New Yorkers possess an instinctual knowledge of where to secure a reliably good, undeniably cheap cup of coffee: the corner bodega.
It costs $3, maybe $4; it’s poured before your Apple Pay loads and, if you’re really lucky, arrives in that iconic blue-and-white cup.
While the bodega has cheap coffee, we wanted to know which coffee maker out there mastered quality.
Thus, for the New York Post’s Made It Here Awards for the best coffee makers, we rigorously evaluated seven premium machines — ranging from a relatively modest $369 drip brewer to an absurdly extravagant $4,499 all-in-one machine — with one defining question: Which machine actually brews a cup magnificent enough that you’d willingly walk right past your corner shop?
We judged every single contender on five distinct parameters: coffee quality, ease of use, build and maintenance, counter space footprint and of course, overall value. Evaluating the bold, brilliant brew required an exhaustive taste test conducted by Helen Pinch, a coffee sommelier from Paloma Coffee & Bakery in Brooklyn, New York.
Ironically, the ultimate victor emerged as the absolute cheapest machine we tested, and by far the simplest.
The Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select boasts two tactile switches, zero glowing screens and no connected apps. Hand-built in the Netherlands, it silently brews a 10-cup pot in under seven minutes, and it outright conquered our rigorous taste test.
Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select
Pros:
- Clinched first in our blind barista taste test
- Holds SCA approval for maintaining a strict brewing range
- Easily toggles between a full or half carafe
- Fastidiously hand-built in the Netherlands
- Highly manageable depth of just 6.5 inches
- Backed by a robust 5-year warranty
Cons:
- Lacks a programmable timer, so you can’t wake up to a pre-brewed pot
- Does not include an integrated coffee grinder
- Carafe sits on a hot plate, risking burnt flavor
Functioning as a premium 10-cup drip coffee maker, the Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select features a classic glass carafe, an independent hot plate and a dedicated switch designed specifically to optimize half-pot extractions. It proudly carries approval from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and certification from the European Coffee Brewing Centre; in fact, Moccamaster claims it is the sole brewer on the market to actively hold both prestigious certifications for both full and half carafes.
Capacity: 40 ounces (1.25 L, 10 cups) | Brew time: About 6.5 minutes for a full carafe | Brew temperature: 196 to 205 degrees Fereinhight | Carafe: Glass, on a hot plate | Auto-off: 100 minutes | Size: 14 by 12.75 by 6.5 inches (H x W x D) | Weight: 6 pounds | Power: 1,475W | Certifications: SCA approved, ECBC certified | Warranty: 5 years, plus repairs for life | Made in: The Netherlands
Why is the Moccamaster KBGV Select the best coffee maker?
A coffee maker in New York must fiercely earn its precious counter space. It must consistently produce a cup worth skipping the local coffee shop for; it must seamlessly fit in a tight kitchen and it must survive years of bleary-eyed 6 a.m. mornings without demanding a software update or companion app.
“[The Moccamaster brew] does all the things a drip coffee should: it’s comforting and rich, but not jet fuel,” Pinch said of the Moccamaster’s master mocha. Plus, it does all of that for a modest investment of $369. Is that cheap? No. But it’s still somehow the least expensive on our list of top brewmasters.
How easy is it to set up?
There is almost nothing to it. Simply fill the water tank, drop a standard paper filter and your preferred grounds into the basket and flip the switch. It comes with a manual, but you won’t need it.
The entire operational interface consists of just two analog switches. One awakens the machine; the other dictates whether you are brewing a full or a half carafe. That actually changes how the machine extracts the coffee rather than merely reacting to how much water you poured in.
Moccamaster does issue a few strict operational rules I recommend you follow:
- Only use tap, filtered or bottled water – avoiding distilled or reverse osmosis options.
- Grind your beans medium-coarse, “like coarse sand or sea salt.”
- Utilize oxygen-whitened paper filters rather than brown unbleached ones or a reusable mesh net.
How does the coffee taste?
This is precisely where the Moccamaster secured its crown. Pinch brewed a control coffee bean through all seven of our machines and blind tasteed. The Moccamaster won, hands down.
“Sorry to all you other ones, this one is my favorite,” said Pinch of the bean machine.
The underlying secret behind this culinary victory relies heavily on strict temperature and meticulous timing. The SCA’s Golden Cup standard dictates that water must be brewed between 196 and 205 degrees, interacting with the grounds for exactly four to six minutes.
“[The coffee] hits at first with acidity, then sweetness, then just the finest bit of bitterness at the end,” Pinch said. “It really brings out the stone fruit, mango and apricot.”
Because the Moccamaster officially holds SCA approval, it has proven itself mechanically capable of consistently hitting that exacting standard without fail.
What’s the design like?
“The aesthetic is really strong,” Pinch said.
It features a stark metal body, a prominent water tank and a suspended brew basket perched up top, all coalescing into a retro-industrial design that has barely changed since the Type 69 debuted in 1969. It’s available in up to 23 distinct colors, with most variations costing $369 and some up to $389.
