Bonavita - BV1800TH (Thermal Carafe)

They are no longer special, but used to be. About 15 ish years ago, the only game in town was Bonavita BV1800 or Moccamaster. I went with the Bonavita, and with almost zero maintenance it lasted me a ten years or so. I would keep it going but they intentionally made it hard to repair and find parts for. I could have picked another machine from the bunch that is available now, and probably been happy, but went with the MM KBGV instead. It is a known quantity at this point, and I have some semblance of what to expect in the machine's future. The brews are consistent everyday, the design and quality has been proven for 60 years, I don't have to think too much. It gets the job done. If you got it on sale on Amazon, those prices are in line with what other brands cost. Yes, the plastic basket feels cheap. And I hate that glass carafe with a passion. (I've posted lists of what I hate about it here before.) There was an article describing this phenomenon that I'm trying to find but can't. The summary was that products that have continued to be around for a really long time will continue to be around for a really long time. (Bathtub curve). Anyway, yeah. it's nothing special now, but it's consistent. You can brew every day knowing what to expect.

I'm quite happy with my Bonavita stainless 8-cup. It makes coffee well.

Bonavita. One button drip coffee, generally very good quality. 

I am 5 years in on a BV One Touch and it's still making solid coffee with the pre-infusion mode. I would buy it again today.

Bonavita is my personal favorite drip coffee maker. Italian machine that comes with a thermal carafe, coffee pot so that it can keep your coffee warm without a heater. Not sure what the technology is like now but mine has a couple of drip style options when it comes to how the water falls onto your coffee grinds. Can find them for less than 200 for a 8 cup coffee pot, or less than 100 for a 5 cup coffee pot.

Second the Bonavita Thermal Carafe brewer. Half the cost of the Mochamaster and 99% of people wouldn't be able to distinguish a cup from one or the other. Fresh beans and a good grinder matter WAY more than picking between two very good brewers.

I had a Bonavita, traded up to a Moccamaster, and a few months later, went back to the Bonavita. Don't believe the hype.

Bonavita w/ thermal carafe

I have one of these and it's still going strong after a decade of use. The thermal carafe is nice. Keeps coffee hot for a long time and doesn't burn it because there's no heating element. It has one button on it, so operation couldn't be easier.

Have had my Bonavita, the insulated one, for 12 years now used twice a day. Offers the same certification and temps as mochamaster and looks like a very simple coffee pot. Descale it once a year and looks the same as the day I bought it.

I've had the Bonavita 8 cup coffee maker for years and recently bought the Moccamaster on the black Friday special and would say that my impression is the following: When comparing the two in like modes (the Bonavita has a mode that slows the brewing process) they are similar though I get more coffee out of the MM (by a full cup). Flavor profile is extremely similar (I should note that this is using the same coffee and the same ratio of starting water). In the BV slower mode, though I lose a cup and a half or maybe two, in the Bonavita, it is a more robust cup (you might say over extracted... But honestly, it's not bad). While this sounds like it might be an endorsement for the BV, I prefer the better carafe, the reduced water loss, and overall function of the MM. If you have the extra $100, it's worth it (in my opinion), If you can't get it on the black Friday sale, it's a tougher decision. If you can't get the MM on sale, the BV is a solid buy and makes great coffee.

Bonavita 8 cup drip is what I settled on. It has an on button.

The Bonavita 8 cup which is SCA certified.

My 8 cup Bonavita is holding up well. The **Krups Classic Brewmaster** held up for 15 years.

Specialty Coffee Association has a list of [Certified Home Brewers](https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer). These have been vetted to make sure they can properly extract coffee (specialty or not). I’ve used a few of them on the list Bonavita 8-cup was probably my favorite. Moccamaster KBG is a close second.

I have a Bonavita 8 cup and it's great. I was wanting to move away from espresso and I really enjoy my Clever Coffee Dripper but wanted to make a larger volume. My intention was to buy the Moccamaster but I didn't want to invest that much of the rest of the family didn't like drip so I opted for the Bonavita. I thought I'd everyone likes it I'll invest in the Moccamaster but the results are so great I can't justify the change.

I think at the end of the day results rule. This is my 3rd SCA rated brewer. OXO, Bonavita, and my KBGV and neither of the others are even close to cup quality. The Bonavita was solid but the Moccamaster still makes a more consistent cup. The only feature that matters to me is great coffee.

