Technivorm Moccamaster Review: The KBT 741 Drip Coffee Maker

In the world of home drip coffee makers, the Technivorm Moccamaster is considered to be in a class of its own.

Hand-made in the Netherlands and approved by the Specialty Coffee Association as well as the European Coffee Brewing Center, this coffee brewer is the real deal.

Now, the Moccamaster does come with a considerably higher price tag than other drip coffee makers. So you might be debating whether you should take the leap and join the cult of the Moccamaster coffee maker.

To find out, check out our Technivorm Moccamaster review.

Summary: The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741

• Specialty Coffee Association certified
  
• Copper-heating system heats the water to the ideal coffee brewing temperature
  
• Comes with a 5-year warranty

These filter coffeemakers are all handmade in The Netherlands, which means that they are made and assembled by hand and individually tested in a live situation.

– Technivorm

SEE ON AMAZON

Breaking it down: How did it score?

Technivorm has been making world-class coffee makers for over 50 years. It’s no wonder then that the KBT741 brews excellent coffee — one sip, and you wouldn’t want to go back to any other drip coffee maker. It is no doubt one of the best-rated coffee makers out there. Let’s find out what wizardry lies under this coffee machine’s classy exterior.

The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741

• Design
• Features
• Ease Of Use
• Value For Money

4.6

• See On Amazon
• see on seattle coffee gear

Design – 4.5/5

Technivorm’s design language has been mostly unchanged since the 1960s, and it reflects in the Moccamaster. Sporting clean, straight lines, it still looks classy in this age of digital displays and LED lights. Its looks are quite the opposite of the popular Smeg coffee maker.

With a body made of stainless steel and high-quality BPA-free plastic, this drip coffee machine has stood the test of time. Be aware though; it’s large form factor (13 x 6.7 x 16.2 inches) may not be welcome in small kitchens.

You can also choose from 3 body colors — polished silver, stone grey, black. No matter which one you choose, the plastic components and stainless steel carafe will remain unchanged in appearance.

Features – 4.5/5

Most cheap coffee makers don’t heat water to the proper temperature, or they don’t keep it consistent throughout the brewing process. This can lead to either an under-extracted cup of coffee if the water temperature is too low or an over-extracted cup if that water is too hot. Either way, it’s a recipe for terrible brewed coffee: (1)

The Technivorm Moccamaster’s unique copper heating element is similar to what you’d find in an espresso machine. Not only is copper excellent at quickly bringing your water to the right temperature, but it’s built for longevity.

The Moccamaster stands apart from your average brewer in the design of its showerhead too. Most drip coffee makers use a simple spout that pours hot water onto a small part of the coffee grounds, leaving entire areas of the coffee bed under-extracted.

SEE ON AMAZON

The Moccamaster has an elongated water transfer pipe ending in a 9-holed showerhead that fully saturates the coffee bed. This means that all of your coffee grounds are extracted at the same rate, leading to a cup of balanced, delicious coffee.

The Moccamaster makes about 40-oz of brewed coffee (the equivalent of five 8-oz cups), so don’t be fooled by the “10-cup” moniker. The brew basket has a lever which lets you slow down the drip if you’re just brewing half a pot, or even stop it completely. If you want to pour yourself a cup of coffee before the brewing process is over, you can simply pull the carafe out, and the machine will pause its operation.

The insulated stainless steel thermal carafe will keep your brewed coffee hot for hours. Because of this feature, we’ve picked the Technivorm as the best coffee maker with thermal carafe. The carafe is fitted with a brew-through lid that extends to the bottom. It helps keep the coffee hot by mixing the freshly brewed coffee properly through the carafe. This is optimal for heat retention and provides proper mixing for even flavor distribution.

Ease Of Use – 5/5

Given that the Technivorm Moccamaster is a top-tier drip coffee maker, it’s no surprise that it excels at what a drip coffee maker is supposed to do: brew excellent coffee.

The cone-shaped brew basket will accept standard #4 paper filters or a gold-tone permanent filter. The basket has vertical ridges, which can collect dried coffee and occasionally even fines (especially if you use a metal filter). So just remember to clean it regularly.

SEE ON AMAZON

Once you’ve put ground coffee into the filter basket, your job is done. It’s time to let the Moccamaster take over. Just switch the machine on and watch it work its magic.

The Technivorm Moccamaster can quickly heat water to the optimal temperature for brewing coffee — 92 to 96 °C/195 to 205 °F. (2) Once it achieves the desired temperature, the Moccamaster maintains that range throughout the brewing process.

