There's nothing worse than spending $200 on a coffee machine just for it to croak a few years later. Who's got the time and money to research and buy a new coffee maker more often than the World Cup? Not me, that's for sure.
A wise man once said, "Buy it nice or buy it twice" — and in the Technivorm Moccamaster's case, truer words could not have been spoken. At $370 full price, the Moccamaster is in no way the cheapest coffee maker you can get. But right now it's down to $239, which means it's a little more attainable for us common folks.
But the temporary discount isn't the most appealing part — Technivorm's best-in-class aftermarket care is. Unlike every other coffee brand, Technivorm offers a 5-year warranty and lifetime repairs as standard. So... does it actually make more sense to buy the Moccamaster over a cheaper alternative without this post-purchase treatment? To help you decide which coffee maker to make a part of your family, I've done the math — so let's get into it.
The initial cost
Getting a brand-new coffee maker is inherently expensive. Let's run through some of my favorite models.
Coffee maker math
Now, let's do some coffee maker math. For your ease, I put all this information into a nice little table.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Warranty | Repairs/extra warranty |
|---|---|---|
Technivorm Moccamaster | 5 Years | Lifetime repairs |
Ninja 12-Cup | 1 year | None |
Bonavita 5-Cup | 1 year | None |
Simply Good Coffee | 2 years | 5 years with signup to Coffee Quality Assurance Programme ($120…) |
Breville Luxe | 1 year | None |
Hm, I don't think it takes a Harvard Math graduate to work out that the Moccamaster has the best warranty by far. Technivorm is an industry leader here — no other manufacturers come anywhere near as close.
Let's toss around some possible future scenarios.
Now, these are all just possibilities. I am in no way saying these machines will break at any point — they may last five years, ten, twenty. I am also not claiming these companies have to follow these rules. Each warranty has fine print. This is just a hypothetical scenario.
Scenario 1
- You buy the Bonavita 5-Cup. It's got the lowest initial cost of any SCA machine and you can't be sinking $300 into a Technivorm or Breville right now (relatable).
- However, on day 366 of usage, the Bonvita says RIP.
- You can't claim anything under warranty, as it's been more than 365 days.
- You have to buy it again.
- Overall cost: $149 + $149 = $298
Scenario 2
- You buy the Breville Luxe Brewer. It's $350, but it's a gorgeous machine and you have been saving up for a year.
- You use it for a year and it breaks.
- Breville send you a new one as it was under warranty!
- You use it for another two years and the new one breaks.
- You can't claim anything under warranty, as your two years are up.
- Overall cost: $349 + $349 = $698 (yeouch!)
Scenario 3
- You buy the Technivorm Moccamaster. Again, it's expensive, but that warranty looks appealing.
- After two years, it breaks.
- You get a new one from Technivorm as it was under warranty.
- After twelve years, it breaks!
- Technivorm repairs your Moccamaster for a fee.
- You don't have to buy a new coffee maker!
- Overall cost: $239 right now, $369 full price
Again, these are all completely hypothetical scenarios. In no way am I suggesting any Ninja, Breville, Bonavita, or Simply Good Coffee machine will break after a few years. It's just an example.
Offering a 1- or 2-year warranty for a coffee machine is, if you ask me, pretty poor going.
Offering a 1- or 2-year warranty for a coffee machine is, if you ask me, pretty poor going. Do these brands not have faith in their products, or is there some other reason for it? If zero manufacturers offered a 5-year warranty or lifetime repairs, we'd be able to excuse it with, "Well, no one else is doing it."
But Technivorm is doing it. I'd like all these major brands to follow suit, learn from the masters, and offer customers better after-purchase care. Customer relationships don't end when you press "Checkout". They don't end — ever. I'm using that coffee maker every day, and the longer each product lasts, the more trust grows.
The bottom line is this: if you buy it nice, you don't have to buy it twice. If I were buying a new coffee maker, I know which one I'd choose: the Moccamaster.
And my decision would be instant.
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