Technivorm Moccamaster KBG-741 – Coffee Maker/Brewer Review
The quest for the best cup of coffee is a never-ending one. You find a machine, fall in love with it, think your quest is over – and then become disillusioned. That is, until now.
I grew up in a household where water was boiled and lovingly poured over ground coffee beans. My parents knew better than to buy and use a percolator – which was all the rage at the time – because the resultant drink was bitter and had a burnt taste from the coffee being endlessly boiled and recirculated in the device.
Indeed, until the early 20th century, it was standard practice to add ground coffee to hot water in a pot, boil it, and serve in the manner of Turkish or Greek coffee. The introduction of the Mr. Coffee electric drip – with sales fueled by spokesman Joe DiMaggio – changed all that and killed the percolator market within several years but my parents never strayed from the tried and true non-electric approach.
I’ve used a variety of devices to make coffee over the years: a French press; vacuum brewer, in which the coffee is drawn back by pressure differential; stovetop mocha pot; and several drip coffee machines.
Recently I discovered coffee brewers from Technivorm, a Dutch company that hand makes its products. While you can buy a drip coffee maker for under $50, theirs sell at a premium (it’s a little over $300 at amazon.com) – and I was curious to find out whether they were worth it.
SETTING UP THE TECHNIVORM MOCCAMASTER KBG-741
While I had seen pictures of the Moccamaster on the company’s website, nothing prepared me for the masterpiece of design that arrived. With a note advising “This is a handbuilt and individually tested Technivorm Moccamaster Coffeemaker,” I was duly impressed.
The Moccamaster reminded me of something one might see in a high-tech lab or a kitchen of the future display, thanks to its clean lines, attractive stainless steel material, and negative space. The trapezoidal water tank sits atop a stainless tower, with a stainless arm extending out towards a black plastic funnel that sits on a thin plastic base, giving the appearance that the filter holder is floating in space. The funnel accepts standard Type 4 filters (Technivorm recommends bleached white filters and recommends against permanent gold filters.)
Click here to continue to Page 2 – Using the Technivorm Moccamaster KBG-741
