Automatic Drip Coffee Brewer

Product Reviewed: Technivorm Moccamaster CD
Manufacturer: Technivorm
Average Price: Varies
Price Paid: $189.00
Where Bought: Boyds.com
Owned for: 6 months
Similar Items Owned: Mr. Coffee, Krups and others

Bottom Line: Your favorite coffee can taste the same

at home as it does in the coffee shop.

Positive Product Points

Brews superior coffee

Simplicity (no clock, no timer, no built-in grinder), fewer things to break

Solid, heavy construction

Access to grounds during brew cycle (for stirring)

Negative Product Points

Prefer slightly greater capacity

Convenience for some (no clock, no timer, no built-in grinder)

Overview:

Ever purchase coffee shop beans because you to experience the same great coffee at home, only to be disappointed? After setting up this coffeemaker and figuring out the variables (coarseness of grind, coffee to water ratio, etc.) I was able to brew coffee at home that tasted just like it did in the coffee shop!

Specifications:

Dimensions = 14 5/8” tall x 11” wide x 5” deep

Weight = ~5 lbs

Cord = heavy gauge, three prong grounded, over 48” long

Electrical = 1475 watts, 13 amps

Capacity = 1.25 liters (~42.24 ounces), 10 cup (European), about 8 - 5 oz. cups U.S.

Filter = #4 Cone, paper or permanent (purchased separately)

Made in Holland

Arrival, Setup & First Impression

Don’t be disappointed by the plain packaging; they put the money into the coffee maker and packing for protection.

The instructions are printed on the equivalent a single 8 1/2" x 11” sheet of paper folded in half to make four pages; one of which is used for the cover. That leaves only three, half-sheet-sized pages of text to read. Read the manual.

It takes only a minute to set it up. The weight and materials give the impression of solid durability.

Making Coffee:

Brewing coffee in this coffee maker is just as easy as any other automatic drip brewer; however, it can appeal to the individual that wishes to turn it on and walk away as well as the person that likes to be intimately involved with the brewing process.

1. Add proper amount of water

2. Insert coffee filter (paper or permanent)

3. Add the proper amount of ground coffee to suit your taste

Now you have one of two options:

4. Put the carafe in place, turn it on and let it brew

or

4. Leave the carafe off for about 30 seconds or so and stir the “slurry”

5. Put carafe in place and monitor progress

This brewer does have a “pause and serve” feature, but in using this feature one will defeat the benefits of the funnel feature that is built into the lid on the carafe. As coffee brews, the brew gets “weaker” and this feature does a good job of mixing the coffee so that it is consistent in the carafe.

Amongst the other variables, proper water brewing temperature is essential to good coffee (195º – 205º F) and I have measured water coming out of the brew head at 205.3ºF. I have measured the temperature atop the “slurry” between 200º – 204º F. The now standard nine-hole shower head does a good job of adequately saturating the grounds.

Because this coffee maker does nothing but brew coffee it has only two switches and I consider one of them extraneous. One switch is for on / off and the other switch is to make the hotplate even hotter. The manual states to put the hotplate switch in the “+” position, which is the hotter of the two. I do not find this necessary as I have accidentally touched the hotplate and can attest to the fact that it is already quite hot. Leaving coffee on the burner will just cook the coffee, which defeats the purpose of brewing excellent coffee in the first place. I always transfer my freshly brewed coffee to a thermos rated for 24 hours hot / cold.

The results are in the cup. I now roast my own coffee and with this coffee maker, I am confident that I am getting the best flavor the coffee has to offer.

Cleaning

Everything comes apart easily for cleaning. That means that the lid separates from the carafe without making your arms flail and possibly breaking the carafe. Even a thorough cleaning of the funnel can be accomplished with a cotton swab, pipe cleaner, or rolled up paper towel. This is important because oils left behind from previous brews will go rancid and ruin your coffee.

There is a visual indicator (clear tube) that is supposed to indicate (by becoming cloudy) when it is time to descale the brewer. I can only assume that this works because I keep it descaled and have not waited for the tube to become cloudy.

Buying Experience

I had read such good things about Boyd’s that I was actually looking forward to dealing with them, but my experience was substantially less than positive. I had been waiting for them to get a new shipment. My wife went to check and it appeared that they were in stock so she ordered it next-day air. We were then contacted and told they were not in stock. It was apparently a referring web page that was no longer updated.

We called back to check on the status and it was just one problem after another: no record of the order, record of the order but not shipped, etc. I found out recently that they have been upgrading their systems, which if that was going on at the time we ordered then it would explain some of the problems. It does not excuse the fact that customer service treated us like an annoyance rather than like a valued customer. Perhaps my experience was just an anomaly.