SCOOP 2 WAY DIGITAL COFFEEMAKERBREWS ONE CUP OR A
Product Details
Product Dimensions:
15 x 13.8 x 11.5 inches ; 4.8 pounds
Shipping Weight: 10 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
ASIN: B004O0AOMQ
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#4,252 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
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This review is from: Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer with Thermo CarafePlease get your coffee and sit though this review, it's a bit long. So many people and places rate this as the best drip coffee maker because of the ideal brew temperature and brew drip time. I spent more time on this review because I want to justify the expense of this coffeemaker. The bottom line is that to get the really best tasting coffee out of this expensive coffee maker, you may have to spend just a bit of time fussing with it. This includes finding the right amount of coffee to add, using filtered room temperature water, and I found as some people suggest that if you leave the brew basket top off and stir the coffee grinds during brewing (at least for the first minute when the water has filled the basket and the grinds are swimming in water) , you get even better tasting coffee (better flavor extraction). Also, unless I buy another thermal carafe specifically the Thermos Nissan 51 Ounce Stainless Steel Carafe, I should drink all the brewed coffee within the first hour. The included carafe just does not maintain the coffee at a decent temperature for more than a half hour, especially if you use the brew through lid. If the thermal carafe is to replace the need for a heating pad to keep the coffee warm, then I am disappointed that the carafe can't keep great brewed coffee hot for very long.Note that the CDT and its original brother the KBT 741 leave ½ cup of water in the heating chamber after brewing. If you dry out your Technivorm (pour out any excess water and dry the reservoir) like I do, then you may wish to add a ½ cup of water to the chamber when brewing to compensate. Otherwise, it's only your first batch of coffee that may be a bit stronger.The instructions recommend using fresh tap water (I use filtered water from a carbon block system). This does result in a brew temperature of 195-200°F degrees as measured using my Thermapen. As an experiment, I reused the heated water from the carafe to brew coffee (the water has not yet cooled to room temperature). Don't do it. This seems to confuse the Techivorm's heating element's thermostat and the brewing temperature drops to around 180°F degrees instead if the 190 to 200°F degrees if I start with room temperature water. And why did I reuse heated water? Why waste water? The instructions recommend "preheating the thermal carafe", likely so that the temperature of the brewed coffee does not cool below 190°F as it fills the thermal carafe.What do I like about the CDT?The coffee brewed from the Technivorm is more palatable so that I do not need to adulterate the coffee with any sweetener or creamer (if you use decent coffee beans). I don't have a connoisseur's palate but I also like to consider that I don't have a dead one either. Even when I brewed carafes of coffee using 10 year old Maxwell House coffee (year 2000 stash) I can tell a difference in taste between it from a CDT and my other coffee maker a Cuisinart DCC-450BK 4-Cup Coffeemaker with Stainless-Steel Carafe, Black. The coffee from the Cuisinart is harsher and bitter more likely because of the 170°F brew temperature although the brew time is about the same as the CDT (5 minutes). I wouldn't have believed the taste difference had I not brewed using both coffee makers. So if I use filtered water (at room temperature) and fresher quality coffee beans I will get better tasting brewed coffee from the Technivorm.The very open reservoir design makes adding water into the reservoir a breeze (no one should make a mess pouring water into the reservoir).The CDT's reservoir`s round shape makes it very easy for me to dry the reservoir with a kitchen towel. I wasn't sure about the KBT's square shape and keeping it as clean. The only difference between the CDT and the KBT 741 is the shape of the reservoir (and the added height of the CDT's reservoir to keep the same capacity as the KBT 741).The CDT comes with a 4 foot long three prong power cord. I don't have any problems plugging in my CDT anywhere in my kitchen.What are my disappointments?The included thermal carafe is my big disappointment. While I know that the carafe is designed to be poured using a lid (whether the included lid or the optional brew through lid, both which work okay), how difficult would it have been to stamp a small V-shaped spout on the carafe? It would help me pour my coffee into my Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless-Steel Insulated Bottle without spilling hot (and precious) coffee down the side of the thermos (yeah, I did have the carafe's top in place). After I brew my coffee and screw on the top onto the thermal carafe, the outside of the thermal carafe is about ten degrees warmer than my kitchen counter: this carafe is loosing too much heat! The 198-200°F degree coffee drops about 25° degrees after an hour with the regular lid or 10°F loss per half hour with the brew through lid. Oh, and this is where I preheat the carafe with hot water! The carafe just looses too much heat. Maybe Technivorm could have Thermos Nissan make their thermal carafes? I have a travel size Thermos Nissan that I use for nursing my coffee at work. Even up to eight hours after brewing I still enjoy my coffee's hot to warm temperature (without preheating)! The Technivorm carafe has no information on where it is made. UPDATE: March 8, 2010: I contacted the seller complaining about my carafe's inability to keep the coffee hot. I was se...
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