As I understand it, the consistently high praise for the Technivorm (Moccamaster) products are based in large part on the consistently high water temperatures they produce. Higher than most other products on the market, most especially much higher than the lower cost brands and models. The significance being, the high temperature is needed for proper flavor extraction. In my house, we each drink just one cup of drip coffee in the morning, and not always at the same time, so an electric kettle can produce near-boiling temperatures (allow to boil and then cool a few moments) that we use with freshly ground (and freshly roasted) coffee in a ceramic Hario pour-over cone.

I'm not sure why someone who's gotten 30 years of service from one appliance should be concerned about being able to get spare parts, rather than just replacing it.

I do like the option of being able to replace parts. So that is another plus for me. When my kids visit, there is coffee making and drinking throughout the day. My husband still hasn’t gotten me a birthday present from June because I couldn’t think of anything I really wanted. So this would make his day to have a suggestion.

I did think about a timer for my early work days so that is a good option. On my off days I am fine taking my time.

You might also want to check out the Breville Precision Brewer. Similar price point, and also designed to be a lot like pour-over coffee, with really a high brewing temperature. Fast, consistent, excellent coffee. But it lets you program a start time though. If you want to get nerdy, you can play with the brew temperature and pour-through rate. Maybe the Moccamaster lets you do that too?

When our Moccamaster went kerflooey ( trying to recall the issue - I think it wasn't anything internal or brewing related. If I'm remembering correctly, I think the on/off switch pushed through the casing? ) we bought a Breville Precision Brewer.

The Moccamaster was faster. Not enough of a coffee nerd to opine about flavor differences. Both make good coffee.

The Breville lets you choose from several coffee brew settings and one of them is the super high temp "Gold" setting. I tend to use the "My Brew " setting that, as @mcarroll16 mentioned, I programmed using the manual's suggestions back when the thing was new and I was willing to play with it.

The Breville has a "Descale" reminder that is an annoying but, I'm sure, good feature.

It makes superior coffee. It really does. It is lightening fast. The coffee is really hot. We have the metal Carafe because we do not want cooked coffee. We used one for years with a timer because DH wanted the coffee already made when he got up at dawn. It was the switch that failed. I objected to DH wiring in a new switch because I am aware that kitchen fires are too frequently started by coffee makers so we got a new one. It works just as well as the one we had for twenty years. If you don't want what this coffee maker offers don't get one.

Moccamaster is 100%, absolutely worth the money. I come from a culture where people drink a daily pot of coffee by themselves , and everyone has a Moccamaster (it's half the price there). It's so fast, no huge steam release, quiet, and makes the BEST home brew coffee. On avarage, they last 10-15 years I hear. My Cuisinart lasted for 8 years, and never made coffee anywhere near this good. When this one retires, I won't even consider saving $100 and getting something without the copper heating element. Yes, the black parts are light plastic...they are replaceable and have nothing to do with the coffee this machine makes. Also, it comes with a long stiff black cord...make sure that you have a good spot for it, I hide mine behind the coffee maker (it does not store inside like the Cuisinart one did).

Edited: in Europe, the new models now shut off after 30 min...here we still have the ones that shut off after 180 min. Get yours before they change the ones made for US plugs.

And I forgot to mention that I descale mine after 100 filters, easy to remember. The descaler is available on amazon in bags.

I've had one for about five years and will never consider anything else. The build quality of the brewer itself is amazing and the coffee is superb and rivals that of the best coffee houses.

Buy one, you won't regret it!!!

I had one and loved it but gave it to my dear son in law. My hubby has Alzheimer’s and if I’m lucky enough to have time for coffee in the morning it’s a single cup so Keurig fits the bill for a quick cup but I pay for the quickness by the lack of flavor that a Moccamaster cup of coffee has has.

Holly-Kay, I am so sorry.

I use my Moccamaster with the insulated carafe when entertaining. It is super quick. I am not a coffee person, but I am told by my guests who are coffee people that it is great coffee. I have sold many moccamasters ;-)

I’ve been reading the website and am a bit confused. Can you only brew a full pot? Or the half pot option on the one that has that button?

@Annette Holbrook(z7a) you can brew what ever amount you'd like. Keep in mind that the European full pot is a little smaller. The half/full warming plate selection is just if you want your pot piping hot, or if you are brewing 4 cups, you can use the half option....I always use the higher setting as I like coffee with my creamer ;) If you drink yours black, the half option might work well.

The one I had you could brew any amount depending on the amount of water added to the water tank. I used to brew about half a pot. Mine was purchased about seven years ago so perhaps the design has undergone changes.

