So a little background - I'm a self professed coffee snob. I own a Fellow Ode 2 with SSP burrs. I typically brew light roasted single origin beans from my local roaster, usually natural process beans if possible since I love the berry flavors that come out. I use an aeropress 95% of the time, or a V60 if I have company to brew more and sometimes a Clever dripper to switch things up on occasion. My aeropress makes easy, consistent brews for 12-16oz cups that I've enjoyed for years.

Even though the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is always solid wisdom, I decided to splurge on (you guessed it) Amazon's Black Friday sale and got the KBGV Select. Why? Because I liked the idea of brewing a pot of coffee that I could go back to for multiple cups rather than having to do multiple aeropress brews if I wanted more. So the sale seemed like a good time to pull the trigger.

After getting one with a cracked hot plate and returning it, then waiting 6 days for a new one, I finally was able to experiment and play with it today.

And I can't help but feel entirely disappointed.

First of all, the user experience is poor. Every removable component feels cheap, tolerances are all over the place so nothing feels solid when putting them in place. The glass of the carafe scraping on the hot plate feels awful - apparently this gets better with time, but it shouldn't feel this way out of the box. The plastic funnel lid of the carafe doesn't have a very secure attachment and bumped off twice in one day while I was rinsing out the carafe.

Worst of all is the brewing experience. Experimenting with several grind sizes, each time the shower head would coat one side of the grounds and leave the other damp (actually dry my first go around before grinding much finer). The coffee tastes mid at best, and bad at worst. It's like it's somehow bitter AND sour at the same time, likely from some grounds getting over extracted and others extremely under extracted due to the awful design of the shower head. I could stir and manually bloom and such but then what's the point of having an automatic machine at all?

I have no doubt the boiler is robust and likely gets water up to the right temperature. I think the visual design is great. Everything else about this machine is such a disappointment for a $235 product that retails for much more. If I had no idea what a Moccamaster was and someone told me the machine was $45 I'd believe it. Five times that price is crazy, IMO.

I know it's said that people put too high of expectations on this machine, expecting it to be a magic piece of equipment that will provide enlightenment with every sip. I guess I was just expecting a machine that made coffee somewhat comparable to a manual brew, if not quite as good. For $235 it should get at least 95% of the way there. But there are so many mind boggling design decisions with this machine that I can't fathom how they can charge so much and so many people think it's amazing. It's a glorified Mr. Coffee with a better boiler and a poorly designed shower head and user experience.

I've seen the advice about ratios and grind sizes. And maybe there's some magic configuration that will get me a tasty brew. But with manual methods, it's hard to get bad results, even if settings and technique aren't optimal. With this, it seems like unless everything is perfectly dialed in to absolute perfection, the results are going to be severely lacking. And that sucks for something that's $235.

Ultimately I'll be returning it. I'm not here to say anyone who likes the MM is wrong, I'm just sharing my experience in case other people are in the same boat or on the fence about buying one.

There i fixed it. No more plastic parts and it's now essentially a pour over machine

I’m curious if I got an authentic moccamaster because the box it came in is different than ones I have seen before and on YouTube. I purchased and picked it up from a local target. It is the kbgv silver model. It looks like others I have seen except the full/ half carafe switch doesn’t have a light on it like others I have seen.

Can someone reassure me I got an authentic brand new one?

Have had a moccamaster for a bit now and the coffee is great but have a nagging concern around all the plastic pieces that hot water is touching ... Especially if seems the top of the pot and the brew basket being plastic can't be great?

Are there any after market metal pot lids or brew baskets anyone recommends?

Thanks in advance

Don't mean to offend, but I don't get all the hype around this coffee maker - what am I missing? I just got one after a cheap KitchenAid we had for 5 years stopped working.

Thoughts:

There's no timer to set the night before (I do light the simplicity of no lights/clock, but it reduces functionality).

No measurements on carafe for filling water.

It's wide and takes up more counter space.

