I’ve always been a social media victim. Whether it’s EDC videos and gadget tests on youtube or posts on Instagram… whenever I encounter gadgets that immediately appeal to me through design and functionality (always in a pair) I’m hyped. My rational thought process is replaced by the “want to have” feeling.
Such is the case with the Moccamaster filter coffee maker. The retro chic paired with gaudy bright colors works for me.
But can the machine do anything? Spoiler ahead: yes, it can filter coffee in the simplest form…and it does it really well!
But again from the beginning. How did I actually come to the Moccamaster. Also with the Moccamaster I stumbled across a youtube video. Which it was exactly, I unfortunately no longer remember. But I remember that the design has picked me up unmimttelbar. I would describe it as 70s industrial retro style. And I think that sums it up quite well, because according to the manufacturer Technivorm, the machine has been built in this form in the Netherlands since 1968.
But even though the design appealed to me from the start, the Moccamaster did not immediately find its way to me. For me, the conflict lay in the fact that I succumbed to the erroneous thought that the purest and truest form of good coffee can only come from a portafilter machine. So the first step to better coffee was not to buy a Moccamaster, but a portafilter machine from Gaggia. Again, let’s be clear… the Gaggia is great and most of the time I like the coffee, but I can’t consistently get good results from the Gaggia. The parameters for good coffee from a portafilter machine are complex. Many things play a role, from the right tampers, to the grind of the coffee, to the right water temperature and of course not least the right coffee. So I came to the fact that I enjoy the portafilter machine, but the fact that always different results in the coffee production is frustrating.
So what to do?
The “aha” experience ultimately came via a coffee seminar I attended at a small local coffee roastery. I was confronted with the fact that all the Barista Schnick Schnack for good coffee is not so important. Of course, I don’t want to belittle the barista art of making good coffee, but why not start with the basics? What does coffee depend on? What makes good coffee? How can you make good coffee without being a barista?
And this seminar was ultimately the deciding point for me to buy a simple filter coffee machine, with which I can not do much wrong and where it ultimately depends only on the following things:
- Buy sensible coffee (that tastes good to you)
- Make sure you get the right amount (the way you like it)
- Always brew it the same way (the way you like it)
If you can’t master the complex parameters of a portafilter, then simplify for a good result.
That was the final step to the Moccamaster.
Now to the machine itself. This is probably the shortest section of the blog post. The machine has exactly 2 buttons:
- On and off switch.
- A switch for the amount of coffee (half-full or full pot).
The second switch makes the water pump through slower to extend the extraction time.
So easy, so simple. The rest that makes to pay attention is limited only to choosing the right coffee and painting the right amount with the right degree of painting. That is purely a matter of taste.
And I must say that so far I have not been disappointed. As spoilered at the beginning: the coffee maker is simple and just makes good coffee.
My conclusion: it’s like everything in life…if you can’t master complexity, simplify.
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