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Technivorm Moccamaster vs Bonavita – The Drip Coffee Maker 2024 Showdown

Man, that Technivorm looks cool, doesn’t it!? But hey, that Bonavita also looks pretty good. And it is cheaper. I have seen the Technivorm on the bench at my local specialty cafe. And the Panamanian Geisha they had it brewing was insane. But is the Technivorm worth the extra cash? They are both SCA certified. Does that mean they’re equally good?    

I think I can smell a showdown coming on…A battle between two giants of the drip coffee maker game!

In this article, I’m going to put the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT and the Bonavita BV1900TS 8 cup coffee brewer head to head. We’ll look at what each brewer does best vs where each brewer falls short. We’ll compare the two brewers and finally come out with a winner. 

Moccamaster vs Bonavita— let’s go! 

Technivorm Moccamaster Drip Coffee Maker

Technivorm has been around for a long time. We’re talking way back in 1964. Back when Technivorm was selling their first products— step ladders and shelving systems.

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Their first-ever drip coffee maker, the Technivorm Moccamaster 68, was released in 1969 with the ultimate goal of creating a durable coffee maker. To create a coffee maker that could not only brew the best carafe of coffee but would also last a lifetime. 

Flash forward to the present day, where over 10 million Technivorm Moccamasters have been sold worldwide. Each machine handmade in the Netherlands, and each machine benchmarked and tested before being shipped out. Moccamaster’s are known for their build quality. And it is this build quality that allows the machine to be capable of brewing such great coffee. 

Technivorm offers a few different models of the Moccamaster. The model I’m looking at today is the KBT.

The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT has been around for almost 20 years. During this time, it has won many coffee lover’s hearts and tastebuds. It has found its way not only into people’s homes, but also into cafes across the globe. 

Technivorm back their products with a solid 5-year warranty. And when you look at the price tag of the Moccamaster, you would hope for at least that!

Bonavita Drip Brewer

If the Moccamaster is the OG of drip coffee makers, then the Bonavita would have to be the new kid on the block. 
Bonavita makes a few different lines of gear, all coffee-related. Their products range from scales to carafes and kettles, and of course, coffee brewers. Without a doubt, Bonavita is best known for its gooseneck kettles and drip coffee makers.

Uniform Extraction
Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker

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If you’ve been into a specialty coffee establishment in the last 5 years, you will almost certainly have seen a Bonavita gooseneck kettle manning the filter bar or a Bonavita coffee maker taking care of the batch brew selection.  

Founded in 2011, Bonavita has earned its place in the coffee world by creating quality, innovative gear at a reasonable price. Their coffee gear is designed in Germany and manufactured in China.  

I think we can accurately assume that offshore manufacturing means Bonavita can offer their coffee makers for half the price of the Moccamaster. As welcome as this lower price may be, it does come with the downside of a far shorter, 2-year warranty. 

Moccamaster vs Bonavita Drip Brewers

Choosing a killer drip coffee maker used to be pretty hard. Unless you had first-hand experience with the machine or tasted the coffee that it brewed, it was hard to know what to expect. 

Ever since the SCA (specialty coffee association) started their Certified Home Brewer Program, choosing a drip coffee maker has become dead simple. Because the SCA will only certify brewers that meet their guidelines, you are sure that whatever machine you choose will be able to brew a cup of great coffee.

It will be able to brew coffee hot enough for a decent extraction. It will be able to keep that temperature stable, and it will be able to do so time and time again in a uniform manner. 

Pick any coffee maker on the list, and you should be good to go (in theory!). But being SCA certified doesn’t necessarily mean that these machines are equal. It means that each machine can perform at a minimum. It also doesn’t say anything about a machine’s durability.

With both beasts in this comparison being SCA certified brewers, we need to look at other factors to decide which will brew the best coffee. Technivorm vs Bonavita–let’s dive in.

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT

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Technivorm KBT Coffee Brewer, 40 oz, Polished Silver
$338.69

Aesthetics, brew quality and functionality, the Technivorm has it all!