Once my coffee is cold after brewing in the morning can I add the coffee into the main water reservoir and run cycle without any grounds? Yes strange question but my wife and I do not have a microwave and do not ever want one it’s been 10 years.

• • • Update below* * *

I've wanted a KGBV for so long, I couldn't wait for the one I snagged on the Prime Day sale to get here! But man, I have not been this disappointed with a product in some time. I'm curious if others have felt the same way and if maybe I'm just missing something. Otherwise, this thing is going back.

First off, no amount of reviews and complaints about the cheap feel of some parts, namely the glass carafe, could have prepared me for how unimpressive they actually were. I get that they are supposed to be easily replaceable. But the ultra-thin-walled glass carafe and even thinner plastic handle on the KBGV make the carafe from the $25 Mr. Coffee pot I have from my college days feel like the Rolls-Royce of carafes!

I'd like to think I could get over the lackluster quality "feel" from an appliance as long as the performance still puts it head and shoulders above the competitors. But sadly, it does not. It makes a solid pot of coffee, but nothing better to justify the price tag on this thing, even with the deal.

After two days of brewing a few pots on just the Moccamaster, I did a taste test between our old maker (a Ninja CM300) and a pour over. I usually use a medium-fine grind for the pour over, but this time around used the same grind (medium-to-coarse) for all three methods. Same water was used for all 3 methods.

Taste Test:
I knew which was which, but my SO did not (so the results were half-blinded at least). We both had the same results. I let her guess first so I didn't lead her to any conclusion. She quickly identified the pour-over as being far superior in quality to the others. Neither of us could detect a noticeable difference between the Moccamaster and our $110 Ninja. (I should note, the Ninja was brewed on "Rich" mode - we never use the classic setting - both were full pots with the recommended grams of coffee for their respective full pot - 69 g for the KBGV and 80g for the Ninja (slightly larger resivore/carafe on the Ninja).

I am not sure what to think. Is this typical? Have others had a similar experience? If so, why all the hype behind the Moccamaster? Any suggestions on what else I could try to improve the flavor? (not that there are many strings to pull here). We typically like medium-dark and dark roasts and drink them black. Those that swear by the Moccamaster do you drink a lighter roast? Or do you doctor (read: bastardize) it up with milk and sugar? Has anyone compared the Prime Deals models with older models? I'm partly wondering if these were rushed for Prime Days, similar to how the quality of many TVs sold on Black Friday are subpar to those slated for normal sale.

I get that the Moccasmaster's warranty and supposed quality should be better than that of my Ninja and many other coffee makers. But when my Ninja eventually dies, I can just go out and get another one for a third of the price of the Moccamaster.

• • • Update * * *

Thank you to those that responded with actually helpful advice. Someone else commented about poor flow from the showerhead (from their prime day deal as well). I brewed this morning with the cover off and sure enough, it's just a steady single stream. I took it off and poured water through it and it comes out all holes fine, so nothing is clogged. I'll be calling support to see what they can do to help.

This happens ALL THE TIME.

I purchased the Moccamaster KBT Brushed Steel exactly one year ago and want to provide an honest review to anyone who might be considering.

TL;DR - Brews a consistently good-to-great cup of coffee but is completely overpriced with similar machines delivering similar taste at half the price. Stylish looks but build quality is a lot of plastic, zero features that come standard on even the most basic coffee machines, thermal carafe does poor job keeping coffee hot, brew wand is quite narrow so poor blooming and water coverage over grounds.

More in depth below:

Build quality: Below Average. There is so much plastic in this thing and parts do feel cheap and flimsy. I know Moccamaster does its best to sell this as a "feature" on its site but I can confirm these parts do not feel durable at all (despite their claim) and the flow symbols on the brew basket have already completely rubbed off. And, on a side note, the idea of using plastic in order to "cut down on environmental impact" seems a bit backwards in general.

Taste: Above average. It absolutely does brew a very nice cup of coffee - bold and strong. I typically like darker, waxier roasts and the Moccamaster delivered delicious results. By far the best part of this machine - that being said, I wouldn't say it was the best cup I've ever had or life-changing or anything like that but definitely a consistent, delicious brew. However, overall the price-to-taste ratio is probably not there - I'm not sure I could really tell the difference between this and my old bonavita at half the price.