The hot water bubbles up through the tube in the center of the reservoir, then it drips over the coffee grounds evenly via natural pulse action, ensuring even extraction and a great cup of coffee. In about 4-6 minutes, you can have an aromatic, flavorful cup of joe. It doesn’t get much simpler than this.

For the most part, the Technivorm is extremely easy to clean. After each use, simply rinse the carafe and filter basket. You’ll still want to give the basket a more vigorous wipe-down with a brush or towel every week. The only drawback of this brewer is that the plastic components are not dishwasher-friendly. It’s hard to criticize Technivorm for this, seeing as how most coffee brewers are similar.

For regular maintenance, Technivorm recommends that you descale your brewer after every 100 uses or pack of filter paper. You can use products like Durgol or Urnex to descale your brewer.

Value For Money – 4.5/5

Let’s face it: the Moccamaster is expensive. Even among the elite club of SCAA-certified coffee makers. But there’s a reason for it. Each Technivorm brewer is hand-assembled in the Netherlands and tested individually, ensuring consistent, high-quality construction.

That’s why it received the coveted SCA-certified Home Brewer badge. That’s a massive testament to the quality of brewed coffee this machine produces. We feel that the Technivorm Moccamaster is deserving of its high sticker price, and is totally worth buying.

the Moccamaster is NOT for you if…

You don’t have or want to purchase a burr grinder. – The Moccamaster can make excellent coffee, but only if it has been ground to the right size and consistency (3). Fresh, uniformly ground coffee is the foundation of a great coffee drink. Burr grinders provide consistency in a way that blade grinders cannot. Blade grinders chop and smash the coffee beans, leading to inconsistencies that can cause uneven extraction. If you don’t have a burr grinder, you should add one to your purchase plan first.

You need a brewer with automated and programmable features – If you need your brewed coffee to be ready when you walk into your kitchen in the morning, this brewer isn’t for you. The Moccamaster doesn’t have a timer or any automated features — just a simple button that does one thing: brew amazing coffee every time.

The Oxo Barista Brain coffee maker comes with an auto-on timer and the ability to brew 1-4 cups of coffee, instead of a full pot. It costs quite a bit less than the Technivorm, too.

If you want near-unlimited programmability, however, take a look at the Breville Precision Brewer. You can optimize the brew temperature and pre-infusion time, and even make cold brew coffee. Here’s what we think about this coffee maker.

A smart coffee maker like the GE Cafe Specialty also makes a good choice if you want a machine you can control with your phone. It’s also SCA-certified and has a thermal carafe. Read our GE Cafe Specialty coffee maker review to learn more.

You want to brew less coffee (not 10 cups at a time) – The Moccamaster has a 10 cup (40-oz) brewing capacity. Now, those are European cups, but still, this thing can make a lot of coffee at once. If you’re not drinking more than 4-6 oz of brewed coffee at a time, you may want to choose from our list of the best best single serve coffee makers instead.

You are looking for a budget-friendly drip coffee maker – The Moccamaster comes with a high price tag, and not everyone is comfortable splurging on a simple drip coffee machine. We get it. That’s why we love the Bonavita BV1900TS and the BV1901TS. Both are SCAA-certified, just like the Technivorm, and feature the same one-button brewing simplicity. We found that both make a great cup of coffee, far superior to standard drip coffee makers. Here’s our Bonavita BV1900TS review and our Bonavita Connoisseur review.

However, if you want something a little more affordable, the KitchenAid coffee maker, the Cuisinart DCC-3200 and the Hamilton Beach Brewer are good options.

You care more about retro aesthetics than the quality of your coffee – So, you care more about the looks of your kitchen more than the taste of your cup of joe. If this is your situation, then opt for the Nostalgia retro-style drip coffee machine instead. This machine is programmable and can make up to 12 cups of coffee in one go.

The Verdict On The Technivorm Moccamaster Drip Coffee Maker

The Technivorm Moccamaster is a simple coffee brewer with a body and a heating element that is built to last. Seth Mills of Mistobox summarized this brewer best: (4)

We found it to be every bit as good as people say it is, even if it’s on the expensive side. Very few brewers can achieve consistent, optimal brewing temperatures and even extraction the way the Moccamaster can.

SEE ON AMAZON

If you appreciate the complex flavor profile of specialty coffees but prefer the convenience of an automatic drip machine, the Moccamaster is the machine you’ve been looking for.