Customer Reviews

Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer With Thermo Carafe - Technivorm 9587

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I love coffee. For the past year, I've been immersed in the technical and chemical artistry (and it truly is) of home roasting my own coffee and perfecting the brewing process to take advantage of total control and total freshness. Up to now, I've made my single cups using a thermostatically controlled water kettle and a cone drip device which allows me to control the "steep" time of the water at the proper temperature. But what to do when guests come over?

The overwhelming consensus is that the TechniVorm (TV) is the Rolls Royce of batch coffee makers. I got one as a gift and I agree.

We all know that cheap coffee makers cannot supply brewing temperature water at the desired 203F. My Mr. Coffee, for example, was 169F at the brewhead. More on this in a minute.

The coffee maker comes assembled and requires only that the brewhead wand, filter basket and covers be installed. The water chamber is clear plastic with cup level markings on the side. I have not measured the "cup" volumes yet but I suspect they are consistent with a 6 oz. cup size. The coffee measure with the TV is said to make two cups per scoop, which is fairly accurate as a starting point. The filter basket, basket cover and water chamber cover are black plastic. The brewhead wand is stainless steel.

The TV is simple enough to use. Placing the filter basket on a plastic support is a no-brainer except that it helps to notice that the handle should go in front facing you, not to either side. This is because the basket is wedge shaped at the bottom to accommodate the #4 cone filters used, and the brewhead wand is designed to distribute water along the length of the bottom wedge. There are nine holes in the brewhead which distribute water effectively onto the coffee.

Taking a closer look at the TV, it is obvious that one of the reasons it achieves the proper high brewing temperature is that the siphon from the heating chamber passes through an outer plastic tube which effectively insulates the heated water from the cold unheated water in the water chamber. This is the main design flaw with cheaper coffee makers. The TV also has two heating coils rather than one to help maintain a high enough water temperature.

Additional control is provided with a three-position switch on the side of the filter basket. The positions are full flow (although the hole is quite small), partial flow and closed. My brewing so far has been to leave the switch open, as I'm brewing 10-cup batches and use a rather fine grind which extends the drip time. I have not yet made 2-cup batches, but I will plan to close the switch completely to enable a 4-minute steep time before releasing the coffee into the carafe. Note that the grind is a major variable here since fine grind will slow the water considerably over a coarser grind. I use a burr grinder which can be controlled easily. If you use a blade grinder, plan on a very fine grind and longer brew times.

Since I use home roasted coffee, my coffee is extremely fresh after a customary 4-day rest period. Very fresh coffee will give off CO2 which causes some foaming on the surface. This could be a problem if you are brewing 10-cup batches with a full filter and you restrict the flow with the second position on the filter basket switch, so beware. Commercial coffee, especially pre-ground, will not usually foam as it has already begun to stale. I would recommend brewing with the filter basket cover removed until you get a feel for how the water flows through your coffee. Overflow is certainly possible but not likely with the switch fully open, and my 10-cup batches with very fresh coffee came only to 1/2" of the top of the filter basket. If you get an overflow, then, you either have ground the coffee too finely and/or you are using filters that are too restrictive. I use Filtropia and Melitta, preferring the former.

The power is controlled by a single switch. The light on the switch stays on following brewing, but the coils shut off automatically at the end of a brewing cycle and the brew light goes out. There is no timer, which is often a complaint if you're too lazy to grind and brew when you wake up. I always grind fresh and brew with fresh water and it takes only 60 seconds to fill the chamber, grind a couple of scoops of coffee and press the button. I prefer this to having a chamber full of stale water overnight.

The stainless steel carafe is a vacuum carafe and is perhaps the weakest link. I cannot imagine using a glass carafe with this machine, as coffee temperature is the whole purpose of the design, and an uninsulated glass carafe is good only to keep the coffee from spilling on the counter! This carafe keeps coffee hot for hours. Pouring is the only issue I might have here. The pour lip has no dimple and if you pour with the screw-in lid, it can spread a bit along the lip and cause some spilling. On the other hand, if you loosen the lid, turn it to the proper 1/4 positions and pour slowly, the coffee comes out leaving a nice ring of fresh-coffee bubbles inside the rim of the cup. This may well have been intended, as everything else on this device is well engineered. Just don't get in a real hurry to pour with the lid on. You can, of course remove the lid to pour.

