If you are a coffee enthusiast who’s looking for a more classic, caffein-packed, yet less bitter taste, consider trying drip coffee.
It’s also a lot easier to pull off than your regular espresso, which may often appear intimidating to make.
And this Technivorm Moccamaster review is exactly what you need if you’re interested in investing in “the one” drip coffee maker that will accompany you on your daily adventures!
Technivorm even proudly declares that the Moccamaster is the best coffee maker in the world ever since its debut in the 1960s.
Certified by the European Coffee Brewing Center (ECBC) and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), handled by hand in the Netherlands with sustainable materials and design…
It’s hard to turn a blind eye to such an appealing coffee maker offer.
Of course, those nice embellishments don’t come cheap. All of the work going into presenting to you the “perfect” filter coffee maker drives Technivorm prices up considerably more than the average Joe coffee machine.
So is the coffee Moccamaster produces worth the expensive price tag?
Read on for an in-depth Technivorm Moccamaster review and a look at the Moccamaster KBT 741 model specifically.
- Technivorm Moccamaster KBT – The Details
- Best Features Of The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
- How To Grind For A Moccamaster Drip Coffee Maker
- How Much Coffee Do You Put In A Moccamaster
- Making The Most Out Of The Moccamaster Coffee Maker
- The Downsides Of The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
- How To Clean And Descale The Moccamaster
- Technivorm Moccamaster Review – Which Moccamaster Should You Buy
- Final Verdict Of Our Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Review
- FAQs
Technivorm Moccamaster KBT – The Details
The Moccamaster KBT is one of the products that best represent Technivorm’s unparalleled mechanical and aesthetic designs.
The brand has hardly changed its products ever since 1964.
Certainly, the on-the-steeper-side tag sets Moccamaster apart from its more affordable drip coffee maker counterparts.
But it compensates for the excellent features contributing to brewing the best coffee taste and the elegant and classy outward appearance that has stood the test of time.
Function and Usability
The KBT is able to brew 10 cups (40 oz) in as fast as 5 minutes at the touch of one button.
If you’re under the impression that drip coffee takes longer than espresso and, therefore, hesitant to switch from an espresso machine, this must be good news.
This drip coffee machine can sneak right into your morning routine and offer the delicious and quick energy boost that you need.
Afraid the large serving of coffee would go cold before you get to enjoy it?
Worry not! The thermal carafe is guaranteed to be able to keep your coffee hot for up to 1 hour.
What about coffee brewing? That’s more likely what you’re here for.
The KBT model incorporates the copper heating element, which is superior to the aluminum heating material that most common coffee makers have.
Copper promotes better control over brew temperature as well as heating time for optimal soluble extraction for the best coffee flavor.
The brew basket can be manually adjusted in three settings using a toggle switch.
These settings adjust the drip-stop by leaving it completely open, completely closed, or open halfway, allowing you to regulate the flow of coffee to aim for suitable extraction for differing amounts of coffee grounds.
Appearance
Visually, Technivorm’s coffee machines are stunning, and the KBT is no exception.
Their coffee makers still wear posh and sleek angular lines that have been iconic since the 1960s.
The original design for Moccamasters is for the most part preserved even today among millions of new brewer models.
The Moccamaster KBT features a clean aluminum look at a fairly light weight – only 6.5 pounds (3kg).
However, it takes up quite a lot of space considering its dimension: 15.25” H – 11.50” W – 6.75” D. So this bulkiness may not be suitable for narrower home kitchen setups.
This brewer is currently being sold in 3 classic colors that can never go wrong and easily blend in with your interior: Black, Polished Silver, and Stone Grey.
The Specs
- Weighs 6.5 pounds (3 kg).
- Aluminum, stainless steel.
- Water reservoir capacity: 40 oz/10 cup/1.25l.
- Removable components made with durable materials.
- Glass tube with one-of-a-kind copper boiling element for ideal coffee extraction.
- Manually adjustable drip-stop brew basket for easy customization.
- Stainless steel thermal carafe excellent for sustaining coffee temperature.
- 5-year warranty.
Best Features Of The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
There are distinct features that set the Moccamaster drip coffee machine from others.
Take a look at the most prominent traits:
Excellent brewing temperature
A lot of common espresso machines out there employ aluminum as a boiler material.
While it has the advantage of fast water heating, aluminum can’t maintain a stable water temperature throughout the flow, losing the even extraction of coffee, lowering the quality of the pull.
Using unbefitting heated water temperature can also lead to an under-extracted or over-extracted cup of coffee.
