Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select Review
Pros: Modern aesthetic, color options
Cons: Plastic, poor water distribution
Manufacturer: Technivorm Moccamaster
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |  | |
| Price | $349 List $359.00 at Amazon | $330 List $299.95 at Amazon | $75 List $74.99 at Amazon | $40 List $37.99 at Amazon | $160 List $186.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Modern aesthetic, color options | Excellent brew quality, tons of features, cold brew setting | Easy cleaning, simple design, can use pods | Inexpensive, automatic brew feature | Easy to use, almost no cleaning, barcode reader, water tank swivels |
| Cons | Plastic, poor water distribution | Expensive, not for average consumer | Small water tank opening, fill to brew volume | Hard to fill, bulky | Pods are expensive, requires specific pod, lacks brew quality |
| Bottom Line | A stylish aesthetic and decent cup of coffee at a very high price | For anyone who enjoys the fullest expression of flavor in their coffee | The combination of features and affordability make this a great budget option | The most affordable and straightforward coffee maker that consistently brews decent coffee | An excellent choice for those who appreciate an appliance with single-button simplicity |
| Rating Categories | Technivorm Moccamas... | Breville Precision... | Hamilton Beach 2-Way | Black+Decker 12-Cup... | Nespresso VertuoPlus |
| Brew Quality (30%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (20%) | |||||
| Consistency (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Technivorm Moccamas... | Breville Precision... | Hamilton Beach 2-Way | Black+Decker 12-Cup... | Nespresso VertuoPlus |
| Cup Capacity | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 1 |
| Single Serve | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Automatic Brewing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Brew Temp (°F) | 171.62 | 168.22 | 166.14 | 161.98 | 167.9 |
| Preinfusion | No | Yes, adjustable | No | No | Yes, not adjustable |
| Filter Shape | Cone | Cone or flat | Flat | Flat | Pod |
| Energy Usage | 1475 watts | 1650 watts | 950 watts | 975 watts | 1350 watts |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.0" x 12.75" x 6.5" | 12.4" x 6.7" x 15.7" | 13.9" x 12.2" x 11.1" | 8.2" x 12.2" x 11" | 12.8" x 8.7" x 12.7" |
| Weight | 6.0 lbs | 13 lbs | 5.0 lbs | 4.75 lbs | 10.1 lbs |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Moccamaster produced an average coffee in our testing. However, we cannot justify the price unless it could make better coffee. Therefore we would recommend other brewers in our review that cost less but perform better for those looking for the best morning cup possible.
Performance Comparison
Brew quality
The coffee we brewed with the Moccamaster did not impress. The Technivrom is nearly industry-standard temperature-wise, which is important for extracting the most flavor from your coffee. Also essential to cup quality is proper water distribution. This brewer does not provide the necessary uniform water distribution needed to brew a quality cup of coffee. The brew head made a distinct rectangular divot in the brew bed, suggesting an unbalanced extraction. However, less expensive coffee makers were able to excel in cup quality by offering proper temperatures and providing a more even water distribution.
User Friendliness
The Moccamaster was also not as user-friendly as we had wished. It features a very simple interface but is not programmable. The interface offers two switches. One switch is to turn the brewer on or off and this switch will not illuminate unless the water is present in the reservoir. The other switch sets the hot plate temperature to high or low. The glass carafe has a thin plastic handle that feels cheap and does not provide measurement marks. The flow stream from the carafe is sloppy at a moderate pour rate and more accommodating at a faster rate.
Ease of Cleaning
There are a lot of components to consider when cleaning the Moccamaster. It uses a paper filter, which makes disposing of grinds easy. Unfortunately, none of the brewer's components are dishwasher safe. Nor does the manual provide clear cleaning instructions. The carafe lid opens wide, necessary for cleaning the long spout in the center of the lid. To access the filter basket, you must remove the filter lid, water tank lid, and outlet arm. Long-term cleaning involves filling the water tank with descaling liquid and running a few brew cycles. This process was mostly hands-off and took about 25 minutes to complete.
Consistency
We brewed five back-to-back pots of coffee and measured water temperature stability, brew time, and flavor retention to test for the consistency metric. The Moccamaster averaged a temperature fluctuation of 2.5 degrees between consecutive brewing. This is a big fluctuation compared to more temperature stable models with a variation of only .47 degrees between batches. The Moccamster performs better in brew time consistency with a deviation of 2 seconds between brews. This brewer reviewed well in flavor retention, measuring very similar pH levels between freshly brewed coffee and 2 hours post brewing.
Value
The Moccamaster is one of the most expensive coffee makers we tested. Unless you like its unique aesthetics, we don't feel that it is worth the investment. Many other models in our review costway less and make substantially better coffee.
Conclusion
The Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select is a decent coffee maker with a unique aesthetic. However, its subpar brewing performance does not match the quality we expect from such an expensive machine.
— Liz Nelson
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