Overall, the best of the best with the vacuum carafe.

We've had our Techniform for just over 2 years. While the coffee it makes is unmatched, it simply has had too many build problems to justify its premium price. Over a year ago, it began to develop a small leak in the piping inside, so if you put water in the reservoir, it will slowly leak out unless you brew right away. It was out of warranty, so we could get no assistance. Second, the coffee maker began blowing a fuse on one side of our kitchen, so we had to move it to another end with a dedicated breaker. Third, the thermos has just started to wear out, so coffee now only stays hot about 45 min compared to over 2 hours when we first bought it. Finally, the toggle switch to turn off the brewing to the thermos is quite annoying and often gets accidentally pressed down. So, while the Techniform generates awesome and consistent heated water, its shoddy build quality is sadly forcing me to turn elsewhere now.

I am a real coffee snob and have gone through at least 10 coffee makers and finally found this one. Was a three month wait to get it and finally got it. Makes great coffee and come out very hot. Brews very quickly. Don't like the carafe that comes with it. Got a Nissan -Thermos to keep it hot. Everyone who tries my coffee always asks what coffee I use. It not only the coffee but the maker also. Get this, it is expensive but well worth it for those who enjoy coffee

I have to say that some of the reviews of this product make me despair of the whole review process. They seem to fall into "no coffee maker should cost this much," or "it's not made of platinum." In either case, my advice is this: don't buy it! For those interested in a review of the thing itself, so you can decide if it's worth the (high) price here it is.

My wife and I like coffee. It's one of the day's regular pleasures and we drink coffee every day. So we think our regular use justifies some extravagance. We buy good coffee. For years we used a small plastic Krupps grinder and a Krupps then Cusineart coffee maker. And it was fine. But then I took a flier on a burr grinder--way more expensive than the Krupps grinder (c. $100 vs $25 or so). And it was a revelation!! So then, with some Christmas money in hand we did research and were persuaded by a Cooks' Illustrated review and bought the Technivorm. Wow! My idea of coffee is entirely changed. I get all that stuff about "notes of chocolate," and all that. It is just terrific coffee. What excellent wine is to table wine (and we drink a lot of table wine; so this is not about snobbism).

The whole Technivorm schtick is simple: a good pump, and keep the coffee at c. 200F until it comes out the nozzle over the coffee. Who would think it would make such a difference? But it does. The machine itself is perfectly durable, but it's not fancy and is largely plastic, not metal. Whatever. The thermos keeps the coffee hot (if, as the instructions suggest, you rinse it first with hot water) for at least 5 hours. After that you should make a new pot anyway. It is fast, and it is quiet. It makes 10.5 cups, which is a little less than we'd like when company comes (12 is good).

The question is, and it's a real question--is this indulgence the way you want to spend your money?

And of course, its durability is unproven--we've only had it for a month. But it makes wonderful coffee. If that's really important to you, and you've got the money, then this machine won't disappoint you.

In my quest for the perfect cup of coffee I have at last achieved success!! The Technivorm Moccamaster should be called Moccamaster-of-the-Universe. It is awesome. Easy to set up, easy to use. A child of average intelligence could use it. P-E-R-F-E-C-T coffee every time. The coffee is hot. The cofee stays hot for hours in the carafe. The coffee tastes as good as it piossibly can (see below). It is coffeemaker perfection, the holy grail, the difference between heaven and hell (owners of Delonghi-go towards the light!). It is what you want.

I have read all the reviews here and elsewhere. Let me save you the trouble. Here is the low-down:
Stupid comment 1) No "features."
-This thing is no-frills-you fill it with water and coffee and you turn it on. It makes coffee. You drink it. The end. What else do you want it to do?

Stupid comment 2) Coffee is "average" What's the hype all about?
-This is common sense, but for those of you who are lacking in that dept I will explain. This machine is awesome, but it is not MAGICAL. If you put crappy coffee in, crappy coffee will come out. It will not make it worse, but it cannot make it better. get it?
Stupid comment 3)"Flimsiness"
-What? I don't know what people are talking about when they say the base the carafe sits on comes off...did ya follow the simple directions? I did and mine stays together...I'm just sayin'... The parts of this machine that are supposed to come off do with ease (so no breaking it trying to remove lids, filters, etc) and the parts that aren't supposed to come off don't.

