Customer Reviews

Technivorm KBT-741 Moccamaster polished graphite Coffee Maker 1.25-L.

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just got this and must say it does the job ( hence the 5 of 5) of delivering the hot water to the coffee and brewing very good coffee, but it has quirks I'm not appreciating in my morning coffee brewing routine. First after its finished brewing there is still 1/2 cup of water in the "plumbing" which requires you to tip the pot over and empty very hot water out, other wise you'll be starting with stale water and perhaps accelerating the scaling,
second the foot plate does not "lock in" as they say so when you lift the pot to move it( or empty it) it does fall off ,
third to my dismay the thermal jug will require a brush to keep clean as the mouth is too narrow to get your hand in there to scrub( this is also a VERY BIG problem with my Capresso thermal),
fourth since the top of the thermal jug does not fitback in under the coffee basket when its on the jug I'm tryig to figure out where to keep everything so not to use up extra counter space nor lose the top
Fifth as I slide it around on the counter top( out to be used and back in when not) the feet are leaving some marks ( which come up with cleaning) on the granite countertop.
and last it seems for few dollars more they could have included a circuit to turn it self off when its done brewing, rather than leaving it to the early morning harried coffee drinker to remember to switch it off. So yes very good coffee, but the quirks are on par with the ones you deal with with a french press ( which is much cheaper)

I've been using this coffee maker since my Cuisinart Grind and Brew disappointed me for the last time. They sell this coffee maker at the local coffee shop here in Chicago, Intelligentsia... great coffee BTW. It was the only coffee maker they sold, and the one of the best recommended by Coffee Geek [...]. I've been very happy with the consistently good coffee that this machine produces. The carafe keeps the coffee warm for about eight hours, it brews fast, and is quiet. I think it happens to be beautiful to look at as well. It's about as simple as they come, no bells and whistles here... just for purists. Technivorm also has very good customer service, which is nice for a company to offer these days. I would buy it again, hands down.

For nearly 300 bucks, you'd think they'd fix the weird design issue this has and that others document here in reviews. However, I love the coffee so much, I can't even bring myself to take a star away in the rating:

I'm not a coffee expert or critic or anything. I just love a good, non-bitter, fragrant cup with interesting flavors. I spent a lot of money buying gourmet "freshly-roasted" coffees over the years and finding they all tasted pretty ordinary. Well, duh. I had an ordinary coffeemaker all those years (Mr. Coffees, Melitta, etc).

For my birthday last year, I invested in a good set-up--this Technivorm, a burr grinder, a filtered-water pitcher, and good beans from George Howell. And now, I'm in coffee heaven. FOR THE FIRST TIME I can taste those subtleties you read about in coffee reviews by the cognoscenti--which I am not one!--the caramel, chocolate or floral notes, etc. Yep. I taste them now! I had no idea coffee could be this good. Now, when I go out with hubby, I often skip a restaurant's java--even a bistro's fancy schmancy ones--cause my coffee at home is tastier and crazy-fresh. :D

I would have howled if you'd told me to spend nearly 300 bucks on a coffeemaker a couple years ago when I had given up on regular brewers and gone over to pod coffee for convenience (Flavia). But I'm glad I spent the moolah. I so look forward to that very first cup, and the other cups of my day. Yum.

Love this machine! Even if it's kinda homely and a space-hog on my counter. Even if the bottom plate is not even ATTACHED and easily comes off when moved, even if the lid component seems cheap. Even if the carafe doesn't fit in it's slot with the screw-on lid in place. The coffee is just so good, though......

(Note: You may want to search online for a better deal. I've seen it for less than this, though not much less, granted, and still with free shipping.)

The KBT-741 is the ORIGINAL model and has a serious design flaw. The crafe does NOT fit into (under the conical filter holder)the unit when the screw on cap is in place! It will only fit if the cap is not present as when you are brewing coffee. That means you cannot store the carafe as pictured in all the ads. You must place the carafe some place elsewhere and waste space. This is incredibly poor design. You can instead order the NEW updated model which is the Technivorm Thermo Moccamaster CDT. It is 1/2" taller and accepts placement of the carafe under the filter holder. As for the machine itself, it is an expensive unit, consisting of many plastic parts. It is totally manual and must be switched off at completion of brewing. What they call a cup is really a European cup of only about 5 oz. and not the U.S. 8 oz. volume. However, it really does brew absolutely superb coffee. It far exceeds the cup of coffee my old Capresso 455 produced. Most importantly, the Technivorm brews at the correct 205 F. temperature and delivers a really hot DEEElicious cup of coffee. Recommended.

Well does it make great coffee?,Yes it does.The problem is the carafe.If I grind my beans,and brew a pot.And remove the carafe as soon as its finished .
The coffee cools downs with in 20 minutes.To the point its too cold for me to drink. I am trying to locate a carafe that will maintain a better temp.
The one included is stainless steel.I think one thats glass lined might work better.This coffee maker was a Cristmas gift from my wife.If I had a choice in the model she bought.It would not be a model that uses a carafe to hold the brewed coffee.
Update!!! Found a Carafe from crate and barrel ([...]) thats glassed lined.And it works great.While it only holds 9 cups.I will sacrifice one cup.I brewed a pot at 4:30 pm and poured my first cup at 8pm and the cup was still very hot.It looks better than the carafe supplied.And it actually works.Still not happy though.The new carafe was $30.I think at around $250 the original carafe should have worked.

If you are considering dropping $300 on a coffee maker then I would hope that you have already done the research on this one so I will keep this brief. If you are a coffee fanatic and have the dough, this is the machine to get. The taste is as close to pourover as you can get but without the hassle and babysitting time required. Very consistent results and built solidly. Any little quirks are far outweighed by the performance. This is a machine for a fanatic so don't expect it to make junk coffee taste good - it will taste worse. BUT.... if you have some great beans they will produce an outstanding cup.

Highly recommended.

I was very frustrated that I never made good coffee. I would find myself leaving home if I wanted a truly great tasting cup of coffee....so I started researching the internet to find out what I was doing wrong. Then I saw the video of this coffee maker by Cooks Illustrated and decided to try it out. It is all that they said it was - for the first time ever I can brew coffee that tastes delicious. I could not be happier with this product.

We have used the Moccamaster KBT 741 for about 2 1/2 months and are very pleased with the coffee produced by the machine. There have been several mentions of the, "design flaw", i.e the carafe doesn't fit under the filter assembly when the screw on lid is in place. This is a decision that I believe Techivorm made to prevent the initiation of coffee making with the screw on lid in place. The same logic is apparent when you brew a carafe with the filter switch set to the closed position (which we have done several times). The plastic filter housing is just large enough to hold the hot brewed coffee without having it spill onto your countertop. As a designer I could envision a carafe lid that would be opened automatically when the carafe is in place for brewing. But such a lid would be hinged or spring loaded and could break with extended use. The choices made are very utilitarian and basic, but they work and become part of the user experience. The benefit is a great cup of coffee produced with fantastic speed.

In combination with a quality burr grinder (I use Kitchenaid), this makes the finest coffee I've had, day in and day out. I haven't experienced the quirks others have mentioned. I love how easy it is to clean. I had gotten to the point where I barely cared whether I was buying Sumatra or Columbian or whatever because it all tasted like coffee. For the first time, I'm appreciating the subtle differences between various blends. Worth every penny.

We are big coffee connoisseurs and have been testing and researching coffee makers for many years. We found this one and had to try it out. WE Love IT! We get perfectly brewed coffee every time at the perfect temperature. Worth the money!