Oh I did not know Bonavita sold out I was thinking of upgrading my old one it’s been strong for fiver years now.

Ok so I have some experience here. I've owned 2 different Bonavita, and Oxo 9 cup, Oxo 8 cup, Moccamaster KBGT, and finally a Fellow Aiden. If you are looking for the very best coffee maker for what you get in the cup as black coffee, then of those all that is hands down the Aiden. However, for all the technical wizardry it has, it is mostly plastic, so longevity is a definite unknown. Of the other ones, Oxo has the best warranty in practice, and Technivorm has the best warranty on paper. Technivorm does not warranty their carafes at all - if it breaks, you are out $80+ shipping to replace it. This is even if it breaks due to a manufacturing flaw or some other reason. Oxo on the other hand replaced my carafe for free on my Oxo 9 cup 3 times - over time it would lose the vacuum, and would get hot to the touch. The coffee maker was 6+ years old the last time - long out of warranty, but they still replaced the carafe. The Oxo 9 cup is the best all around of the coffee makers I had before the Aiden. While it is tall, it made excellent coffee, and was programmable if you wanted to use that. It requires no stirring of the coffee while it is brewing. I cannot say the same with the Technivorm. While the Moccamaster does make excellent coffee, it is more hands-on to get the best out of it because of their dumb design for the shower bar. Ground saturation is an issue - I usually stirred everything after about 1 minute of brewing. The bar also feels like it is just a bit too short - most of the water doesn't fall in the center but rather closer to the back. The Bonavita coffee makers work well, and are smaller. My old one died for no reason that I could determine after a few years. The ones made now though are technically a different company - that original company went bankrupt. The Oxo 8 cup was an absolute disaster - no idea how that thing got the praise that it does from some reviewers. It always had to be stirred or half the coffee would never even get wet. I hated it. Overall from a BIFL perspective, the TV Moccamaster is likely the top candidate. They do just work for a long time, usually. Make sure to buy it from an authorized retailer and keep your proof of purchase if you need warranty service. If you buy one with a thermal carafe - baby it. They changed from being all stainless and basically unbreakable to being glass lined a couple years ago. It may keep coffee hotter but the carafes are very delicate and prone to breaking.

The Aiden is my favorite coffee maker ever, and I have owned quite a few (Melitta Clarity, 2 Bonavita, Oxo 9 cup, Oxo 8 cup, and Technivorm KGBT). It excels at both single cup and batch brew. There is an issue with the flow meter getting clogged but Fellow is very good about supporting it and replacing the machine if this happens.

We have both as well. The Bonavita is at our farmhouse which we visit a couple of weekends out of the month. Agreed the Technivorm is the best but the Bonavita is a close second. The mocha master is extremely consistent. 197° 100% of the time and that makes the difference. Brew time on 1 L is about 10 seconds faster than the Bonavita. Both are excellent coffee makers though.

Bonavita has served us well for 4 years now and is SCA certified

Agreed on the Bonavita. Think it's right behind the way more expensive Moccamaster on taste tests too.

I’ve had a Bona Vita for 10 years. Works every morning. The plastic on the carafe cracked, so I got a new carafe. Carafe still working after 5 years. Some companies are committed to customer service. If you find one, stick to it.

The electric part of the unit seems immortal. The carafes wear out. The passive component has a shorter life than the complicated active unit.

My Bonavita just died after only 7 years of use. I’ve been debating going moccamaster for a week now.

Had a Bonavita. Loved it. Upgraded to a Moccamaster for size and aesthetics. I’d say it’s a toss-up between the two in terms of beverage quality. The first cup from the Moccamaster is better, and it fills the carafe from the bottom so you’ve got an even distribution in the pot. But the hot plate definitely alters the flavour and the last cup from the Bonavita is better than the last cup from the Moccamaster. I tend to just shut the hot plate off and accept a slightly less hot cup. You *could* get a thermal carafe Moccamaster as well, but I prefer the colours available with the glass carafe version.