Stupid complaint 4) No Automatic timer.
-Whaa Whaa. How fresh is coffee that has been sitting out all night? Not very. It takes 5 minutes to brew the coffee. If you don't have five minutes to brew coffee you don't have enough time to drink it either. Some folks (like my husband) used to use a timer to make coffee several hours before they wake up so it's "hot enough" when they wake up. This is how you burn coffee and is the very best way to make it taste truly awful. If you like burnt nasty swill don't buy this machine. The technivorm makes coffee that is boiling hot. If you need it hotter than that you need help.
Stupid complaint 5) Unsexy.
-Ok, Technivorm went with superior function over superior style. Paris Hilton probably looks good in the kitchen, but lets face it-is probably pretty useless in there. I've never met a sexy dishwasher; have you?. Do you really care what it looks like? Has anyone ever said "why, what a beautiful coffeemaker you have there!" I doubt it. And anyway-it looks better in person than in the picture (unlike mail-order-brides and certain celebrity heiresses;P)

Bottom line: how much is 50+50+50+50+50+50? 300 right? Stop being a cheapskate!Save yourself the trouble of making 6 $50 purchases and just pony up the cash up front-it's worth it and better for the earth than throwing out 6 coffeemakers.

First, it makes the best coffee. The base the carafe sits on, as pointed out elsewhere, is pretty useless since it comes off whenever the maker is moved. I try not to move it. The dust covers over the reservoir and filter are just that, and work fine. I've had no problems pouring from the carafe.

There's a gasket in the filter holder that if not seated, and it unseats sometimes, apparently when washed, can cause an overflow since it blocks the drain. Got some grounds in it, and some not so good coffee, that way. So keep an eye on that.

The idiosyncrasies are minor and not a problem in exchange for simply excellent coffee brewing.

[edit] Second time I'm editing this. Deleted a lot of the below, but it doesn't seem to have 'taken'. The outfit I got mine from, [...] (same price, best perks, no pun) had a letter on file from Technivorm to its customers stating the reservoir was NOT made of polycarbonate, rather food grade SAN plastic: Styrene AcryloNitrile. It went on to say there _were_ other parts made of polycarbonate mixed with ABS, and the company was reevaluating its use. (I'd post the letter, but it's in jpeg format.) I wrote [...] asking about the evaluation, and have not had a reply.

As far as use goes, it's great. The issue with the gasket has not reoccurred. Good coffee. It may or may not have polycarbonate in it.

[/edit]

If the above were the only concerns I would recommend it without hesitation. Here's the however: I got rid of all my water bottles, and all my food containers, made out of polycarbonate plastic. The clear, hard, plastic that the reservoir seems to be made of. Polycarbonate leaches the endocrine disrupting chemical BPA into the food and liquid it contains. In April 2008, Health Canada assessed that the chemical may pose some risk to infants and proposed classifying the chemical as "'toxic' to human health and the environment" (from [...]), all US manufacturers are curtailing use in food contact items, it's not used in baby bottles anymore. (From what I've read, there may be exceptions.) The European Union is backtracking (as is the US FDA) on statements that it's safe. The Netherlands, where Technivorn is located, considers it "safe" ([...])

So, why pay $265+++ for a coffee maker that exposes one to BPA? Really, for that price the materials should be of the highest quality. I'd rather risk broken glass if it has to be clear, or simply a safe, opaque plastic.

I plan on writing to Technivorm to request more information and possibly a glass replacement reservoir, but wanted to give prospective buyers a heads-up. Then again, a lot of people don't care about ingesting endocrine system disrupters. Shrug.

We've come a long way from the percolator coffee pot sitting on the range gurgling away producing a bitter but invigorating brew that I remember from my childhood. Afterwards there was the Silex, the Chemex, the French Press and finally the contemporary electric coffee maker. Having lived through this evolution, I finally have found the perfect machine, the Technivorm Moccamaster and the perfect cup of morning coffee.

If one keeps their eye on the prize, that wonderful cup of Joe in the AM, this machine with its quality construction, engineering and simplicity is the ONLY coffee maker to consider.

I read so many unfavorable reviews pointing out flimsy construction, over-flowing, dangerous polycarbonates, lack of automation, outrageous price, luke-warm coffee, etc., that I initially became hesitant. But after another spill of water onto the counter instead of into the Cuisinart, getting the kitchen magnifying glass to check the miniscule readout and ultimately average coffee, I decided to take the plunge. Each morning after the first sip, I thank myself for doing so.

