Is the Moccamaster KBT Worth It?
Based on tests by America's Test Kitchen (Jun 2025). How we score
Worth it. Buy the Moccamaster.
Amazon prices as of Sep 29, 9:38 PM EDT (details)
Why
America's Test Kitchen's winner, making coffee tasters called "very strong but smooth." Its copper heating element holds brewing water in the ideal temperature zone for 91% of the cycle, versus 54% for the cheaper OXO, and ATK praised "its five-year warranty and its easily replaceable exterior parts, which ensure a long, useful life." The OXO makes good, milder coffee for less, but if coffee quality is the point, the Moccamaster earns its price.
Moccamaster warranty: 5-year
Cheaper alternatives, scored against the Moccamaster
Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker, Thermal Carafe
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen's "Also Great" pick: compact, simple to clean, with "an especially easy-to-handle carafe." But its water was in the ideal range for only 54% of the brew cycle, and tasters found the coffee "mild," "rounded," and "gentle" rather than bold. Half pots require swapping to a cone-shaped basket and filter. ATK didn't test long-term durability, and the listing doesn't state a warranty.
| Criterion | Moccamaster | OXO |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee quality | 3/3 | 2/3 |
| Ease of use | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Carafe | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Cleanup | 3/3 | 3/3 |
From America's Test Kitchen: The Best Coffee Makers (updated June 11, 2025)
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Coffee Makers (updated June 11, 2025)
Common questions
Moccamaster KBT or KBGV Select?
America's Test Kitchen made the KBT its winner and rated the KBGV Select Recommended with Reservations. Both use the same copper heater, but the KBGV's coffee tasted a bit "thin" and slightly "weak," and its glass carafe lost heat much faster than the KBT's thermal carafe.
Is the Moccamaster programmable?
No. It has a single on/off switch; America's Test Kitchen found it "a breeze to set up and brew." If you want a programmable machine, ATK's pick is the Fellow Aiden.
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Coffee Makers (updated June 11, 2025), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