Honestly, it’s worth it. The support for spare parts with the Moccamaster is second to none. Bonavita offers some spares, but you can essentially rebuild everything on the Moccamaster beyond the actual coloured body just from spare parts directly from Technivorm. Bonavita also likes to use buttons and momentary switches on their machines, which adds a layer of complexity should there ever need to be a repair in that department. The one I used to have was also the little 5 cup with the thermal carafe and automatic brew option, which they don’t seem to make anymore. So, again, circuitry that adds complexity.

> Had a Bonavita. Loved it. Upgraded to a Moccamaster for size and aesthetics. I’d say it’s a toss-up between the two in terms of beverage quality. The first cup from the Moccamaster is better, and it fills the carafe from the bottom so you’ve got an even distribution in the pot. But the hot plate definitely alters the flavour and the last cup from the Bonavita is better than the last cup from the Moccamaster. I tend to just shut the hot plate off and accept a slightly less hot cup. **You could get a thermal carafe Moccamaster as well, but I prefer the colours available with the glass carafe version.**

What's your verdict a month into owning it? Seems nice. I was disappointed with a Moccamaster and went back to a Bonavita. When I have time, I use my Hario Woodneck.

Owned a Moccamaster for a month. My BV made a far more consistent and better tasting cup than the former. The MM is surprisingly hard to dial in. However, the QC from BV is definitely not anywhere near as good as MM.

I had a Moccamaster for a month and could never dial it in save for a cup or two. I was also brewing around 600ml. The QC is superb but I don't think I'll be able to get even a similar kind of cup as I do with my Switch. Also, stay far, far away from Bonavita. Mine made a stellar cup for less than 6 months. Then it died. And the customer service is something out of a Kafka novel.

I ordered my second Bonavita. Lasted all of 5 months before the sprayhead tanked. The quality control is officially awful with that company now. And the customer service is worse. My previous BV was before they were bought out and that made a stellar cup.

I purchased another Bonavita, which ended up being absolute trash. It brewed an amazing cup...until it broke some 5 months later. For now, I'm absolutely in love with my Hario Switch combined with an Ode 2 - the hybrid recipes are truly spectacular in drawing out a near-perfect cup. I am considering another Moccamaster, especially when I read some success stories beyond just the QC and aesthetics (which are truly great).

Using CC's Switch recipe has made pourovers a relative breeze and yields (usually) an incredible cup. I owned and returned a Moccamaster. It simply can't brew a consistent cup with half pots. I tried for a month. You basically have to either manually address the grinds, which defeats the purpose of an autobrewer, or brew full pots and waste a lot of coffee as a result. The best autobrewer in my experience was Bonavita before they were bought out. Now the QC is beyond awful. My second machine is a total dude.

my Bonavita is about 7-8 years old and still going strong.

second both, moccamaster and bonavita.

Bonavita for under $200. Chuckling at all these people recommending non under $200 machines. To really save money buy a Clever dripper. I can make excellent coffee with it.

Which is why my first recommendation was a Bonavita. Did you even read my post? Jeez.

If all you you want is a big pot of drip, buy a Bona Vita or a Technivorm Paired with a decent grinder (say the Ode Fellow) and you’ve got drip bliss for far less than your KF7 (and you know I love my KF7 as we’ve talked some- but my needs are different than yours)

I ve had a bonavita that has been used daily for over 5 years. Makes a great cup of coffee

A coffee roaster friend of mine suggested I get a Bonavita for my STR. It's going strong in its 6th year. Easy to use and clean. I've been super happy with this purchase.

I have the same brand and had to replace the carafe when it was four years old.

My Bonavita died after about 2 years. It would steam up so much that the amount of coffee was about half the amount of water I put in. I descaled and descaled and descaled and when that didn't fix the issue, I took it apart figuring I could manually clean it. Good luck ever trying to get it back together again if you go that route! I've been relying on my Bodum pour over but am ultimately just going to get a Moccamaster.

I’ve had a Bonavita for years, and have always loved it. However, Santa Wife got me a Moccamaster KBT for Christmas, and I absolutely adore it, even more than the Bonavita. You simply can’t go wrong with either one (or indeed any other options listed on this thread).