The Technivorm Moccamaster is sturdy and hefty. There is no reason, for example, for the cover over the nozzle to be built like a tank unless you tend to brutalize your kitchen appliances each day. I've used the Moccamaster for about two months now without a single overflow...just make sure you use common care and open the valve of the coffee basket. No leeching polycarbonates are used in the "plastic" parts.

We grind our coffee and pour in the water the night before without any loss of quality. I come down in the morning, pour hot water from the faucet to pre-heat the carafe, dump it after 30 seconds, place the carafe into position and press a button. By the time I take the coffee mugs off the shelf and place them onto the table, get the milk for my wife out of the fridge, etc., the coffee is ready. The heating unit is so huge in this machine that 10 cups of coffee are made in six minutes. Also, the coffee remains hot in the carafe as long as you pre-heat it, as all thermal carafes require.

If one wants total automation and mediocre coffee, buy one of the many poorly human-engineered makers that flood the market. But if that first taste of coffee in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, this is the only coffee maker to own.

I'll keep this brief. There is plenty of information and reviews of this amazing product available for your reading enjoyment. We've have this product for over six years. It has from day one and continuing made the best cup of coffee consistently without any issues even worth mentioning. If you are interested in being able to make great coffee at home for years to come, take the plunge and purchase this very well engineered and manufactured product. No bells and whistles, not pretty, just near perfect functionality. We haven't experienced any of the issues noted by some of the reviewers (clogging, drippiing too fast) so I can't comment there one way or another. If (and that's a big if) this product ever breaks down we won't hesitate a second to buy another.

Seems as though I am going to just have to repeat what other reviewers have said. To wit:
The coffee this thing produces is amazing. It is really worth the price.
But:
There are some odd quirks to this product. Not enough to make me regret the purchase though.

To elaborate:

It is kind of a clunky design and for the price you would not expect it to look quite this "cheap".

The piece under the carafe is annoying because it doesn't seem to serve any purpose. It comes off easily, which can be a problem because if you don't fully "snug in" the carafe it won't brew your coffee. When the plastic piece gets jostled slightly out of position (without my knowing it) that means I have to wait extra long for my coffee.

The brew basket has a selector to allow it to be plugged, I imagine the idea is since the coffee is so good, you will not possibly be able to wait for the brewing to finish before you drink your first mugful, so you can shut it off, remove the carafe for a short time, and then put it back to continue the brewing. However, the toggle for this is pretty easy to flip mistakenly, so I have on more than one occasion found a mess of grounds and overflowed coffee on my counter from having left it on for the entire cycle. You just need to be really careful with that switch.

However, like basically everyone else, I am still giving it 5* because the coffee is so incredibly good.

I have tried many drip coffee makers, including some higher priced ones. Several have made quite good coffee, but always with some aggravating "Yes, but". This one, in spite of the hefty price tag has its shortcomings. I have used a good quality conical burr grinder with all my drip machines, so that is not a variable. The Technivorm likely makes the best coffee - when you are at the excellent end of the scale, it is hard for me to say for certain. Suffice it to say the Technivorm is about as good as it gets, for drip coffee. But... the thermal carafe just is back toward the lower end products. I pre-heat it of course, and the coffee is great if you pour right away, but later the second cup is aggravatingly cooler, even using the travel lid. The best thermal carafe that I have found is the Cuisinart which came with the Cuisinart 12 cup drip machine. The Cuisinart machine, by the way, is a run-over nightmare requiring you to stand over it watching the brew closely. The Technivorm on the other hand has a much better designed drip basket which is adjustable for the particular brew. It is still possible to run it over, but you have to work at it, and the consequences are light (doesn't get all over the counter and run on the floor, as the Cuisinart does). So - what I am doing is making coffee in the Technivorm and immediately transferring it to the Cuisinart carafe. You could also transfer to any trusted good thermal carafe or thermos. This makes the Technivorm overpriced in my view, but if you are willing to suffer the poor thermal carafe, or consume the coffee quickly, it does make excellent coffee. I live at 6,200 ft elevation which is an extra level of difficulty that the Technivorm passes with flying colors.