One of the most prestigious honors we award products is inclusion on our Buy It for Life gear roundup. This list represents products that WIRED writers have personally used for years, and as the name implies, they should last you for the rest of your life with proper care and warranty support. There’s only one coffee maker on that list, the Moccamaster KBGV Select, and you can currently pick it up from Amazon for up to $40 off its list price, depending on the color.
These drip coffee makers are seriously built to last, handmade in the Netherlands with solid steel and copper components. They’re fully repairable, which means they’ll keep churning out hot mugs of perfect coffee even after the five-year warranty ends. There are a variety of models, but we like the KBGV Select because it can also brew a half carafe instead of a full carafe, a useful trick for smaller households or an afternoon energy burst.
Extremely precise temperature control means you get excellent coffee every time, managing to consistently heat within a range of 4 degree Celsius. Technivorm is one of less than a dozen companies producing SCA-certified coffee makers for home use, and the Moccamaster models take up a noticeable chunk of that list.
It has all the features you’d expect from a drip coffee maker, like a hot plate for the carafe that has an automatic shut off, which automatically adjusts temperature based on whether you brewed a full or half carafe. The reservoir is 1.25 liters, so you can brew up to 10 cups of coffee at once, and it takes just four to six minutes from start to finish.
This model is available in a huge variety of colors, and your discount will vary based on which you think will match your kitchen best. I found the best price of $317 on the Turquoise, with the Apricot and Matte Black right behind at $320, as well as lesser discounts on the Off-White, Polished silver, and Juniper varieties. While we think it’s worth spending the extra cash for something that will last you years to come, you can always peruse our other favorite coffee makers if you’re looking for something more wallet-friendly.