The inconsistent results from each brew are definitely not enjoyable either. Imagine spending a fortune to own a coffee maker at home just to play Russian roulette hoping you would finally get a good cup of coffee first thing each morning. I doubt anyone would be excited.
The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT, however, uses copper heating elements, which can usually be found in many mid to high-end coffee machines.
Compared to aluminum, copper surpasses in both water temperature stability and consistency.
Copper can also outlive aluminum by many years. And durability is always a plus, especially when you drop some big money on something that is supposed to last.
The brand also did a superb job engineering the elements to rapidly heat up water and maintain a perfect brewing temperature between 196-205 degrees F, below the boiling temperature as it should be.
You get to enjoy a cup of rich Technivorm Moccamaster coffee that has been evenly and sufficiently extracted.
Moreover, the boiler automatically turns off after the brew cycle is complete and the water reservoir has been emptied, so you don’t have to worry about supervising the coffee maker while brushing your teeth in the bathroom.
Ideal water saturation time
The brew basket is designed as an upside-down cone placed on top of the reversely shaped carafe, creating a pleasing symmetrical infinity structure. But the aesthetics are just a plus.
What’s special is the filter basket is crafted to have the ideal water saturation time.
In other words, it regulates an optimal amount of time for the coffee grounds to steep, which is 6 minutes, to be specific.
The end result is heightened flavor, aroma, and overall quality of your cup of coffee. If you prepare fresh coffee grounds, this is when the satisfying coffee bloom can be observed!
It’s when your grinds expand and rise as they immerse in water and release aromatic gases, a natural part of the brewing process.
But can you see the coffee bloom when using drip coffee makers? You’re not doing manual pour-overs after all.
Well, technically, you can peak through the brew basket lid, but it’s NOT RECOMMENDED as you may risk getting a burn from the escaping heat.
Manually Adjustable Drip-Stop
The Technivorm Moccamaster Comes With A Manually Adjustable Drip-Stop Brew Basket. What Does This Mean?
As mentioned, there are three settings to manually adjust the drip-stop on top of the filter basket: Open, Partial Open, and Closed.
The toggling switch is on the front of the brew basket so it shouldn’t be hard to find.
What this does is actually controlling the flow of coffee out of the basket, or the coffee grounds steeping time.
The coffee drips down at the usual speed when you leave the drip-stop completely open, and it slows down the more you close it.
This is an important feature because it enables you to be more active in adjusting the steeping time in proportion to the number of coffee grounds used.
Why? When you use a smaller portion of ground coffee, the water naturally seeps through faster.
This doesn’t spare enough time for the grinds to steep, causing the dripped coffee to be under-extracted.
The solution is changing the setting of the drip-stopper to Partial Open, or Closed if you don’t want any coffee to drip until they have sat in the hot liquid for long enough.
The completely closed setting also helps you avoid unwanted leakage while the carafe is removed from its spot. Neat!
Meticulous carafe design
The extracted coffee then drips down into the sturdy stainless steel carafe.
As previously mentioned, the pot is able to keep the ideal coffee hot for up to 1 hour, so you don’t have to worry about your coffee going cold so quickly.
The pot also has a large containing capacity (10 cups!), ideal for large households, small office settings, or those who want regular caffeine refills throughout the day.
Additionally, it has an interesting funnel-like lip, so you can practically pour from any direction.
It’s certainly different from the usual coffee pots that have a designated protruding pour spout for coffee to flow out, strictly limiting the number of directions and angles you can pour from.
It comes with 2 lids: a Blew-Thru and a Travel carafe lid.
The former is used during the brew cycle as it lets the coffee drip into the carafe.
The lid also has a pour-thru characteristic so you can pour coffee straight from the pot into your cup when it’s done without having to unscrew the lid. Very convenient!
The latter can sustain the coffee heat for more than 1 hour and is ready to follow you on whatever adventures you have in store that day.
Since it’s spill-proof when sealed, you need to unscrew it a little bit to expose the pour spout when you want a sip.
Removable components
The parts on the Technivorm Moccamaster are removable, enabling ease of cleaning, maintenance as well as replacement over a long time.
You can make use of the provided five-year warranty and swap out the faulty parts instead of looking into buying a new machine each time something doesn’t work properly.
Therefore, it’s a good investment in the long run if you’re still hesitant because of the costly price.
Sustainable and durable materials
This is one of the features that make up the name of Technivorm Moccamaster.
Other than being handled by hand, like other products in the lineup, the KBT brewer is made with durable and recyclable materials to ensure product longevity, sustainability, ease of maintenance, and energy efficiency.
