model that has two cycles for different batch sizes.
Great video as always James!
I recently bought a Moccamaster primarily for its simplicity and looks + also good long term customer support from the company in the Netherlands.
Also wanted something that could work with a smart plug as I don’t want to faff with clocks/timers and have the coffee brewed at the same time every day.
I set my Moccamaster up at night. When I get up in the morning, I hit a button on my phone or tell the nearest smart speaker to start the coffee and by the time I’m downstairs I’ve got a batch ready to go.
I've been using a Technivorm since the 1990s. Still using it. Never less than a delightful cup of coffee with no razzamatazz. Nothing to go wrong. Very simple. Hand built and it shows.
I have the Ratio 6 and I LOVE IT! Although I completely agree with all of the issues it has. You end up figuring out how to pour with the carafe without spilling and how to clean it out. I also agree that all the parts can be annoying. But I don’t mind because the coffee is amazing and I love the simplicity of only having to press the button.
Agree 110% the end coffee is worth it.
I just bought a moccamaster, very grateful for your review! For me, when it comes to home coffee brewers, I gravitate toward quality of extraction and design.
I’ve had the moccamaster for a month, it’s amazing!!
A different opinion is exactly what we need from you, James. I would never buy a expensive coffee brewer no matter how good the coffee it can brew if it can't even have the lid fixed.
Thank you so much for your detail inputs.
I've owned the Sage/Breville for 4 years now. The the conical brewer has indeed required both a finer-than-usual grind and also to note, it needs some bed pre-brew manipulation; I have to create a little plateau of grounds around the center of the basket. Otherwise, I get an under extracted cup and an uneven wet bed.
Also the glass carafe is much better at pours and retention than the metal but a) it's a glass carafe b) the hot plate will cook the coffee and c) did I mention it's a glass carafe?
To note, I believe it's the only brewer on this lineup that can brew a pour over like the Hario V60. Which, takes tweaking in it's own way - I won't take us down that rabbit hole because at the end of the day, if I want a V60 - I will brew it. If i want a decent cup of coffee at 6am and am too tired to make it, autostart with a prewet filter (cold water) w grounds from last night (it's our secret, James) and off to the races we go.
For me the Sage/Breville takes it with the features, their stainless steel look and the overall quality of the thing. Excellent review, James!
I really love my Breville (with the glass carafe). I just end up grinding a little more finely and extend the bloom over the preset setting and seem to be getting consistently sweet and balanced cups of coffee. My biggest complaint with my brewer is the black coating on the hot plate began rubbing off almost immediately. I think the hot plate runs too hot. It would be great if that could be controlled as well or set to a specific temp to maintain, like my kettle. Ultimately though, I really love the brewer and would immediately buy it again if something were to happen to it.
I have also struggled with the coffee bed and also attempt to compensate with a the coffe topping in the middle. It seems to work best for ligther roasts, whereas medium-dark roasts are more easily scattered by the stream of water.
I am trying to get the bed flatter on the sage, I found I needed to reduce the amount of coffee and volume of water 55g/L vs usual 60g/L to reduce strength.
I was also trying 750ml of water, but the bloom function in gold does not seem to bloom above a certain volume of water, not figured out where the limit is yet.
Brewing 55g/L at 500ml today was an improvement today, now trying to get grind size right.
It is fun playing, but taking a fair bit more time to dial in than V60 or Aeropress.
@@martin_miller today I made a slight cone, set bloom to 35 seconds, on the slow setting, with the brew at 198 degrees and it made a really sweet and well extracted cup with medium roast beans from costa rica.
bed ended up quite flat as well.
I have had the OXO brewer for some 4 years and find it makes great coffee consistently. My brewer started to malfunction and after contacting OXO, they agreed to replace the brewer with the identical new one free of charge as long as I returned the defective unit ( that did cost $ 60 though ) but I now have the new brewer and am a 'happy camper' .
Solid customer service.
