Technivorm Moccamaster Review

A drip coffee maker has long been a staple in my kitchen. I brew a pot each morning, and the simple pleasures of those first few sips make the ritual one of the best parts of my day. While I’ve only recently upgraded to grinding my own coffee beans, I made the switch to a Technivorm Moccamaster coffee maker eight-and-a-half years ago. 

Here’s where I’ll confess that it wasn’t actually chosen by me — the machine was a wedding gift from my in-laws, and because it both looked cool and had a seal of approval from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), my husband and I were more than happy to put it to use. The simple design and quality of brew didn’t take long to convince me, and I’ve been a Moccamaster enthusiast ever since.

Nearly a decade later, our Technivorm Moccamaster coffee maker performs just as well as it did fresh out of the box, and because the company designs for performance rather than trends, its timeless lines still look fantastic.

Dimensions: 6.5 x 12.75 x 14 inches | Capacity: 10 cups | Programmable: No

How I use the Technivorm Moccamaster

Unless I’m out of town, I use my Technivorm Moccamaster every morning to brew coffee. My routine goes a little something like this:

• I take an unbleached #4 coffee filter and slip it into the Moccamaster basket.
• I freshly grind 30 grams of coffee — and I’m loving tasting my way through a global assortment of coffee beans from Atlas Coffee Club. 
• I pour four cups of cool water into the Moccamaster reservoir.
• I pop the filter basket into place and flip the rocker switch to start brewing.
• I occupy myself with the day’s Wordle while I wait. (Sometimes I scroll TikTok.) 

The process really could not be simpler. And I know we’re in an era of smart gadgets that can be programmed for this or that task or even controlled from our phones, but I was born in the 1900s, and I still subscribe to a less-is-more philosophy. I don’t need my coffee machine to anticipate my every brewing need — I’m more than happy to spend the 60 seconds or so it takes to set up each pot on an as-needed basis. 

What I love about the Technivorm Moccamaster

See above: It’s incredibly easy to use. Perhaps more importantly, it brews a very nice pot of coffee. 

Once the switch is flipped, the internal heating element warms the water to between 197°F and 205°F to create ideal conditions for extracting optimal flavor from the ground coffee. The hot water then sprinkles out across the grounds at a slow, steady pace, and the brewed coffee drips down into the pot. The Technivorm Moccamaster is ultra-consistent — I can always count on great-tasting coffee. If something is off, it’s only because I’ve messed up my water-to-coffee ratio. That said, the machine comes with a helpful scoop that measures out a pretty reliable ground-to-water ratio with each pot.

The Caveats

It sounds contrived to say that I have no complaints about my Technivorm Moccamaster, but I really don’t. The price point ($359 at the time of publish) isn’t exactly budget-friendly, but I genuinely consider this coffee maker as an investment piece. It is purpose-built and precision-engineered — that quality comes at a cost. But my cost-per-use by now must be down to fractions of a penny. 

That said, while I don’t need the functionality, if you want a programmable coffee machine, you will need to look elsewhere.

Tips and Tricks for the Technivorm Moccamaster

I think I’ve thoroughly established that this coffee maker is easy to use — there’s no learning curve for the machine itself. But because the water is exceedingly hard where I live, I regularly clean and descale my Moccamaster with citric acid. I recommend this process on a regular basis, no matter which coffee maker you use. Also, use the scoop for near-perfect ratios every time if you don’t opt for a 30-gram freshly ground scoop.

How it Compares

We’ve tested loads of coffee makers, and Moccamaster products regularly appear on our recommended lists thanks to their quality and good looks. That said, there are still a few comparing to.

The Cafe Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is a worthy adversary in that it is also both remarkably simple to operate and is SCA-approved. It’ll also save you about $50. Unlike the Moccamaster, it has programmable features for everything from brewing time to coffee strength.

On the opposite end of things, the Balmuda The Brew Coffee Maker clocks in at $700, but boasts the SCA label and precision brewing that left us impressed during our tests. It features a luxurious “pour-over brewing system. Buyer beware, however; this is meant for single or small batches as it only brews up to three cups at a time.

The Verdict

Would I buy a Technivorm Moccamaster again? Absolutely. I genuinely love everything about it, and it is such an integral part of my kitchen — and, indeed, my day-to-day operations — that I’m not really sure what I would do without it. As they say on the internet: 10/10 would recommend. 

Warranty 

Technivorm Moccamaster coffee makers are backed by a five-year warranty. Mine is well beyond the expiration date and is still trucking along just fine. 

Our Expertise

This article was written by Summer Rylander, a food and travel journalist who has written about food, beverage, and cooking products for Food & Wine, Allrecipes, Serious Eats, and The Kitchn.