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02/24/2023 09:47 pm GMT

PROS (+)

  • Copper boiling element for consistent water temperature
  • Adjustable brew basket
  • 5 year warranty

CONS (-)

  • Expensive
  • The showerhead doesn’t evenly saturate the coffee

The Moccamaster is pretty much everything you’d want in a coffee machine.

It has a large brew capacity, heats up the water to the perfect brewing temperature, brews a full batch in 6 minutes, and most importantly, makes tasty coffee.

And thanks to its high-quality workmanship, it won’t bug out on you first thing in the morning, leaving you high and dry without sweet, sweet caffeine. 

One of the key parts of making good coffee is the temperature of the water. The coffee grounds can be extracted properly with the right water temperature, resulting in a balanced, rich coffee in the cup. 

The Moccamaster heats water using a copper heating element below the water tank. These elements cannot only heat the water to the right brewing temperature but can do so quickly and consistently.  

It’s also a heavy duty brewer which will stand the test of time. Reports like the below are all over the internet and you don’t need to look far to find a cult of people still using their brewer after the 5 year warranty period:

technivorm vs bonavita comment
moccamaser vs Bonavita comment

The conical filter basket features an adjustable hole in the bottom. You can have the hole fully open, similar to a V60; you can have it fully closed or have it somewhere in between. 

A smaller hole in the brew basket will equal a slower extraction, also good for brewing half batches. Having the ability to close the brew basket hole fully means that you can do things like bloom the coffee at the beginning of the brew cycle or remove the carafe halfway through the brew. 

A full batch of coffee on the Moccamaster KBT is 1.25 liters or 40 ounces. With a brew time of around 6 minutes, you won’t need to wait long for a cup of coffee. 

The thermal carafe features a brew through the lid, allowing the coffee to be mixed as it enters the carafe. And thanks to the thermal carafe, the brewed coffee will stay hot for hours. There are a few models of the Technivorm Moccamaster that come with a glass carafe. The ‘T’ in KBT stands for thermal, referring to its stainless steel thermal carafe.   

There are only two real downsides to the Technivorm Moccamaster.

One of those downsides is the price. Now, I’m not saying that it isn’t worth the money— a handmade machine, tested by a human, and comes with a 5-year warranty should have a higher price tag. But the price will certainly remove it as an option for many people.  

My second issue is with the showerhead. If you are familiar with pour-over coffee brewing, you will know that we usually pour the water evenly over the coffee. 

Focussing too much on one area of the coffee bed can lead to channeling, resulting in under-extraction. The water dispersion holes on the Moccamaster KBT’s showerhead are all in a row. This means the water only drips over the center of the coffee bed. Not ideal, but certainly not a deal-breaker.

Bonavita BV1900TS One Touch

Uniform Extraction
Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker

Want perfect coffee but need something which stands the test of time and is easy to maintain? The Bonavita has you covered!

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PROS (+)

  • Pre infusion mode to allow for more uniform extraction. 
  • Solid shower head that disperses the water evenly. 
  • Brews at the optimal temperature.

CONS (-)

  • Comes with only 2 years of warranty.
  • The build quality isn’t as premium as the Technivorm Moccamaster.

The Bonavita BV1900TS One Touch 8 cup coffee maker is one of the best in its price range. Like the Moccamaster, the Bonavita One Touch is SCA certified, ensuring that it will be able to produce a delicious cup of well-extracted coffee within 6 minutes.

Using its 1500-watt heating element, the Bonavita One Touch quickly heats the brewing water to the optimal temperature and maintains it there for the entire brew cycle. This consistent brew temperature from beginning to end will result in an even extraction and a more balanced coffee in the cup.

By holding down the one button on the Bonavita coffee machine, you’ll activate the pre-infusion function. This is essentially a bloom phase— allowing the coffee to degas before the brewing cycle begins. Pre-infusion, or blooming, helps mitigate channels in the coffee bed created by C02 being released by the coffee. 

Though the Bonavita BV1900TS and the Moccamaster have the same capacity, carafe, and water tank of 40 ounces, the Bonavita is slightly more compact, standing 3 inches shorter. This could be a deciding factor for those with spatial restraints in the kitchen. 