First off, I have no complaints at all about the Bonavita. It has served me well for years, and has always brewed a very, very good pot of coffee. The only small note I have is that the thermal carafe does not keep the coffee constantly warm for more than an hour or, at tops, two. I would prefer the carafe be slightly better insulated. To me, the Moccamaster makes a slightly better cup of coffee. I lack the proper coffee vocabulary, but I'll try. It's clearer somehow, and more consistent. Some of this may be confirmation bias on my part, as I just got my MM, have loved drinking the coffee that comes from my friend's MM for years, and am excited finally to have my own. So, who knows? Both the MM and the Bonavita brew comes out at the same temp (as my mouth measures these things. I have not confirmed this with a thermometer), though the MM carafe keeps the brew warmer, longer. I like that the MM has only one switch, off and on. While the Bonavita also has one switch, it has two settings, one with a quicker drip, and (after holding the switch down for three seconds to change settings) a more diffuse one. I have never wanted the first setting, and indeed wonder what it's even for. The MM has no such thing, so a half-point to simplicity in the MM system there. I have not gotten rid of my Bonavita, and luckily have room in my closet to keep it as a back-up system, or addition if I ever need to have two brewers going at once. But the MM is No. 1 on the depth chart for me right now. Hope this answers your question.

My Bonavita makes good coffee. It’s very simple. It has a carafe instead of a hotplate and it doesn’t have any settings other than on/off. So, there aren’t many things that are likely to malfunction or break. I’m hoping that I’ll have it for life. I have a Chemex. It makes excellent coffee and has even few settings than the Bonatita (i.e. none).

Years ago when I wanted to buy a top-notch coffee maker, I consulted Cook’s illustrated. They do not take ads. They are as legit as it gets. They were two machines they recommended, one was the Bonavita for about $150 and the other was the mocha master for $349. I bought the Bonavista. One day I was at a family friends party. The host parents traveled with their mocha master. it was timely since I was getting a little tired of the Bonavita and it wasn’t that good of coffee. He insisted I try the mocha master. One cup and I was hooked. I immediately placed an order online at $349 and don’t regret it not one bit.. For the reduced price than Amazon divided by what a cup of Starbucks coffee would cost you that’s an absolute steal. It makes a far superior cup than anywhere else. Someone proved it to me.

I have a bonavita, it was like 120, very basic machine, 8 cups, no auto stop, clock/ program. But it makes good, consistent coffee, and has for 10 years.

I would check out the SCA certified brewer list on their website. All the machines there look pretty good. I just replaced my Bonavita, which I had for at least 10-12 years with a used GE cafe brewer. I also looked at the OXO machine, but my wife preferred the look of the GE. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the units on the SCA list— pick one that fits your price point and desired features.

Canada doesn't make much so probably not. I got a bonavita before they went out of business and before this shit popped off. I'd go moccamaster if I could start again

If you don't mind aesthetics too much and they're available in your market Bonavita drippers are built like tanks.

I love my Bonavita drip coffee maker. It has one button and it makes coffee fast and good. No clock, no settings…just one button and a pot of coffee in under 5 mins that is consistently delicious.

There’s a few key variables to a “good” coffeemaker if you want to get the best out of your beans. You’ll want to look at water temps, flow rate, bed coverage, and consistency to name a few. Brands pay the SCA to test and certify their coffeemakers. They’re not all perfect, but they’re generally a safe bet. They also have a few cheaper options like the Bonavita.

My Bonavita is still going amazingly 10 years later but if I had to replace it I would look at a Behmor or a Moccamaster

They used to be. I heard the new ones are not the same quality. I think the company got bought out. I just replaced my 10 year old bonavita with a moccamaster.

The wonky power switch on my Bonavita finally went and I ordered a new replacement immediately. Nothing against the Moccamaster, but I found that at twice the price it wasn’t even the tiniest bit better. I would have considered the Sage/Breville based on recommendations, but the $150 price tag for the Bonavita and years worth of a damn fine cup of coffee make the decision easy.

I wanted a moccamaster for years. I've used to use a bonavita. I also do v60s and aero press. It's a good machine but it will be disappointing to a lot of people. I like it's simplicity. I was initially disappointed by the water distribution but after diving deep, I learned the whole concept of even distribution of water isn't really important at all.

Uhhh the moccamaster doesn't really break. Copper heating element is where the cost is. My bonavita broke after a year.

I got a Bonavita coffee maker years ago. A bit expensive but makes a great pot of coffee.

I’m very happy with bonavita + aeropress too, but if I didn’t have the bonavita I’d consider the new one from Fellows.