For any kitchen in or out of the five boroughs, physical shape inevitably matters more than strong aesthetics. Measuring only 6.5 by 12.75 by 14 inches tall, its 6-pound body tucks easily against the backsplash and rests comfortably beneath most upper cabinets.
Moccamaster hand-builds every unit at its factory in the Netherlands, backing its craftsmanship with an impressive 5-year warranty alongside a promise of repairs for the life of the brewer.
Although Moccamaster assures users that any plastic components are strictly BPA-, BPS-, BPF-, and phthalate-free, there is a noticeable amount of plastic involved. Hopefully, the next minor modification to this machine’s simple design will opt for more glass and metal and less plastic.
How do you clean it?
The shower arm, filter basket and glass carafe easily detach and wash directly in the sink. However, the delicate water tank isn’t removable, and none of the individual parts are dishwasher safe.
Moccamaster advises you to descale the system every 100 brews or every three months.
What are the downsides?
The machine lacks a timer, so you can’t set it up the night before and wake up to a fresh pot. It also lacks an integrated grinder, so you’ll either want pre-ground beans or a standalone grinder.
Additionally, the glass carafe rests directly on an active hot plate. While it effectively keeps the coffee hot and intelligently shuts off after 100 minutes, any coffee that sits baking on an active heat source long enough inevitably begins to taste burnt.
If you are the type of drinker who nurses a single pot all morning, we suggest you examine Moccamaster’s thermal-carafe models for roughly the same price instead.
How does it compare to similar coffee makers?
In our intense testing matrix, the Moccamaster’s closest rival was the other drip-only machine in the lineup: the Fellow Precision Coffee Maker. The remaining five contenders were all multi-machine systems, ranging from $795 to $4,499.
The Fellow is engineered specifically for those who obsessively want to adjust everything: temperature manipulated to the exact degree, the length of the bloom, the specific water pulses and dedicated presets based strictly by roast. All controllable directly on the machine or within a smartphone app.
If your chaotic mornings demand fresh espresso and frothy lattes, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro at $795 physically accommodates a narrow galley kitchen at just 7.5 inches wide, but both it and the ultra-premium Jura Z10 cost exponentially more than the Moccamaster ever will.
Ultimately, the Moccamaster secured its sweeping victory on the fundamentals that matter every morning. It won the critical taste test, it stands as the most affordable machine in the entire group, it offers a vastly superior warranty and there is nothing on it that requires a frustrating software update.
How much does it cost?
At the time of publication, the KBGV Select MSRP is $369 for the vast majority of its colors, while reaching $389 if you desire Candy Apple Red or Brushed Gold.
That is undeniably a lot of cash for a basic drip machine. However, it concurrently stands as the cheapest machine in our entire gauntlet – costing $581 less than the Ninja and an astronomical $4,130 less than the Jura Z10.
Pitted against the corner bodega, it pays for itself. With New Yorkers spending an average of $357 per year on coffee, this magnificent machine basically covers its own cost after one trip around the sun.
Is it worth it?
Yes, assuming you actually drink hot drip coffee every single day. Which, for the record, I’m drinking hot, cold, fresh or old coffee every day because I like the taste, but I love the caffeine.
It faithfully brews within the SCA’s target temperature range, won our stringent taste test, fits on a cramped NYC kitchen counter, and arrives bolstered by five full years of reliable coverage. And, one more time for the blurry-eyed folks in the back, there is no software to eventually go out of date.
If you desperately want to wake up to a freshly brewed pot, or if you exclusively drink frothed lattes, this simply is not your machine; and that’s OK. That’s why we reviewed all of the machines we did, because there is something for everyone here. You can procure the Fellow or the Ninja instead.
Save bodega coffee for your trip to the train, and make the good stuff at home on the Moccamaster.
How did we test it?
We evaluated seven distinct coffee makers across three structural categories: standard drip, fully automatic espresso and semi-automatic espresso.
The overarching goal stayed the same for every machine: Is the coffee genuinely good enough to justify skipping the bodega, and does the hardware actually belong on a cramped New York counter?
We judged each unit on five heavily weighted criteria, with the crucial coffee-quality metric incorporating an exhaustive blind taste test administered alongside Helen Pinch, a coffee sommelier from Paloma Coffee & Bakery in Brooklyn, New York.
Testing criteria
- Coffee quality: Is the brew actually robust enough to justify skipping the corner entirely? Our designated sommelier methodically drank each machine’s core drinks black, evaluating both the default setting and the absolute strongest extraction available.
- Ease of use: Can a half-awake New Yorker fresh off a night of partying successfully brew a hot cup before sprinting to the train without desperately opening the manual? Just how many frustrating steps exist between pressing the button and holding coffee in your hand?
- Build and maintenance: What exactly do the daily and weekly cleaning protocols require? Does the internal brew unit physically come out? What materials comprise the machine and exactly how long does the manufacturer’s warranty last?
- Counter space: Does it comfortably fit on a cluttered New York counter while sliding cleanly beneath the upper cabinets? Most city kitchens only leave about 18 inches of clearance between the counter and the cupboards above.
- Value: Does the overall performance justify its steep price tag against both the rest of the competitive field and against a daily $3.50 cup from the bodega?
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