I purchased the Sage after seeing your video of it. I found a way to increase extraction and evenness which I use pretty often. It requires being near the brewer but in larger batch brews I move the basket around a bit by moving the handle back and forth (or side to side, whatever). My goal was to approximate the V60 swirl.
I do this when I guess that the bed is saturated and once more just after it finishes pumping the last of water into the cone/basket. I even engage in the same “flat bed” V60-like challenge. Coffee does tend to be more to my liking when I manage to achieve a flat bed. I’ve always imagined it was improving the consistency of the extraction.
I wish there was an easy way to mod the top such that I could stir the slurry during brewing.
My parents asked me to pick out a new coffee maker because I’m the “weird coffee person” in the family and their Walmart coffee maker kept overflowing the brew basket for 10 or more cups.
I let my mom pick between the Oxo and Cuisinart Perfectemp and she decided on the Oxo. We’ve used it 8 times already. So far we’ve used preground Don Francisco, preground Folgers, and Stumptown Hairbender that I ground in a Virtuoso.
So far it’s awesome and they love it. They love the auto-on, and I loved the taste/extraction we got out of all three coffees we’ve brewed. Yes, even the Folgers tasted good when brewed in there.
I would highly recommend the Oxo to anyone who’s considering it.
Moccamaster with the glass carafe is what got me into truly enjoying coffee. Super simple and a great cup every time. That's all I ask for. However a detachable water reservoir would put it over the top.
My brother got me a Ratio for Christmas a couple months ago, and I love it. It brews really well. I wasn't initially sold on having a countertop brewer because counter space is at a premium in my apartment, but it makes making coffee an easy part of my morning routine, rather than the French press or cone I was using before (It also helps that receiving a gift of a massively expensive coffee machine compelled me to figure out a way of disposing of the coffee grounds). But I cannot get over how bad the carafe is. It's been redesigned since this video, or maybe it's a US/Euro difference, but you have to tip it so far over to get it to pour, and it retains so much coffee at the end. Because I'd been using a French press, I initially thought that maybe that was a way to catch dregs, but there are no dregs. Also, it's very heavy, which is a good thing for heat retention, of course, but makes me frequently misjudge how much coffee I have left. And, as James said, the fact that the graduations aren't accurate is not helping things.
I do think you should have considered something from the Bonavita line of brewers - they were kind of overshadowed by the kettles but I think they’re contenders with this lineup at decent price points and features (bloom timing, brew scheduling and one-touch options, etc.).
My brewer has two sets of markings on the glass carafe. One for water level for filling and one for coffee. They match exactly on the first several brews I have done. The standard setting is kind of an "average" extraction, but it does a very even spray from the shower head over the coffee. With the "strength" feature engaged, I get a very high extraction. Close to max in my opinion. Being that this pot costs a third of the price of my last one which was very basic (Brew on button, stopper to take a cup during the brew without spilling, and a program brewing function), has more features (reusable mesh filter, Strength adjustment, stopped to allow me to take a cup in the middle of the brew, really quick climb to the max water temperature, better water distribution, and higher extraction) than the old one did and gives me better tasting full flavored coffee. I'm quite pleased and lucky to have stumbled across this sale on a "budget" machine at the local Business Costco store. Things I do to make it a little better also are...I use paper filters instead of the mesh one, slightly dampen the filter beforehand, and I also don't put the carafe under right away when it first starts to let the coffee bloom a bit extra.
Just saying all of this to tell others that you can get a very good brew from budget coffee makers. Make sure to do your research before buying. Also helps if you purchase from a store that has a really good return policy. Places like Costco in the US will take it back no questions asked for any number of reasons, including if I didn't like the quality of brew.
We have an OXO Brew 9-Cup machine and have been using it daily for over three years with no issues. My son and I find that it makes a wonderful cup. It is a no fuss machine, just pick the amount of water you need to use and hit start. We use the Melitta #4 bamboo filters and then put the filter and grounds in our compost. Recently we got a Baratza Encore grinder and that upped our game a lot. The first beans that I bought was a can of Illy Classico and it made our best brew to date. We have a lot of roasters nearby so we have a huge variety of coffees to choose from. We even have a Yemini coffee shop near us who is an importer from Yemin.