@Holly- Kay I believe that the confusion is the warming plate option...that is not used to brew, it's just left at what setting works for you...how hot you want it to keep your already brewed coffee. The button next to it is how you start the coffee maker.

Ok, I had to pull it up on amazon....YES, they have changed it! It's still the same function but you could I guess brew a little faster if you are making only a few cups of coffee...but in the end, it's still how hot you want that plate to be.

It says "The hot plate's independent heating element ensures that your coffee is held at the perfect temperature, no matter what amount you've brewed". I guess if you brew a full pot, the plate works harder. I don't feel that the half setting keeps (if I don't drink it right away) hot enough for even 4 cups because I use creamer.

Thanks all, that makes more sense. I was on the actual Moccamaster website, which is pretty but a bit lacking in ease of use. Guess I’ll go read up on Amazon.

I've had one for 3.5 years with the thermal carafe. This coffee maker replaced an old Krups. I read many reviews on coffee makers prior to purchasing because I like my coffee brewed hot since I add some milk. Temperature was the deciding factor for me and the newer Krups machines were not rated as highly. The Moccamaster does live up to its reputation and the brew is indeed nice and hot. I justified the price by acknowledging I make coffee every morning, do not purchase Starbucks and this was not a throw away purchase. At the same time, I bought a Baratza Virtuoso grinder after having a low-end blade grinder, so I upped my coffee-game considerably.

Annette -- I think I see the source of the confusion. There are three different models in the Moccamaster glass carafe line of coffee makers. These are the base KBG (the model I have), the KB, and the KBGV Select (the one you are looking at.)

These differ a bit in how they work and how you fiddle with the brewing. It is a coffee nerd thing. The idea seems to be that slowing the water flow speed through a smaller amount of grounds and the steeping time-on-grounds and a lesser hot plate temperature will give fuller flavor and/or a customized flavor profile when making less-than-full pots.

On the KBG model I have, the two switches on the side of the brew plate are simply an on-off switch and a switch that selects between two hot plate temperatures. For those who want to nerd-out and achieve their personal coffee flavor-profile-nirvanna for water- time-on-grounds, you simply pull the carafe back enough to release the regular drip stop. The drip stop is the thing that shuts off the flow from the brewing basket so you can pour a cup while brewing is still going on. So, when you get your extra 30 seconds or whatever of steeping time for what you think is your perfect flavor profile, you just push the pot back into position which releases the drip stop so that the brewed coffee again flows from the basket into the pot.

On the KBGV model (the one that you are looking at and which can be had in colors), the two switches on the side of the base plate are the on-off switch and a switch that lets you select between brewing a full pot or half pot. The latter selector automatically adjusts the water's "time on grounds" by adjusting the water flow to the basket and, IIRC, closing the drip stop for a specific time (which I think might be 30 seconds) so that more time is given for steeping when less grounds are used for the half pot. The second switch on the base plate of the KBGV model also drops the hot plate temperature for half carafes in order to avoid over-cooking the smaller amount of coffee during the slower fill. If you want to be nerdily precise with steeping time with some amount of coffee between full and half pots or for less than a half pot, you resort to the manual procedure for the KBG model and experiment until you find the steeping time for your perfect flavor profile.

The Moccamaster KB model is for those nerds/experts who know exactly how many extra seconds they need for their personal coffee-nirvana preferences. The second switch on the base plate simply selects the hot plate temperature (as on the KBG) and does not control the water flow or drip-stop (unlike the KBGV). For controlling the drip-stop and steeping time, there is a manual drip-stop slider on the left side of the brew basket. The manual drip stop allows those so-inclined to increase the water's steeping time on the grounds. Longer times increase the extraction. This is a thing for coffee nerds with stop watches who prefer a different and stronger brew and/or different "flavor profile" than you get with the automated brew times designed into the KBGV machine.

Does that help?

That does help. Just to display my shallowness I am only looking at that specific model because I want a color,not black or silver lol.

Annette, you might as well get the perfect color at this price 😁😁. Happy brewing!! Ps. I have to confess how I ended up with my stainless one. I had ordered a champagne color on Amazon, and a day before it arrived I came across 4 store display Moccamasters at a local "odds and ends store". They were listed for $150/ea, and had a daily special of 50% off of any kitchen appliance. I bought all 4 (all different models) for $75/ea. I sold the other 3 for double that price in a Scandinavian fb group (they all got a great deal also)....so in the end, I made money buying my MoccaMaster. I gladly paid the $10 amazon return fee at the time.

Hey, coffee itself has no real point other than happiness. So by all means, get a coffee maker that also makes you happy, in function and appearance!

I had forgotten - my MoccaMaster was a really pretty red!