Technivorm Moccamaster Espresso Maker Evaluation

Certainly one of my favourite Critical Eats private tales is that this piece by Keith Pandolfi titled The Case for Dangerous Espresso. He writes about how he went from being a espresso snob to somebody who realized that in the long run, espresso is simply bean juice. 

I can relate. Whereas I like a well-made latte, for me, espresso is a heat welcome to the morning fairly than one thing I need to agonize over perfecting. Avert your eyes, espresso nerds: My every day brew beans are sometimes one of many extra inexpensive coffees I should buy, pre-ground and in bulk amount. Sure, I do every little thing you shouldn’t do. Our crew of espresso specialists would wring their fingers in the event that they knew this (sorry!). 

So for a very long time, I couldn’t give two figs about my espresso brewer; it’s simply making bean juice in spite of everything. However once I bought my fingers on the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Espresso Brewer for long-term testing, it threw a few of my long-held, barely proud, dissident emotions about espresso for a loop. 

I just lately went to New York’s Hudson Valley for some climbing with mates. We stayed in a cute Airbnb and had a hearty breakfast earlier than hitting the hills. Our meal of eggs, toast, and bacon was, in fact, accompanied by a pot of espresso. I welcomed that mug like a hug from a very good pal—however as I sipped, the nice and cozy glow light: It was musty, dank, and off. 

Whereas this was almost certainly as a result of outdated espresso grounds offered, the opposite problem was the brewer. It took ceaselessly to brew a pot, used a glass carafe, and had a scorching plate to maintain the espresso heat (learn: burnt). Every little thing I had ever examine espresso on Critical Eats flashed earlier than my eyes, and I groused to my husband that I missed our Technivorm again residence. 

Why I Love the Technivorm MoccaMaster

You see, whereas I’m definitely not the kind to purchase a $35 pound of espresso beans and grind them myself, I do need my cup of espresso to, at minimal, not style like soiled water. I can’t consider I’m writing these phrases, however the speedy brew time on the Moccamaster ensures a wonderfully extracted pot with none bitterness or muddled flavors. It additionally means I can get up, add water and grounds, and my espresso shall be prepared in lower than two minutes. Significantly, we timed it in our overview of drip espresso makers: “It…has a copper heating aspect that will get water as much as 205ºF in lower than a minute.” Morning brew, right here I come. 

The insulated carafe on this mannequin is one other boon: It retains espresso piping scorching with out cooking it like a brewer with a scorching plate does. Whereas I’m a one- or two-cup particular person, my husband often goes again for refills, so the metallic carafe is crucial. 

Every little thing else in regards to the Moccamaster is the cherry atop the sundae, the dusting of Parmesan over a plate of pasta: Its spray head is simple to take away for cleansing, it has a chrome steel physique that may outlast a plastic one, and it may brew as much as 10 cups of espresso. Oh, and should you’re nerdy about your brew like our espresso writers and wish probably the most excruciatingly, evenly extracted consequence you will get, there’s a easy methodology to comply with: The filter basket has a manually adjustable drip cease, so you may, per our overview, “shut it for the primary 30 to 60 seconds of brewing, letting the espresso saturate totally. Then, you may then open the stopper to let the espresso circulate into the carafe.” Et voilà—a superb brew is on its manner. My husband is rather more into espresso tradition than me and delights on this easy trick for a stellar carafe. However even should you’re like me and simply need a strong cup of espresso, the Technivorm Moccamaster delivers—with none fuss. 

Why We’re the Consultants

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Critical Eats, the place she focuses on testing and reviewing kitchen gear. 
• She beforehand examined kitchen tools at America’s Take a look at Kitchen. 
• She’s been utilizing the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT for over a yr now and loves how streamlined and speedy it’s, in addition to the superb pot of espresso it brews.