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Moccamaster Coffee Makers: Which Model Should You Buy?

Updated 2026-07-27

Our picks

The short answer

Best for most people

The volume selector is the one feature in this range that changes what you can do. It is the only Moccamaster certified to brew a half carafe to the same standard as a full one, and most households do not drink 40 oz in a sitting. Our full review goes into where it lands.

Read review →

Best value

Moccamaster KB

$339

Identical coffee for $30 less than the KBGV. What you give up is the automatic drip stop, which means you move a lever yourself if you pull the carafe mid-brew. That is the whole difference. If you always brew a full pot, this is the one to buy.

Best if the pot sits for hours

Moccamaster KBT

$349

A hotplate keeps coffee hot by continuing to cook it, and after an hour you can taste that. The thermal carafe removes the hotplate entirely. Pay the extra $10 for the KBGT if you want the automatic drip stop as well, but the carafe is the decision that matters.

Best for one person

Moccamaster Cup-One

$260

Same brewing standard, straight into a single mug, for $109 less than the KBGV. Buy it if a full carafe would mostly go cold and get poured away, and know that you are giving up any ability to make coffee for guests.

Retailer links are affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which machine we pick. How this works.

The lineup

7 machines compared

Prices are US figures as of 2026-07-27 and move around. Names in green link to our full review where we have one.

MachinePriceCarafeDrip stopCapacityVolume selectorRetailer link
Moccamaster Cup-OneOur pick$260Brews straight into a mugNot applicable10 oz / 0.33 L, single cupNoCheck price →
Moccamaster KBOur pick$339Glass, with hotplateManual40 oz / 1.25 L, 10 cupsNoCheck price →
Moccamaster KBTS$339ThermalManual32 oz / 1 L, 8 cupsNoCheck price →
Moccamaster KBTOur pick$349ThermalManual40 oz / 1.25 L, 10 cupsNoCheck price →
Moccamaster KBGT$359ThermalAutomatic40 oz / 1.25 L, 10 cupsNoCheck price →
Moccamaster KBGV SelectOur pick$369Glass, with hotplateAutomatic40 oz / 1.25 L, 10 cupsYes, half or fullCheck price →
Moccamaster CDT Grand$405Thermal, cylindrical bodyManual60 oz / 1.8 L, 15 cupsNoCheck price →

The thing that decides everything: they all brew the same

Every full-size Moccamaster uses the same copper heating element, holds 196 to 205 F through the whole brew, fills a 40 oz carafe in four to six minutes, and is certified by both the Specialty Coffee Association and the European Coffee Brewing Centre. That is true of the $339 KB and the $405 CDT Grand alike.

So the coffee is not the variable. You are choosing a carafe, a brew basket and a capacity, and paying between $260 and $405 for the combination you want. Anyone telling you the expensive Moccamaster makes better coffee than the cheap one is describing a difference that does not exist.

This is unusual and it is worth saying plainly, because in most brand ranges the money buys a better cup. Here it buys convenience and a different way of keeping the coffee hot.

How to read the model names

The letters are the spec sheet. K means the machine has a hotplate, with two settings at 175 F and 185 F. B is the rectangular brewer body, and CD is the cylindrical one. G means the brew basket has an automatic drip stop, so it closes when you lift the carafe out. T means a thermal stainless carafe instead of glass, which also means no hotplate. V is the volume selector on the KBGV, and S means the shorter body, 33 cm rather than 41 cm, with a 1 L carafe rather than 1.25 L.

Read that way, KBGV Select is a hotplate machine with an automatic drip stop and a half or full carafe switch. KBT is the thermal version with a manual drip stop. KB is the plainest full-size machine there is. Once you can decode the name, the range stops being confusing and the price differences make sense.

Glass and a hotplate, or thermal

This is the choice most people should spend their thinking on. A glass carafe sits on a hotplate that holds the coffee at 175 F or 185 F. It stays hot indefinitely, and it also keeps cooking, so a pot that has sat for an hour tastes noticeably flatter and more bitter than the first cup did.

A thermal carafe has no hotplate under it. Coffee brewed at eight in the morning is still drinkable at ten, and it tastes like coffee rather than like something that has been stewing. The costs are real though: you cannot see how much is left, thermal carafes need proper cleaning or they go stale-smelling, and they pour more slowly.

Our rule of thumb: if the pot is gone within half an hour, take the glass and enjoy the hotplate. If you brew once and drink across a morning, take a thermal and never think about it again.

What $369 does not buy you

There is no timer and no clock on any of these machines. You cannot set it the night before and come down to made coffee, which is a thing that $60 supermarket drip machines have done for thirty years. It is the complaint owners raise more than any other and we think it is a fair one.

There is also no grinder, no app, no cold brew setting and no water filter. The spray arm is a single outlet rather than a full dispersion showerhead, and some owners give the bed a stir partway through to even out the saturation.

What you are buying instead is a machine assembled by hand in the Netherlands, backed by a five-year warranty and a parts supply that means a fifteen-year-old Moccamaster gets repaired rather than replaced. Whether that trade is worth $369 depends entirely on how long you intend to keep it. Over two years it is poor value. Over fifteen it is very good value indeed.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the difference between Moccamaster models?
Carafe, brew basket and capacity, not coffee quality. Every full-size Moccamaster uses the same copper heating element, brews at 196 to 205 F and fills a 40 oz carafe in four to six minutes. The letters decode the rest: K means a hotplate, G means an automatic drip stop, T means a thermal carafe instead of glass, V is the half or full carafe selector on the KBGV, and S is the shorter 1 L body. Prices run from $260 for the single-cup Cup-One to $405 for the 60 oz CDT Grand.
Does the Moccamaster have a timer?
No. No Moccamaster model has a timer or a clock, so you cannot set it the night before and wake up to brewed coffee. This is the most common complaint from owners, and it applies across the whole range including the $369 KBGV Select and the $405 CDT Grand. If waking up to made coffee matters to you, a Moccamaster is the wrong machine.
Should I get a glass or thermal carafe Moccamaster?
Glass if the pot is finished within about half an hour, thermal if you drink it across a morning. The glass carafe sits on a hotplate at 175 F or 185 F, which keeps coffee hot but continues cooking it, so it tastes flatter and more bitter after an hour. A thermal carafe has no hotplate and keeps coffee drinkable for a couple of hours, at the cost of not being able to see the level and needing regular cleaning.
Is a Moccamaster worth the money?
It depends almost entirely on how long you keep it. At $339 to $405 it is expensive for a drip machine that has no timer, no grinder and no app. What justifies it is longevity: the machines are hand-assembled in the Netherlands, carry a five-year warranty, and Technivorm supplies parts so old units get repaired rather than replaced, with owners commonly reporting ten years or more of daily use. Over two years it is poor value; over fifteen it is cheap.

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