You would normally assume that a coffee maker that’s still relatively new would be better than one that’s been on the shelves for decades. With new coffee innovations, new design ideas, and overall more modern, newer technology, you’d really think so, wouldn’t you? However, today we’re going to test this theory by comparing the Breville Precision Brewer with the Technivorm Moccamaster.
The Breville Precision Brewer is one of the most popular filter coffee makers on the market, and for good reason. It has a stylish design, a simple interface, and outstanding performance, making it an excellent choice for anyone who loves their morning cup of joe.
The Technivorm Moccamaster is also a popular model that has been around and virtually hasn’t changed since 1968. It has features similar to the Breville model, such as its sleek stainless steel finish, easy-to-use interface, and quick brew time (less than 6 minutes!).
But which is right for you and your family of coffee lovers? Let’s find out!
What is the Breville Precision Brewer?
The Breville Precision Brewer, like other Breville Coffee Machines, is a very popular home coffee maker that brews perfect-tasting filter coffee. It’s a coffee maker that lets you control the strength and style of your brew every time.
Breville sets the standard for specialty coffee brewing and allows you to brew hot and cold coffee drinks, including iced coffee and cold brew.
The Breville Precision Brewer is the first 1.8-liter drip filter coffee maker to offer precise automatic brewing of craft filter coffee. You get the brew you want with the minimum amount of prep and mess.
Top Features of the Breville Precision Brewer
As well as all of the features mentioned above, this programmable coffee maker has a range of other very helpful features to enhance your coffee brewing experience.
For people who want to make high-quality coffee drinks at home without any fuss or hassle, this machine will be right up your alley. The LCD makes option selection quick and easy. You can enjoy many styles of coffee using the machine’s six unique brewing modes. These modes include:
- Pour over – perfect for brewing batches of coffee that tastes great over ice. This mode creates a more concentrated coffee. It also requires a special adaptor.
- Strong – a higher temperature, higher caffeinated, stronger coffee hit that is intense and delicious.
- Fast – if you need to quickly brew a carafe of great-tasting coffee, this is a great option. The Fast mode can brew up to 12 cups in just 7 minutes.
- Gold – This option is for perfectly balanced, professional standard coffee – certified by the ECBC (European Coffee Brewing Centre).
- Cold-Brew – This mode takes a long time – up to 14 hours, in fact – but creates the perfect cold brew coffee with a rich, mouth-watering flavor. It’s recommended that you leave this setting to work its magic overnight.
- My Brew – Finally, the ‘My Brew’ setting gives you total control over your coffee. You can select the brew temperature, bloom time, strength, and even flow rate, for the perfect cup that’s personalized just for you.
If that weren’t enough, you’ve also got an auto-start button that allows you to select exactly when you’d like to start brewing. You can use either cone-shaped paper filters (ideal for brewing for eight people or less) or the more eco-friendly mesh basket filter when brewing your coffee.
You can also adjust the water hardness setting to suit what’s in your taps. Finally, the twin-walled brushed stainless steel vacuum carafe maintains your coffee’s warmth for longer after it has been brewed.
What is the Technivorm Moccamaster?
The Technivorm Moccamaster is a Dutch-made drip brewer that has been around since 1968 and is considered the gold standard for home drip brewers.
This is not just the brand’s claim either, as this automatic pour-over coffee maker has been awarded seals by the European Coffee Brewing Centre (ECBC) and the Specialty Coffee Association. It is made of high-quality materials and features a copper boiling element and a glass carafe.
The Technivorm Moccamaster is a quality coffee maker for coffee enthusiasts who want more than just a standard cup of filter coffee.
If you want to make high-quality drip filter coffee emphasizing balanced coffee flavor and want a machine with a perpetual retro design, the Moccamaster could be for you.
Top Features of the Technivorm Moccamaster
So, what are the best features of this timeless classic?
Well, the first place to start is with the nine-hole showerhead water outlet. It allows water to run down over your coffee grounds, gently soaking them and ensuring that the coffee saturation is evenly distributed for a balanced and flavorful cup of joe.
There’s also a copper boiling element that helps heat the water quickly and evenly – no need to wait around for your coffee maker to heat up! The glass carafe then keeps your coffee warm for longer without it becoming bitter or burnt.
Next, let’s talk about the precisely calibrated water temperature. The coffee maker brews coffee between 198 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, ideal for coffee beans.
Not only does this help to ensure that your coffee tastes great, but it also allows the flavor of the bean’s unique characteristics and nuances to come through in full force – something you may not get with other drip brewers.
Finally, a few more things really make this brewer stand out.
The funnel in the carafe’s lid ensures an even blend of coffee. It features an auto-shut-off and hot plate that will successfully keep your coffee hot after brewing, and the machine can brew a large volume of coffee (10 cups or 40 fluid ounces) in just a few minutes.
Recommended: The Best Moccamaster Models
What are the Similarities Between the Two?
So not that we’ve dove into the features of each of these machines in a little more depth, let’s talk about the similarities between them.
First and foremost, they are both drip brewers – meaning that the coffee brews by allowing hot water to drip over coffee grounds contained in a filter. This is opposed to French Press, Moka pots, or espresso machines which use pressure to extract flavor from the coffee beans.
Neither machine has a built-in coffee grinder, but don’t let that stop you from choosing one or the other!