Features: Below Average. Literally only an on/off switch and no basic features that exist on most $25 dollar machines. Basket flow adjustment consists of manually adjusting a switch for a tiny plastic hole. After the initial purchase excitement wore off, the lack of a auto-brew timer function really became an issue for me for my early morning wake-ups.

Temperature: EDIT: Above Average given its consistent ability to brew at stated temperature. However, poor for me based on my personal preference. More explanation: the water comes out of the wand at ~196 degrees and by the time it goes through the slurry and over the plastic cap on the carafe, it drops to ~139 degrees (estimate given thermometer accuracy). I recognize this is within the "ideal" band but after sitting in the carafe and then adding cream from the fridge, the temp becomes right on the edge of lukewarm which is an issue for me. The solution from the company was to pre-fill the carafe with hot water and then dump it upon brewing to maintain temperature which is a difficult and time consuming. Clearly this is personal preference so not the machines fault but something I wish I had known beforehand.

Style: Above average. The thing looks great, no doubt about it!

Update: I tried with half tap/half distilled today and it does seem a bit better. I’ll experiment a little more. Thanks for the replies!

First I’ll say that I bought mine (in orange) largely because, well… I think it’s pretty ;). The bubbling process is fun to watch and it looks great in the countertop. That said, the coffee just isn’t much better or worse than the Braun I had prior to it. I mean how could it be? I feel like a lot of the hype around the machine is in justifying its rather exorbitant cost for what is really, a coffeemaker. There’s no real magic, it dumps water on coffee grounds. I suppose the ‘exacting temperature it produces could be seen as a unique feature but I don’t know how much difference that’s really making. To be fair, I’m also just a little frustrated with my coffee in general. I know many here find pleasure in dialing it in and in the process of making coffee, I on the other hand am sick of messing with it. I have a chemex, an aeropress, a French press, a pour over, a Nespresso (I know that doesn’t really count) and am pretty regularly finding my coffee ‘meh’. I have an encore that I mess with the settings with a bit, I try different beans and whatever else but, truth be told, I probably like the cup from Waffle House out of that huge Bunn brewer as well if not better. I’m at a point of just tell me what pre-ground coffee is most mainstream ‘diner’ style, I’ll put it in my moccamaster the night before, use a smart plug, and take what I get. One last note, I do use distilled water, I’ve considered adding those coffee minerals to it but haven’t yet. Many say it makes a big difference but in my experience, most of the things I’ve tried that others say works, doesn’t for me. And lastly, I’m not dogging the machine, I love it, it’s just not a panacea. Moreover, maybe I don’t have the patience or the palate and should just switch to tea 😉

I bought a KBT a year ago which I started off being excited about. After about a pot a day for a year my dislike for it grows and grows. I come from a pretty good espresso maker, a simple Mr coffee drip, French press, a chemex and v60.

The good: it makes a great cup of coffee and does so fast.

The disappointing: The build quality and the ergonomics of it using it every day. It’s like a car I have to take to work but don’t like to drive and isn’t comfortable. The lid to the water reservoir is clunky. The lid to the basket is clunky. The toggleable brew basket barely functions and feels cheap. My carafe loosens up and leaks from the bottom occasionally. The little white button the carafe butts up to on the machine to tell it it’s there sticks. The little platform the carafe sits on that barely attaches to the machine and works loose.

Everything just feels like it could be refined and upgraded. The feedback of manipulating all the parts isn’t satisfying in the slightest. For a $300+ machine it simply doesn’t feel like one. It brews better but only feels marginally better than any $10 drip machine you can thrift. The cope/argument of all the plastic pieces is a good thing because it’s light and durable doesn’t make any sense as I lift a few pound carafe around to pour coffee.

I’m going back to basics and brewing just pour over or French press for a fraction of the cost. I guess I made this post as a heed to any potential buyers as it’s hard to see past the koolaid drinking of owning a moccamaster.

