I have wanted a Moccamaster for ten years. However, the price and the size put me off until recently. I’ve gone through 3 Bonavita coffee makers in the past 9 years. Bonavita coffee makers work great until they don’t and the warranty and customer service are terrible. I was ready to try something new, something that would last. So I decided to finally get a Moccamaster after finding out they have a smaller model, the KBTS. It’s about the same size as the Bonavita but is a quality build and has a 5-year warranty. The Moccamasters are handmade in the Netherlands. They are meant to be the coffee maker you keep for a lifetime. If it breaks after the warranty, you can send it in for repairs to their US location in Portland, Oregon, for $59. They sell all of the parts on their website. I love a company that stands behind its products and repairs them instead of sending them to a landfill. So how does it brew? It makes delicious coffee. However, this coffee maker may not be for everyone. If you love great coffee and are willing to spend a bit of time dialing it in, you will love it. Think of it like an automatic pour-over. The Moccamaster coffee makers are known for being able to get the water hot enough (196-205ºF) to properly brew coffee. They are SCA certified meaning they meet stringent qualifications based on proper water temperature, brewing time, and ability to brew within the SCA Golden Cup recommendations. The Moccamaster works best with a medium-coarse grind, something similar to what you would use with a Chemex. If you have a burr grinder, you may need to adjust your settings. If you get your coffee ground for you, ask for a pour-over grind instead of one for drip coffee. If you buy pre-ground coffee, it will likely not work as well. If you are spending the money on this fine appliance, it’s worth getting good coffee beans and a burr grinder. The first pot we brewed was a little weak. We like a stronger ratio than what is recommended. They recommend 1:16, we like 1:15. The second pot was a little bitter. We were still using the grind setting for the Bonavita which was finer. We have a Baratza Encore coffee grinder, so we set it to 19 instead of 17. When we made it slightly more coarse, it was perfect! You may have to play with this a few times until you get exactly what you want. (By the way, the Baratza grinders are also well made and meant to be repaired instead of thrown out. Another quality company!) The stainless steel carafe has a pour-through lid. This helps the coffee stay hot but allows you to pour the coffee without removing the lid. It also comes with a second travel lid that you can use if you want it to stay hot past one hour or are taking it with you. Even though the carafe does not have a specific pour spout, that hasn’t been an issue. It pours evenly without a drop spilled. The opening to the carafe is small, so you will need a bottle brush to properly clean it. None of the pieces are dishwasher safe, so you will need to hand wash everything. As I mentioned, this is not for everyone. However, if you are a coffee enthusiast who wants something straightforward and well-made, the Moccamaster may be your next and best purchase. I am glad that there are companies out there still making quality products that they stand behind. It’s rare. You get what you pay for. There’s a great video on YouTube showing a tour of the factory. If you want to see how they’re made and by whom, you’ll see why they are worth the price. I figure I’ve spent almost $600 on 3 different Bonavita coffee makers that break after a few years or a few weeks, like my last one. Spending $300 on something that will last and is repairable is a bargain.