Both of these machines also have glass carafes that keep your coffee warm for a long time after it’s been brewed. Additionally, the water temperature on both is calibrated to the ideal temperature of between 198 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit – to ensure that your coffee tastes great every time.
A few more similarities between these two machines include:
Brew speed
Both the Breville Precision Brewer and the Technivorm Moccamaster put on a good show when it comes to brewing speed. Although they aren’t precisely the same, both can accomplish similar things.
The Breville Precision Brewer can make 12 cups in 7 minutes while using the Fast brew mode. In comparison, the Moccamaster makes 10 cups in roughly 4 to 6 minutes. This is important if you’re in a hurry or have company over and want everyone to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee at the same time.
Overall look and design
Both coffee brewers have a similar look in terms of their overall design. On the left, you’ll find a water tank. On the right, you’ll find a carafe. In between these two is where all of your coffee-making magic happens.
But, on both machines, the coffee is brewed to the side of the water tank instead of directly below it, like most other drip coffee machines. This difference helps further with a more even distribution of flavor.
They also both have designs emphasizing sturdy materials and minimalistic features that are easy to use – even for beginners!
Can both brew various amounts of coffee?
The Technivorm Moccamaster and the Breville Precision Brewer can brew anywhere from two cups to a full carafe with true precision. This means that if you’re hosting a large gathering or just want to brew enough coffee for a quick cup before work, both machines have you covered.
What are the Differences Between the Two?
But what about their differences? It’s safe to say that, while both are great coffee machines, they are certainly not the same. And their differences might just be what makes you choose one over the other.
Price
Well, let’s start with the most obvious one: price. The Breville Precision Brewer isn’t the cheapest coffee maker out there, but it is still affordable, while the Technivorm Moccamaster will set you back slightly less.
The Breville machine does have slightly more going for it when it comes to lots of features, but if you’re after a more affordable option, Technivorm will give you an equally good cup of coffee.
Heating system
Next, when it comes to heating, Technivorm Moccamaster uses a copper boiling heating element compared to Breville Precision Brewer’s thermocoil heating system.
Although these systems are different, both can maintain the optimal temperature range between 198 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, so you’re not sacrificing flavor for one over the other.
Carafe design
The carafe on each of these coffee makers is also a little different. Both coffee makers give the option of both glass and thermal carafes, depending on the model you go for.
But, the Moccamaster is designed with a “Brew-Thru-Lid,” which helps to blend the coffee during brewing for a more even coffee flavor and temperature profile.
Coffee strength changer
You can make a stronger cup of coffee with the Breville, which also gives you more control over your brew taste. This option increases the quantity of caffeine extracted with automatically varied brew options. If you like your coffee more robust, this could be a game-changer.
Iced coffee and cold brew options
The Breville also gives you more water temperature settings when it comes to the brewing temperature of your coffee. The Precision Brewer gives you the option to brew both iced coffee and cold brew coffee.
Both these options will provide you with a rich, full-bodied coffee that won’t dilute when you pour it over ice. The cold brew setting also gives you the option to steep the coffee for a full 24 hours for optimum flavor extraction and taste.
Programmability
With the ability to set a time for the coffee machine to start brewing automatically in advance, the ability to pre-program your shut off time after the device has brewed your coffee, and even the option to pick your settings and program your own perfect brew, the Breville Precision Brewer’s advanced features are much more customizable than the Technivorm Moccamaster’s.
This may not be a deal-breaker for some, but if you like to set and forget your coffee machine until it’s time to brew again, this could leave something to be desired.
Pre-infusion
Another pro for the Breville. Although both coffee machines come with a pre-infusion step to their brewing processes, with their adjustable water pump, the Precision brewer gives you a flow rate option: fast, medium, and slow.
This means you can adjust the water contact time with the coffee grounds. When it comes to flavor, coffee ground saturation could be the difference between a great cup of coffee and an even greater one.
Ease of use
Okay, let’s be honest here – neither of these coffee machines is the most complicated machine to use. You don’t particularly need barista skills to use a filter coffee machine, nor should you have to.
However, the Moccamaster does not have a confusing user interface, a complex menu to work through, or multiple buttons to figure out. It features a one-button operation, and there are no complicated procedures to follow. Simply press the power button to begin brewing.
Brewing capacity
Although this isn’t a major consideration, the Technivorm Moccamaster can make around 10 cups of coffee at once, while the Breville Precision Brewer brews a maximum of 12 cups. So, while this is only a two-cup difference, it is a difference nonetheless, and worth considering if you frequently have lots of people over or have a large family.
So, what’s the bottom line?
Well, both coffee makers are great choices when purchasing your new filter coffee machine. Both of these coffee machines are also great options for those who enjoy programming their coffee brewer with ease.
However, if we had to choose between these two coffee machines, we’d lean more towards the Breville Precision Brewer.
If you’re looking for more special features, customizable settings, iced and cold brew options without having to invest in separate machines, or simply want to have control over how strong your coffee is, the Breville Precision Brewer is the way to go.
The Technivorm Moccamaster may look a bit more retro, be easier to use and feature a slightly better carafe, but it doesn’t quite compare when it comes to all the bells and whistles that the Breville offers.
Regardless, don’t rule out the Technivorm – it hasn’t been around for decades for no reason! If you want a machine that is easy to use with a little-to-no learning curve, the Technivorm Moccamaster may be a better fit for you.
Happy Caffeinating!