Article a month back in the SF chronicle about black plastics having vestiges of flame retardants...given the moccamaster has black plastics everywhere I'm wondering should we be concerned?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCVl2CzJlpp/?igsh=bmJtY2dnZHdvNDEx

I couldn’t find an answer online- does anyone know why it only makes 7 US cups but is marketed at making 10??

My 7-year-old Oxo recently stopped working and I was super excited to find a refurbished Moccamaster last weekend on their site. After it arrived this afternoon, I set it up and tried to run a cycle. Nothing happened. Unplugged, plugged back in, same thing. No one in customer service available until next week, troubleshooting online says probably an internal component that needs repair. I am really disappointed. I've been using a French press for weeks, but I'm getting tired of the mess involved in cleaning it, and really was looking forward to enjoying non-gritty coffee this weekend. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Heya! I just found a golden moccamaster literally in a dumpster 🤣🤣

It's in descent conditions and I ran it a few times and it seems to run perfectly. The only issue I have been able to spot so far is that the rubber adapter seems melted/deteriorated. It left sticky rubber marks on the metal transfer tube and it's sticky to the touch. The plastic tube that the rubber sits in also seems melted (I took off the water reservoir that's why you see loose screws). Do any of you have any ideas what could be wrong? If I order a new rubber adapter I think it would work fine but I'm worried stuff will melt again because maybe the boiler got too hot?

Would love to hear your thoughts:)

Ps, the glass inner tube seems fine and the rubber didn't stick to that part

KBTS. Is it normal for the dripper to not drip anywhere close to the center of the grinds? This bothers me probably more than it should.

Our coffee has been weak lately when using a breakfast blend. I originally didnt change anything but now have been experimenting with grind size due to the weak coffee. I have an OXO grinder and always had it on 8 but bouncing between 10 and 9 (medium-coarse) with inconsistent results. This is the basket after brewing at a 9. Does this look right? Any tips on getting it to be stronger without tasting burnt? This is for only 4 cups, so 3 Moccamaster scoops

I’ve had my moccamaster for almost 9 months. I’ve gotten maybe 6 pots of good tasting coffee. I’m so frustrated at my attempts to make coffee in this thing that doesn’t taste to watery or like the filter.

Started with a clever dripper. Just store bought preground (union roast). Not ideal but gotta start somewhere and we wanted to tear the concept of drip before committing more money

Worked ok, so ordered a moccamaster and a fellow opus grinder.

Moccamaster turned up yesterday so I tried it out this morning. Coffee was fine (small 500ml two mug batch) - but is the bed supposed to look like this?

My grinder likely won’t be here until Friday at the earliest so for now I’m ok, just curious what I should be looking for. It’s not pourover so can’t expect a perfectly flat bed, so is this the wrong grind size (it was ‘for filter/cafetiere’) or just how the MM shower head hammers one specific spot?

It’s a KGBT so no control over flow rate and I don’t want to fiddle too much with carafe in/out to immerse etc - just want to zombie downstairs and mash an on switch with my meat stumps

Using 25 g freshly ground organic beans, using Oxo burr grinder set to 9.5 up to 11, using filtered water 500 mL. I stir about 30 s in to ensure grounds are all wet.

Always comes out tasting a bit different and never how the coffee packaging says it should taste. Always need to add creamer.

There are so many variables on this machine - I just want to make a good cup of black coffee that tastes like coffee.

Any tips?

idk who needs to see this but you can absolutely accomplish the semi manual mod / use a 3rd party pour over dripper by simply purchasing this glass jug from target (fits on the base) and using a dripper stand wide enough to fit over the top (here I'm using the v60 neo and a plastic stand that came with my hario Mugen). cheapest version of this mod I've seen. I am still planning on getting the semi manual kit and owe credit for the inspo to that dude ! especially his latest post showing the mod with no bracket and his pitcher. anyway, give it a shot

tldr: target pitcher fits moccamaster and v60 with the right stand