These electric coffee brewers made in the Netherlands are good enough to be certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). They brew at 200 degrees Fahrenheit every time. |
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Okay ... you don't need an expensive electric appliance to brew great drip coffee. Manual pour-over drip brewing with Chemex or a filter cone work well, as does a French Press. But most people in our fair land brew their coffee in electric coffee makers, and ironically, most of them can barely brew a decent cup, or fail miserably (I am talking about the machines, not the people using them)! Cheap drip brewers invariably fail to brew coffee at the correct temperature. When coffee is brewed at a low temperature (most home electric drip brewers reach only 185 degrees) the result is a dulling of the higher, more vivid cup tones, and incomplete extraction of the coffee flavors overall. The Technivorm is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) to brew at the correct 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the water has to boil in order to leave the heater - there is no pump and water does not fall from top to bottom like some brewers - you know that the water coming out is the right temperature. (Please note: If you live at altitude, water boils at a lower temperature.) See further comments on brew temperature and coffee temperature below. Brewers contain no internal components made with aluminum- heating element is copper. Here is a link to the pdf of our Technivorm Tip Sheet. The Technivorms brewers use
a cone-shaped filter which improves the extraction of coffee flavors
from the grounds. (A flat-bottom filter is fine if you have
a sprinkler-type brew head, but home machines rarely do). Our tests
result in more intense brewed coffee than comparable home machines
when using the exact same amount of ground coffee in each. The Technivorm
models are all simple, straightforward machines that do one thing ...
and do it very well! They all have a whopping 1475 watts, 13 amp draw
which means they have the power to make water hot in a very short period
of time. (Only a handful of coffee makers are rated over 1200 watts,
and none are as powerful as the Technivorm). The machine is not well-known,
but highly rated, as two articles by Sam
Gugino in Wine
Spectator will verify. Comes with a one year manufacturer's
warranty. |
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![]() Technivorm KB-741 Clubline in Chrome |
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| We stock three models of Technivorm Brewers, and the classic KB-741 is available in four finishes. The above listed features apply to all the models, and the unique features of each are specified below, including dimensions. NOTE on November 2007 Price Increase: The prices on all of the brewers have increased dramatically - our cost went up about $40 a piece - and so the new retail prices reflect that. I believe part of the cause is the slipping US dollar. Plus costs have gone up throughout the last two years - and we are just being hit with the higher costs now. - Maria |
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The Technivorm
KBTS has a 1 liter (34 oz.= 8 four oz. cups) capacity, and
brews directly into an all stainless steel thermal carafe (which
is included). |
The Technivorm
KBT 741 is the big brother to the KBTS. It features a 1.25
liter carafe (42 oz. = 10 four oz. cups). It too brews directly
into an all stainless steel thermal carafe (included). Note that
this is the new
carafe,
more angular than the previous but functionally identical. |
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Click here to view the Sweet Maria's Printable Technivorm Tip Sheet
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Technivorm Features:
![]() The glass pot on the KB 741 and Moccamaster CD has a special insert that makes the coffee enter through the bottom, allowing for proper mixing of the brew. Not sure how necessary this is -but it is a nice feature. |
![]() The filter cone holder is unlike other coffeemakers allowing for manually holding back the hot water - this has advantages (see below). Also note that the Moccamaster CD is of a different design ...(also see below!) |
![]() The finish in the machines is good, and if you have any doubts of their wallop, check out the diameter of the power cord. One weak point in the manufacture is the thin feel of some plastic lid parts, above. They are quality ABS material, they could just have a little more heft to them. |
| A note on the KBTS Thermal Carafe model: |
My
favorite Technivorm feature is so simple ... |
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| This is an image of the sensor on the base of the KBTS model (with the thermal carafe). It stops the brewing if the pot is removed (or won't let you start the brewing if the pot is not there). By the way, you also need to close the filterholder's drip-stop switch (next image) to remove the pot and pour coffee before the brewing is complete. However, this is something you should really not do ... you are changing the overall flavor of the whole brew batch if you, for example, stop brewing to pour the first 12 ounces from the carafe. | This
is the simple feature on most models* of the Technivorm that I really
appreciate. It's the filterholder's drip stop switch. It is supposed
to be set to "Full Drip" when you brew a full pot, "Slow
Drip" (half open) for brewing less than a full pot, and No Drip
(closed) to pull out the pot when coffee is still brewing. However,
it has a fantastic alternative function; I set it to No Drip for the
first 1-2 minutes of the brew cycle to allow for the hot water and
grinds to fully infuse, then I switch it to Slow Drip for the remainder
of the brew cycle (I see no need to use Full Drip at all). The intensity
of the coffee is excellent using this technique, and no longer is the
timing of the water passing through the coffee dependent on the grind;
too coarse and the brew tastes week and under-infused, too fine and
it is bitter and has sediment). This improves the performance of Swiss
Gold filters in the Technivorm too. I also stir my grinds in the filterholder
after 2 minutes, but this is purely optional. The danger of my
technique: if you forget to switch the brewer to Slow Drip after a
minute or two, it is going to overflow - though there is a new mechanism
so it does not create a huge mess - you might just get some grounds
in the pot. Our
tip sheet outlines this process, and it comes with the Technivorm |
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Aside from the KBTS,
the technivorms feature a brew switch to start the hot water boiling,
and a High-Low hot plate switch. I would keep that in Low always. It
also has an automatic scale sensor, and a light to indicate when de-scaler
is needed. The manuals that come with the machines explain these feartures
fully, and we include our own Sweet Maria's Tip Sheet as well |
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You
also might appreciate the attitude expressed in Technivorm's "company
profile" statement, as I did:
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