Is the Moccamaster KM5 coffee grinder the most sustainable grinder on the market? We put it to the test

Technivrom Moccamaster has been crafting iconic coffee makers for over sixty years and their latest foray into coffee grinders is an impressive one. The Moccamaster KM5 Burr Grinder is everything we've come to know and love the brand for: it's premium, sleek, and ultra-durable. 

I first tested the Moccamaster last year when I was re-evaluating our buying guide for the best coffee grinders on the market. It scored top marks for being a quiet, quick, and premium grinder, but it didn't quite steal the top spot from Fellow.

Over the last year, I've been comparing the Moccamaster KM5 to other coffee grinders on the market. Whilst the Moccamaster is still expensive, it's repairable, replaceable, and incredibly durable. If you're thinking about the environment or long-term investments, this should be at the top of your list. Here's why.

Specifications

Unboxing the Moccamaster KM5 Burr Grinder

It’s not often that I get to enjoy unboxing, but this was a pleasure. Moccamaster packaged this already compact grinder in a small cardboard box. It’s decorated with premium touches which all remind you this is a sustainable, handmade product from the Netherlands. 

Once it was out of the recyclable packaging, I lifted the grinder up to find that it was surprisingly heavy. It’s no surprise, as this model is made from mostly stainless steel and glass. On the countertop, the design actually looked quite small. At 12 inches high, it would be an unobtrusive addition to any kitchen. To get the Moccamaster ready to use, I only needed to slot the glass grounds container into place and fill the hopper with beans. It really is that easy.

Who would it suit?

Aside from being repairable for life, this top-quality grinder comes with a top-of-the-range price tag. It’s somewhat justified: the materials are very premium and the flat burr grinders are the best option on the market. These technicalities are the kinds of aspects that you’ll only appreciate if you’re a real coffee enthusiast. If you’re looking at buying your first machine, I’d opt for a more affordable alternative before working up to the Moccamaster.

Even though this is quite a small grinder, it has 9oz hopper capacity, which is enough for any household. It’s also really quick at grinding. I had 60 grams of coffee ground in 24 seconds, quicker than their claim to do it in less than 30 minutes. This makes it well suited to big, busy households, but some of the features, which I will later explore, require the kind of care and attention that a busy coffee drinker might not have.

What is it like to use?

In line with Moccamaster’s reputation, the KM5 coffee grinder is straightforward to use. The grind settings range from 1 to 9. You’ll need to hold the button down the whole time that you grind, but it’s fast. We ground 60 grams of coffee in 24 seconds, but I also tested across the range of grind settings, from coarse to fine.

Coarse grind

Coarse grinds sound like they should be the easiest to achieve, but lots of grinders can produce over-coarse or inconsistent grounds. I was really pleased with these. You have to hold down a button the whole time that you’re grinding, which is a bit frustrating if you’d like to be getting on with your coffee prep, but it’s a price worth paying. The ground container is made of glass, so I could judge my grounds and measure them against the line indicators.  The grounds were all consistent and when I put them in my French press, the taste profile was perfect. The coffee was acidic, rich, and had signature French press bitterness. The thick, hazelnut crema was all the indication that I needed: this Moccamaster was off to a good start. We explore the best French press coffee makers in our dedicated buying guide.

Medium grind

Moccamaster recommends that you start on 5, as a good mid-point for coffee. To change from grind setting number 9, I had to grind. This stops grounds and coffee beans from becoming trapped in the burrs, but, in reality, wastes a lot of coffee. By the end of grinding on four different settings, I had wasted 30g of coffee in between grind settings. 

Fine grind

Moccamaster is the first to admit that the finest grind isn’t the finest, but it’s still really good. The texture looked really impressive and tasted even better. My coffee was rich, smooth, and slightly sweet, if not a little watery. I used the markers on the glass grounds container to judge how much coffee I was grinding, but it tends to build a pyramid against the side closest to the user. This means you’ll need to give it a little shake to get accurate measurements. For the price, it would be great to have some weighing scales for really accurate measurements.

When I looked into it, the grinder is certified by the European Coffee Brewing Center. This means that the uniformity and quality of the coffee grounds are guaranteed.  Looking at all of these grounds, I was impressed. The texture of each set was really different from one another. 

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintanance

Grinders are generally pretty easy to store and maintain. This is no exception. The Moccamaster comes with a small brush, designed to clear out the grinder. This is normally straightforward: you take the hopper off and lift the grinder out. However, you need a screwdriver to take the hopper off on the Moccamaster. I think it’s screwed on to reduce the noise. Moccamaster is quite successful; this is one of the quieter grinders that I’ve tested between 70 and 100 dBA. However, it’s a pain when it comes to cleaning.

I ran the Moccamaster through and was pleased to see that there was very little grind retention. After lifting out the grinder, I dusted it off with the brush and used a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the machine and hopper out. Once a week, I would recommend taking the hopper off for a more thorough cleaning. The glass grounds container and the rubber lid are both dishwasher safe. I cleaned them in warm soapy water and they came out sparkling. 

The grinder is small enough to sit on your countertops without taking up much room. However, if you want to store it away, you could. It’s a little heavy and the cord is quite thick, with nowhere to coil it, but you could use a cord organizer like this at Amazon if you want to be extra tidy. 

How does it rate online?

There aren’t many professional reviews online, nor are there customer reviews. However, from what I found, Moccamaster has a very satisfied customer base. Lots of people commented on the price, saying that it was expensive, but no one thought that they had overpaid. 

Lots of customers admired the anti-static, or, at least, reduced static properties of the glass grounds container. As I found, many called for scales and more precise measuring techniques. A number of people also found it frustrating that they had to manually hold the button whilst the machine ground, but there was little else on which customers could fault the Moccamaster.

How does it compare to similar models?

I tested this alongside the Smeg grinder, which is a similar price to the Moccamaster. The Smeg grinder had more of a range of settings and was better at the extremes: the fine grind was really powdery and the coarse grind was well-textured. However, the Moccamaster was much more consistent with its grinds. This is the difference between flat burr grinders, on the Moccamaster, and conical burr grinders, on the Smeg.

The Moccamaster was much simpler, sleek, and small. If you want your grinder to be subtle and durable, the Moccamaster is a better option. However, having to grind between settings results in a lot of coffee waste. If you’re looking for a statement grinder, that is easy to clean and very hands-off, the Smeg is a better choice.

Should you buy it?

If you can taste your medium from your medium-coarse grinds, you’ll want to invest in the Moccamaster. It’s extremely consistent and very good on technicalities. Moreover, it’s the kind of grinder that you love for life: once you buy this, you won’t need another grinder again. If you’re looking for a really fine or really coarse grind, this might not be the grinder for you. Also, when you take a step back from it all, the KM5 is really expensive. If you’re looking for value, definitely look elsewhere. If you’re looking for quality, you can get grinding with the Moccamaster KM5 coffee grinder.

How we test

Before we review or recommend any product, we test it in-person as if it’s an everyday product. I’m trained as a barista. This means that I’ve been through a number of processes to become an expert on all things coffee. We also have a specialized process for how we test coffee makers when we use a new product.

Before testing, we carefully research the claims that a brand makes about their product, so we know what we are looking for. We will also look at and test competitors, so we can place every product that we test on the market.

I took this Moccamaster grinder and tested it alongside other market-leading grinders. I used it in an everyday kitchen and made sure to test every function. At every stage of the process, from unboxing to cleaning up, I made thorough notes and observations, taste-testing coffee from every grind it could produce.