It’s definitely a huge perk for consumers who want to become more environmentally-conscious.
How To Grind For A Moccamaster Drip Coffee Maker
For the best result, it’s advised by Technivorm that the fresh ground coffee used is consistent and equal in size to ensure unfluctuating coffee-to-water contact time for the optimally even extraction.
Technivorm recommends the medium grind size and asks the consumers to use the table below as a reference.
How Much Coffee Do You Put In A Moccamaster
Below are the formulas suggested by Technivorm Moccamaster which can be adjusted by either:
- Adding more hot water to weaken the brew.
- Changing the type of coffee beans used or the level of roast to strengthen the brew.
Making The Most Out Of The Moccamaster Coffee Maker
So how exactly should you use this drip coffee maker? It’s considered to be a top-tier filter coffee machine with extreme ease of use yet immaculate results. You can follow these simple steps:
- Fill the water tank.
- Put the No.4 paper filter into the brew basket with measured grinds.
- Screw the water outlet arm into position.
- Screw the Brew-Thru Lid into the carafe and slide it into its socket which would depress a white safety button.
- Press the safety button together with flipping the On/Off switch to start the brewing process.
And voila! In around 4-6 minutes, you can expect to have a cup of delight that is tasty and aromatic and hits all the right spots.
The Downsides Of The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
“Everything is relative.”
Undoubtedly, it applies to this Technivorm Moccamaster review as well. So, what are the drawbacks of this coffee maker?
High cost
This must be one of the deciding factors that turn most people away since it’s far from being affordable.
No matter how desirable the features are, the costly price tag is understandably a legit deal-breaker for many.
Since Technivorm Moccamaster is an established brand positioning its coffee makers among the higher-end market, it’s not surprising that the KBT is expensive as well.
Space-consuming
Though it’s not heavy, the height and width make the coffee brewer very bulky, so it might not be able to fit on your limited kitchen counter space.
Do take this into consideration when you’re weighing your options.
Lack of timer and programmable features
While some may complain about the lack of a timer and programmable brewing setups, they are actually intentionally left out by Moccamaster engineers.
How come? Because they believe that good coffee is made with fresh water and fresh coffee grinds rather than stale ingredients left overnight.
I’ve got to admit, it’s good advice.
Concerns regarding limescale buildup
This is not very significant but compared to boilers made from stainless steel, copper is more prone to limescale buildup.
Nevertheless, nothing regular maintenance cannot go against, which I will discuss in the upcoming part.
As long as you take good care of the Moccamaster coffee brewer, rest assured it would sustain.
How To Clean And Descale The Moccamaster
Moccamaster has even gone as far as declaring that you could trust their coffee makers to brew top-notch coffee for a lifetime, provided you clean and descale properly when needed.
Moccamaster recommends the following products to clean and descale the brewer after every 100 brewing cycles (three months/when you’ve gone through the stack of paper filters) or when the glass tube becomes cloudy:
- Clean Drop.
- Full Circle Cleaner.
- Urnex Cleancaf Cleaner.
- Full Circle Descaler.
- Urnex Dezcal Descaler.
- Durgol Descaler.
The reason why Moccamaster doesn’t list other brands is due to the possibility that they may contain components damaging to the copper boiling element, leaving a less-than-pleasant metallic after-taste in your brew.
Vinegar or any other high-acid solution is also a hard-pass as they are not effective descaling fluids, harmful to the copper, and the lingering sourness is certainly not wanted either.
Cleaning
Algae
You can use Clean Drop for treating algae contamination after long-term exposure to sunlight.
Spare parts
The lid and filter basket can be removed and cleaned by hand or in a dishwasher.
Machine
The Machine can be cleaned using Clean Drop or one of the aforementioned products for cleaning.
Thermal Carafe
You can clean it by putting dishwasher liquid in, fill it with hot water, stir with a wooden spoon, and let it sit for 1 hour.
Afterward, pour the content away, clean with a brush, and rinse with water at least twice.
Descaling
You can descale using Durgol Descaler or any of the other descalers recommended by Moccamaster.
Technivorm Moccamaster Review – Which Moccamaster Should You Buy
No matter the model, all of Technivorm Moccamaster coffee makers are certified by the ECBC and the SCA, handmade with durable materials to produce coffee that lives up to a Gold Cup Standard and backed by a 5-year warranty.
So, how do they differ? Surely, it’s not just by the long code name.
Moccamaster KBT vs Moccamaster KBGT
For the most part, the KBGT is similar to its cousin KBT in terms of ease of use, brew quality, and general functional and visual features.