This particular model of the Bonavita 8-cup uses a stainless steel thermal carafe. There are other versions of the same machine that use a glass carafe of a similar size.

The biggest plus of the Bonavita One Touch is the showerhead. Unlike the Technivorm Moccamaster, the Bonavita’s shower head sprays the water out evenly over the ground coffee bed within the filter basket. It saturates the coffee bed evenly with no noticeable spots where channeling might be a concern. 

Combine this awesome shower head with a flat bottom, Kalita Wave style filter basket, and we have a coffee brewer that is clearly designed with uniform extraction in mind.

Now for the downside. The Bonavita coffee machine just isn’t as well made as the Moccamaster. Much of its housing and its thermal carafe is stainless steel, so it certainly isn’t the cheapest feeling machine. It’s just not as solid as some other coffee brewers like the Technovorm Moccamaster.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering— it’s called the Bonavita one-touch because you can have coffee brewing with just one touch of the button. Super easy.

Buy The Moccamaster If…

You want a premium brewer which looks as good as it brews

The Moccamaster has basically set the standard for the way a coffee brewer should look. Technivorm brewers haven’t changed all that much aesthetically since the first one back in 69′. Timeless, beautiful looking coffee machines.

You are ready to invest $$$

At around $400, the Moccamaster isn’t cheap. It is a premium, hand-built coffee machine and is priced as such. While spending $400 on a coffee brewer isn’t on everyone’s agenda, this is an investment that you should only need to make once. And it is worth the money.

You want a brewer that will last

Technivorm says it loud and proud; they want the Moccamaster to be the last coffee maker you’ll buy. With a 5 year warranty and reasonably priced replacement parts, Technovorm might actually be able to achieve this goal. Being double the price of the Bonavita doesn’t seem too bad if the brewer lasts more than twice as long.   

Buy The Bonavita BV1900TS If…

You don’t have the budget for the Technivorm brewer but want something good, and SCAA certified

Considering how well the Bonavita BV1900TS brews coffee, the price is a steal. Sure, it might not have the durability or the looks of the Technivorm Moccamaster, but it is still SCA certified. It will still brew a delicious cup of coffee evenly and consistently. 

You need a brewer that takes up less space

The Bonavita One Touch takes up less vertical space than the Technivorm Moccamaster. With a large capacity water tank and thermal carafe, the Bonavita still brews the same 40 ounces of coffee as the Moccamaster. If you have a small kitchen and are tossing up between the Moccamaster and Bonavita, this size reduction might be your deciding factor.  

Uniform extraction is the most important thing to you

The Bonavita houses a couple of features that might be more favorable to coffee lovers looking for ultimate uniformity.

First of all, the brew basket on the Bonavita is flat bottomed. A flat bottom brew basket spreads the ground coffee out evenly. This flat bottom basket vs the cone-shaped basket on the Technivorm will give us a more even brew. Combine the brew basket with Bonavita’s superior showerhead, and you have a more uniform extraction.

The Final Verdict

So! In our battle of the highly caffeinated titans– Technivorm vs Bonavita– the Technivorm just takes the win. Both Moccamaster and Bonavita coffee machines are capable of producing delicious coffee. But It’s the build quality of the Technivorm that boosts it ahead.

Top Pick
Technivorm KBT Coffee Brewer, 40 oz, Polished Silver
$338.69

Aesthetics, brew quality and functionality, the Technivorm has it all!

SEE NOW ON AMAZON
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
02/24/2023 09:47 pm GMT

The Technivorm and the Bonavita are quite similar in a lot of ways. They both brew the same amount of coffee, both come with a quality stainless steel carafe, and both heat water to the optimal brewing temperature, ensuring a tasty coffee.

Me though? I’m a sucker for a well-made machine that will last for a long time. Not only for my peace of mind but also to ensure that the machine won’t end up in a landfill in a couple of years. If you can throw down the extra cash for the Moccamaster, go for it. The money is well spent.