Bonavita - Metropolitan 8-Cup Brewer

I’m currently using the Moccamaster + Baratza Virtuoso, but used the much cheaper, but comparably excellent Bonavita 8 cup coffee maker for 10+ years with zero maintenance.  If I wasnt a fool and instead descaled it every 100 or so uses, it would still be going strong.  It was a superb option but I see it has climbed up in price now. Just get the moccamaster on sale. 

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

Depends on where OP is from. In Europe coffee means espresso. In the US it is usually drip brewed coffee. I have had a lot of equipment over the years. The Moccamaster will probably outlast you but it has no adjustments. I like my coffee a little warmer. Bonavita are good but don’t last long. Had a couple OXOs that made great coffee but did not last long either. Currently have a GE Cafe that makes great brew. Agree with Baratza Encore being good but they use some cheap plastic parts inside so need frequent repair by owner and are not easy to clean. Have a new Kitchenaid that does make a mess and grinds well.

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.

Same though I have the glass carafe. I know that people love the thermal version but I've read that the glass is easier to clean, and I drink my coffee fresh so I don't need the carafe to keep it warm.

I had a Bonavita for 7 years before it crapped out. Now on an OXO 8-cup, 2 years in. Daily use.

The Bonavita company I believe stopped making them and have zero ongoing support. So I didn’t get another. OXO 8-cup has been rock solid. The mixed reviews are from folks that simply don’t know how to make a pot of coffee. No frills, thermal carafe, pre-infusion, and brew starts with water temp at 205°F The Rocky is more than great for grinding drip coffee. Probably overkill to be honest. I occasionally use it for grinding espresso as well, for which it is highly usable. However if my primary use-case was espresso I would likely go with a different grinder. Specifically one that has zero or extremely low retention

Bonavita. Secondhand it is much cheaper than a used moccamaster

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

I bought the Bonavita 8 cup brewer and I've had it for a few years, thing runs great and makes good coffee but a little pricey for a drip coffee machine.