What’s different is, on the KBGT model, there is an automatic drip-stop function that stops the coffee drip when you remove the carafe from its place and automatically drips again once you slide it back in.
No need to disrupt the brewing cycle like the KBT.
If you’re into that, consider getting the KBGT since both models are similar in price.
Do keep in mind that the KBGT drip machine is even taller than the KBT, at 16 inches, so make sure you have enough space.
The ease of use is obviously out of the window when it can’t even fit properly onto your kitchen counter.
The KBGT is only available in 2 colors: Polished Silver and Black.
Moccamaster KBT vs Moccamaster KBTS
The clear distinction between the two drip coffee makers is, rather than the tall carafe, the KBTS machine is equipped with a smaller regular coffee-pot-like one which is only able to hold up to 8 cups (32 oz) of brewed coffee.
Of course, this means the water tank capacity is decreased as well, lowering the height of the machine to only 13 inches, suitable for smaller kitchen counter if you were concerned about the bulkiness.
The KBTS machine is only available in 2 colors: Polished Silver and Stone Grey.
Moccamaster KBT vs Moccamaster CDT Grand
Contrary to the KBTS machine, the CDT Grand can uphold a much larger amount of brewed coffee compared to the KBT.
You can get as many as 15 cups of coffee (60 oz), perfect for entertainment or office settings where there are many people.
This also means the brewing process takes a little longer to complete to sustain the high-quality Moccamaster coffee, around 6-7 minutes, which is still pretty fast.
To accommodate the larger water capacity, the machine takes up even more space than the KBT: 14” H – 12.75” W – 6.5” D at 7.25 pounds (3.3 kg).
The design for the CDT grand machine also looks different from the aforementioned drip coffee machines, featuring a cylindrical machine body shape. And it’s only available in the one and only color: Silver.
Moccamaster KBT vs Moccamaster KBG
Like the KBGT model (our first comparison if you’re getting lost!), the KBG machine has an automatic drip-stop function that ensures a drip-free and clean space each time you want to pour out some great coffee.
In addition, the KBG has two switches for improved convenience.
The usual power switch on the left is used to start or shut down the machine.
It can also automatically turn off after 100 minutes, so you can just drop by for the morning coffee and be on your way without worrying about the brewer.
The switch on the right controls the hot plate, a feature that is not available among the previously mentioned models.
The hot plate can keep your brewed coffee hot at 2 temperature settings – 175 degrees F if you prefer it cooler and 185 degrees F if you prefer it hot – to best preserve the high-quality coffee flavor without burns.
Another noticeable difference is that the KBG has a glass carafe, unlike the steel one that is commonly found among the KBT and KBGT models.
Though the glass carafe is shorter, the coffee pot can still contain 10 cups of coffee like its cousins. And like the stainless steel ones, you should NOT clean the glass carafe in the dishwasher machine.
Despite the smaller built carafe, the KBG brewer has the same dimensions as the CDT Grand, only slightly lighter, so it’s still not suitable for people with cramped space.
On the bright side, it comes in as many as 27 vibrant and fun colors, giving you plenty of choices to choose from.
Final Verdict Of Our Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Review
All in all, the KBT’s functional and visual qualities have stood the test of time and is still a popular coffee maker choice among coffee lovers.
It’s not a coincidence that Technivorm Moccamaster got certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the European Coffee Brewing Centre.
However, their specialty coffee does come at a steep price that not anyone can afford. Moreover, it’s not exactly compact either.
I hope my review was helpful, especially for people who look for a quality investment that can supply them with great quality coffee for a long time, with some space to spare.
FAQs
Why is Technivorm so expensive?
Technivorm coffee makers are handmade in the Netherlands with high-quality materials and components. They are designed to last for many years, and their performance and durability justify the high price tag.
What are the dimensions of a Moccamaster KBT 741?
The dimensions of the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 are 15.3 x 12.7 x 6.7 inches (38.9 x 32.3 x 17 cm). It has a 1.25-liter water tank and can brew up to 10 cups of coffee at a time.
What size grind is best for Technivorm?
The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 is designed to work with a medium-fine grind. This ensures that the water is in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to extract the best flavors, but not so long that the coffee becomes bitter or over-extracted.
What makes Moccamaster so special?
The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 is known for its precise temperature control, which ensures that the water is heated to the ideal temperature for brewing coffee (between 195-205°F or 90-96°C). This, along with the machine’s unique brewing process, produces a smooth and flavorful cup of coffee. Additionally, the Moccamaster is handmade with high-quality materials and components, ensuring its durability and longevity.