OXO has great customer service BTW. I dropped the carafe and it no longer had an insulating vacuum. I looked on the OXO website but could not see how to buy a replacement. Contacted OXO and asked how I could buy a replacement and they told me to send a copy of my receipt and the serial number and they would send me a replacement for free which they then did.
For me, the best home coffee making machine is a Zojirushi CV-DCC40 water boiler set to 208 degrees, and a plastic Melitta pour over that sits on top of a mug. It's convenient, easy to clean, low waste, makes a solidly decent cup of coffee and takes only marginally more effort than a drip brewer. It's also scalable; if I want to make coffee for guests, I have a carafe pour over that I use instead.
The machines you're showing here are beautiful, but I personally don't like having too many single use machines in my kitchen. The water boiler can also be used for tea, soup, getting hot water for poached eggs, pasta, etc. The pour overs can go in the cabinet when not in use.
I have had the technivorm moccamaster you have in the video for a while like the one shown and love it. So simple to use and produces a great cup. I put my yeti cup under the spout for a smaller dose and never use the carafe.
I have a Technivorm Mochamster and before the video even starts I'm saying it is the best and worth the price as it is an exceptional value. Great coffee every time for over a decade!
I think your evaluation of the Ratio Six is on point. I just got mine less than a week ago, and I noticed the exact same issues. I too find those massively frustrating. It can't be that hard, I think they just stopped thinking knowing they'd get their money. I am loving the machine but truly hating the company right now. I'm hoping they catch on and make these ridiculously easy improvements asap.
I have a MoccaMaster with the glass carafe. After about 20 months I still love it. My brother had one and highly recommended it as did Americas Test Kitchen. I like that it is repairable and after reading some of the comments it sounds like they have great customer service to boot! 🤠
I use a Cuisinart (and the shirt with the alligator on LOL) 14 cup clinkotwinkulator here at home. It was $80 plus tax at Costco, and to my amateur palate it makes a damn fine pot of coffee on the high temperature setting! (it has 3 temperature settings; low, medium, and high)
Mocamaster all the way. I’ve had mine for a few years now. Use it everyday and it’s easy to manipulate the coffee to your taste. The design just works - easy to use, easy to clean and looks nice on the counter top.
I bought the Sage/Breville >1 year ago after watching your review of it. It has been exactly what James says. Super consistent brew and makes most coffee taste better. One annoying thing, however, in the lid design. It has a tendency to trap coffee/water. You have to really shake it out. I used to use a Bunn maker, so everything seems slow after that, but it has been a favorite. I’m glad you reviewed the the Behmor. I roast coffee using John Behmor’s roaster and have been curious about his brewer.
I’ve owned my Behmor for 6 plus years, and it’s still working as expected. It was fondly nicknamed “Gort” (after the Robot in “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”)
My only caveat is the carafe not retaining heat very well. The solution if brewing a full pot is dumping the coffee in my trusty Nissan.
I just bought a Behmor to replace the BUNN I’ve had for nine years because the BUNN did not get hot enough to properly extract the lightly roasted coffee that I have come to really like lately.
MADE MY FIRST POT WITH IT THIS MORNING, AND IT WAS DELICIOUS! AS SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO DIVE INTO TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THINGS, I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW THE MACHINE OPERATES. And the accuracy of the temperature control.
No idea why that sentence above was in. Stupid voice to text.
Ease of cleaning the reservoir and other components would be a welcomed addition to the review.
I've had the behmor brazen for about 6yrs now and have been happy with it. I think we paid $120 US for it. I mostly make French press lately, but the behmor is very good, and it is SCAA certified, which is why I bought it originally. Maybe that's not a big deal, but it helped me find something that actually brewed properly, with bloom, temperature, and time being kept in mind as a main function. Overall I'm happy with it but I haven't used it as a main brewer for a while.