Technivorm Moccamaster Brews its First Burr Grinder, the KM5

The Moccamaster KM5 coffee grinder. All photos by Daily Coffee News / Howard Bryman, unless otherwise noted.

Technivorm, the Dutch maker of the iconic Moccamaster range of coffee brewers, today launched its first burr coffee grinder, the Moccamaster KM5.

Underneath a 9-ounce-capacity hopper — composed of plastic that is free of BPA, BPF, BPS or phthalates — the home-focused KM5 is centered around a horizontal pair of flat 50-millimeter hardened steel burrs spun at 1,350 RPM by a 310-watt motor.

This results in an output of roughly two grams of ground coffee per second into a glass receptacle, where a flexible silicone lid forms a snug fit against the chute. To operate the grinder, users press and hold the activation switch continuously.

“Because the bean hopper holds nine ounces of coffee, and the glass grounds container holds around 100 grams, we were concerned that it might be easy to overflow,” Technivorm Moccamaster Director of Sales Will Etherington told Daily Coffee News. “However, the burrs grind at about two grams per second, so it’s only about a 30-second wait to get your full dose for a 40-ounce brew.”

Stepless adjustment of the grind ranges from what the company describes as a “medium-fine Aeropress grind” at its finest setting up to a coarse grind suitable for cold brew.

“Our primary goal for the KM5 was to make it the absolute best grinder for the Moccamaster, so when testing, our focus was on the medium-coarse grind size at the ‘5’ setting,” said Etherington, who added that the KM5 has received performance-related certification from the ECBC (European Coffee Brewer Center).

Said Etherington, “The KM5 also has very low grind retention — another ECBC requirement — and is, therefore, a good grinder for single-dose grinding.”

Best known for the Moccamaster line of drip coffee machines, Technivorm has stayed true to its core design forms over the years, making only slight tweaks for different brewer models.

The KM5 with a Moccamaster brewer. Technivorm courtesy photo.

Technivorm’s various brewer models, all of which are certified by through the SCA Home Brewer Certification program and through the ECBC and emphasize sturdy construction and ease of operation, are mainly differentiated by receptacle style and batch capacity.

The original Moccamaster coffee maker debuted in the Netherlands in 1969, predating the first Mr. Coffee auto-drip machine in the United States by about three years. Yet the Moccamaster grinder roots run even deeper, back to the introduction of a coffee-focused blade grinder called the KM1 in 1965.

“It was the first coffee grinder to introduce a fan system preventing the overheating of the coffee,” said Etherington. “This grinder also predates the first Moccamaster coffee maker, the original Moccamaster ’68 model.”

Moccamaster followed the KM1 with subsequent KM models up through the KM4, which launched approximately 10 years ago.

“All grinders before the KM5 retained a similar design and grinding approach,” said Etherington. “The KM5 is the first significant change from the Moccamaster grinder line, moving from a blade grinder to a burr grinder, and completely redesigning the grinder for a better, cleaner and more precise grinding experience.”

Sales of the Moccamaster KM5 in the colors polished silver, matte white and matte black will begin worldwide on April 6. The price has not yet been announced.

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