After eight years of near daily use, my 14 cup Cuisinart Coffee Maker (DCC-3200P1) needed replacement. Early one morning I discovered the lid wouldn’t open completely, preventing me from adding water and ground coffee. Nothing was obviously out of place; however, a small plastic piece shot from the device as I gently tried to debug the problem. I couldn’t determine where the piece came from and none of the online repair guides seemed to cover the internal lid components. It still worked but I was a bit uneasy.

I enjoy coffee but I do not consider myself a connoisseur. I don’t want to spend significant effort on my morning coffee; however, I prefer better coffee than I can get from a Keurig. I find the amount of waste from k-cups and Nespresso pods unreasonable. I own a Baratza Virtuoso burr coffee grinder and I’m happy to grind fresh beans each morning.

There are a ton of resources online when purchasing a new coffee maker. I talked with friends on Discord, browsed numerous reddit posts, watched YouTube videos, and read wirecutter articles.

Online reviewers preferred a thermal carafe; however, everyone I talked with had complaints. Many thermal carafes retained coffee, didn’t pour well, or were difficult to clean due to a small opening. I typically make 4 cups of coffee and pour it into a 20oz Yeti Rambler, removing the need for thermal longevity. A glass carafe would be fine, if not preferrable, for my use.

Several high-end coffee makers required bespoke coffee filters. This is an unreasonable requirement to me, I only considered coffee makers that accepted standard conical or flat-bottom coffee filters.

There were three serious options:

Reviewers said that all three coffee makers made wonderful coffee.

Moccamaster KBGV Select

The Moccamaster was highly recommended by friends and colleagues for it’s longevity, 5 year warranty, and availability of replacement parts.

This coffee maker does not have many features; it doesn’t have a clock, auto-on setting, or audible alert for when the brew cycle is complete. There is a power switch and a toggle for brewing a half or full pot.

Many people “added” automatic brewing by connecting the Moccamaster to a smart plug, thanks to the physical power switch. People mentioned creating smart home routines that power the coffee maker for ~20 minutes. The manual says the machine will automatically turn off after 100 minutes.

This brewer isn’t suitable for single cup brewing, the manufacturer recommends brewing a minimum of 4 cups.

The Moccamaster seems to focus on taste, consistency, and lifespan over additional features. The primary downside is it’s $360 USD price, over triple the cost of replacing my Cuisinart.

OXO Brew 9 Cup

Oxo’s 9 cup coffee maker was well reviewed but the single control knob looked annoying to use, many people complained that it felt cheap for a $230 coffee maker. Online reviews reccomended the 9 cup brewer, often noting that the 8 cup brewer was a significant step down.

Bonavita Enthusiast 8-cup

The Bonavita Enthusiast 8-Cup Drip Coffee Brewer consistently won “best cup” in blind taste tests. The machine has a detachable water reservoir and looks quite nice.

There were several Reddit posts complaining about availability of replacement parts, there was a change in the company which made it impossible to get replacement parts in 2020-2022 and it’s unclear whether this is still an issue. I considered purchasing this coffee maker but I couldn’t find anywhere to order it; the Bonavita website still says this model is pre-order and out-of-stock.

Decision

I purchased the Moccamaster KBGV Select with a glass carafe on June 15th, 2024 based on reviews and personal recommendations. The initial cleaning and setup was quite easy. It takes a bit more space on my counter but it looks nice overall.

In retrospect, I wish I had considered purchasing the thermal carafe version and brewing directly into my Yeti mug.

The first several pots have been quite good, though I’m not sure I can discern a significant difference in taste to warrant spending so much on a coffee maker. I received a non-cash spot bonus (a bonus that requires me to expense a gift for myself, rather than cash) while researching coffee makers so I did not worry about the cost.