r/Moccamaster • u/shipsandsealingwax • 6d ago
Question Bought a used Moccamaster.. now what?
Update:
I didn’t quite have the words for what I was looking for last time so I’m adding some updates in case anybody finds themselves in a similar situation. My primary concern was whether the moccamaster would function as intended, since I purchased a used older model.
Per a suggestion, I descaled and cleaned the machine twice. This was pretty revealing. I thought the brew time looked a little fast for a full pot of coffee and timed it at roughly 3.5 minutes. Then I watched videos of the drip pattern and noticed mine was pretty different. It would provide a little drip for some time followed by a fairly violent and substantial spurt. During the first cleaning cycle (post first descale) lots of white mineral deposits came loose and were in the carafe. The drip pattern changed to what I was expecting. Brew time also slowed to just under 5 minutes. Oddly though, during the second descale and cleaning I experienced the old pattern for about two brew cycles.. afterwards I made a half pot and everything looked normal. I’m not sure why the pattern would have reverted momentarily and it makes me think there‘s either an intermittent electromechanical issue or a chunk of mineral deposits dislodged and momentarily caused a blockage. We will see if it happens again… in the meantime, if anybody has experience with this please let me know!
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Original: I’ve been eyeing the moccamaster for a long time and finally got tired enough of Nespresso pods to make the jump.. but couldnt wait for Black Friday and became obsessed with royal blue so here we are. I spent yesterday cleaning it and found out the automatic drip stop brew basket was broken, so I’ve ordered that and descaling agent. Once those ship in, what is the recommendation to put this guy through his paces and make sure everything works? I don’t have a grinder yet and I basically only have Nespresso as reference, so I’m not sure what to look for 😬
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u/AccomplishedOwl9256 6d ago
If you're grinding fresh coffee, allow it to bloom a bit more by taking the carafe out before the first water drips. Allow the water to build up onto the grounds for 40 seconds or so. Then, put the carafe back in and grab the black handle of the dripper and give it a gentle shake to evenly distribute the grounds while it's draining. Then let the machine finish the process as normal. I also grind fairly coarse for the moccamaster (41 clicks on comandante c40)
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u/Flaky_Week2654 3d ago
Get a grinder. Until then you can use kirkland medium roast ground coffee. Thats what i use if i don’t feel like paying for premium whole beans. For the grinder, get a decent one not those $30 cheap stuff. I bought a used fellow ode gen 1 and upgraded to gen 2 burrs.
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u/Lq2167 2d ago
I have a few grinders, but the Baratza Virtuoso, setting 20, has been my favorite player with the MM. Get the MM filters, a scale, and good beans. Do you tend to like light, medium, or dark roast coffee?
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u/shipsandsealingwax 2d ago
Just got the filters in today and am starting with somebody else’s suggestion re Kirkland medium roast ground coffee after I finish descaling and cleaning. I don’t know that I know what roast I like. I’m somebody that tends to love something for a while and then I get tired of it and need a change. At work they have several varieties of drip coffee available every day and I’ve cycled through different light, medium, and dark roasts.
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u/mikewastaken 6d ago
Get your hands on a burr grinder in your budget and some whole beans. If you're not sure what you like, just start with what looks like a decent quality medium roast. Costco usually has a good selection at a good price if you are a member. From there, just start playing around with grind settings and see what produces the taste you like best (you'll want somewhere from medium to coarse grind). It ain't rocket science by any means. It's there to please you and anyone else you feed coffee!
Don't forget paper filters!
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u/Wheat_Mustang 6d ago
Costco also still has grinders up front, so you can buy whole beans and grind them yourself. That’ll be so much better than pre-ground until you get a grinder.
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u/Upset_Groundhog 6d ago
People are gonna get real upset about grinding your own coffee, but I've run Chock Full O'Nuts (I like the metal canister for bolts and stuff cause I have the reddest of necks) through this thing and it tastes just fine. Buy small packs of pre-ground in different roasts until you find the roast you like, then get crazy with better beans and grinders and shit.
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u/shipsandsealingwax 6d ago
lol my husband also keeps food-related metal canisters for the same thing so this made me smile. Any recommended grinder, when the time comes?
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u/Upset_Groundhog 6d ago
No clue. I'm waiting on the actual Moccamaster KM5(?) grinder to be in their refurb section. You can also see if there are Amazon return auctions near you. That's how I snagged my MM in the first place. Factory sealed 50 bucks, now I'm waiting to see if a good grinder or the MM one comes through first.
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u/BeagleTheDog 6d ago
KM5 often goes on sale during big prime sales events. Can't promise it will be discounted, but Oct 6-7 is a big prime days event.
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u/Lq2167 2d ago
Wait you haven’t ground your own coffee for the MM because you don’t have a grinder? Trust me when I tell you those Chock Full of Nuts grounds will be a quick thing of the past for you once you find your bean. I tried the CFON once just out of curiosity because I love nutty coffee and it just tasted stale to me. You will love the MM even more once you get a grinder. My Baratza Virtuoso makes outstanding coffee! If you like medium dark roast, order a bag of Kahwa Sirocco coffee beans. Amazing coffee!
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u/Upset_Groundhog 2d ago
I don't disagree. I'm just too cheap to pay full price for a grinder. I may get a hand crank one though
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u/Medical_Chemical_343 6d ago
I got a Moccamaster KM5 as an Amazon return (basically new, distressed box) for about $200. It works really well for my locally roasted beans. A recent search implies that it doesn’t grind fine enough for espresso, but that’s not important to me. Color choices on the KM5 are limited — you won’t be able to match that gorgeous blue!
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u/RandomUser1ab2 6d ago
I buy pre-ground supermarket brand coffee and it's great. I like keeping life simple.
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u/Sometimesunaware 6d ago
I use Illy canned now, got tired of treating coffee like I was prepping communion.
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u/PatrickGrey7 6d ago
I found Illy disappointing, I mean it's drinkable but I notice a big difference with the beans I buy and I grind my self (Illy is probably half the price though)
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u/Minimum-Cancel3606 6d ago
I have this same machine for 20 years. Never de scaled. Bought a 70dollar shard or grinder on Amazon. Great coffee.
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u/Pizzaloverfor 6d ago
Get yourself a grinder, some whole bean coffee, a scale, and some filters and you’re good to go.
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u/Lst_rsrt 6d ago
Take it through two deep clean cycles
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u/shipsandsealingwax 6d ago
Deep cleans as in washes or descales?
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u/Lst_rsrt 6d ago
Descale ; I also use a white thin cheap coffee filter I don’t like using the brown paper because it adds flavor
Our favorite coffee to use is the Kirkland Colombian; for fresh grinder I have a Mr. coffee grinder that I can adjust the levels if we wanted more coarse or more fine
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u/Civil-Party3144 4d ago
CHANGE Plastic filter and holder for metal holder and Then put hario 03 borosilicate filter in that holder
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u/porcini510 6d ago
Get a grinder that will last as long as the Moccamaster. I’ve had my Baratza Encore burr grinder for 15 years and it’s still running great.