Moccamaster KBG Select review: a simple, built-to-last filter machine at a premium price

This Moccamaster KBG Select review is for anyone wondering whether a filter coffee machine that costs well over £200 can be worth it. The KBG Select is a drip brewer with a five-year warranty and a very short list of buttons. I haven’t tested this in person. My verdict is based on the specs Moccamaster and Currys list, dated UK prices, Currys owner reviews and the published tests I name and link below.

Moccamaster KBG Select review: the short answer

Buy the KBG Select if you drink a proper jug of filter coffee most days, you already buy ground coffee or own a grinder, and you’d rather pay once for a simple machine that’s made to be repaired than replace a cheap one every few years. The testers I read all found it very easy to use.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants to set a timer the night before, or who wants to grind beans in the same machine. The KBG Select does neither. If that’s you, my Melitta AromaFresh II review covers a grind-and-brew machine with a timer that costs a lot less at Currys.

Skip it if you mostly make one mug at a time or want your coffee to stay hot all morning. Moccamaster describes a 4 to 10 cup range, points single-cup drinkers to a different model, and the hotplate turns itself off after 40 minutes.

Who it isn’t for: anyone on a tight budget. Expert Reviews calls it pricey and suggests a rival is better value.

What it costs right now

The price depends on the colour, so always check the colour and five-digit model code on the listing before you buy.

• Stone grey (53811): £264.00 at Currys, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), in stock with no was-price shown. See the stone grey KBG Select at Currys
• Matte black (53814), silver (53810) and polished silver (53801): Currys stocks these too, but I couldn’t confirm which price goes with which colour, so check current price at Currys for these three.
• Sandstone (53830): £290.00 at Currys, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), in stock.
• Matt silver (53813): £267.95 at Redber, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026).
• Brushed chrome and matte stainless: £239.00 at Peter Tyson, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026). Peter Tyson labels this a “Special Price” against a regular £268.00, so it may end. Its matt black version is £290.00 at Peter Tyson, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), listed as due in five to seven days.
• Brushed: £268.00 at Juicers.co.uk, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), in stock.
• Stainless: £290.00 at Selfridges, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), in stock.
• Moccamaster’s own shop: it sells a UK-plug version, but the shop prices in euros and I couldn’t confirm a pound price or UK delivery. Check current price: Moccamaster KBG Select, UK plug
• John Lewis and Amazon: I couldn’t confirm prices at either, so check current price there if you usually shop with them.

What you get: specs and what’s in the box

Moccamaster’s UK-plug page (and Currys agrees) lists a 1.25-litre capacity, which it counts as 10 cups. The water is heated by a copper element to between 92 and 96°C, and a full jug takes about six minutes. The coffee drips into a glass jug that sits on a hotplate, which Moccamaster says holds it at 80 to 85°C and then switches off after 40 minutes.

The controls are about as simple as it gets: an on/off switch, a half or full jug selector, and a drip-stop so you can pull the jug out mid-brew. There’s no timer, no strength setting and no grinder. It takes No. 4 paper filters, and Moccamaster says it’s ECBC and SCA approved.

It measures 36cm high, 32cm wide and 17cm deep and weighs 2.8kg, with a 1m cord. Power is listed at 1,520W maximum.

In the box, Moccamaster lists the machine, the glass jug, the filter basket and lid, a tank lid, a nine-hole outlet, a measuring spoon, the manual and three No. 4 filters. Currys lists fewer items, so I’d go by the brand’s list.

Who it isn’t for: anyone short on worktop width, or anyone who wants to tweak strength at the press of a button.

Running costs and how long it should last

Day to day, you’ll pay for No. 4 paper filters, coffee and descaler. I couldn’t confirm a pound price for Moccamaster’s own filters or which other papers fit, so there’s no cost per brew here, and I couldn’t find how often it needs descaling.

Where the KBG Select stands out is the long view. Moccamaster and Currys both list a five-year warranty, and the brand sells parts separately, including spare jugs. Expert Reviews also describes it as built to last. That doesn’t make it cheap, but it matters if you’d otherwise replace a budget machine every few years.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a low price on day one above everything else.

What reviewers and owners say

BBC Good Food’s filter coffee machine guide (updated 6 Aug 2026) names it the “best retro” pick. It likes how easy it is, the accessories in the box and the five-year warranty, but notes that the corners of the hotplate are exposed and that it arrives with a lot of plastic packaging.

Expert Reviews (updated 31 Mar 2023) found it makes good coffee, is easy to use and is built for a long life. On the other side, it calls it pricey, says it doesn’t feel especially substantial and thinks the outlet could pour better. In a separate Sage Luxe Brewer review, Expert Reviews says the Sage is better value at a similar price.

Woman & Home (25 Nov 2024) liked its looks, found it hard to get wrong and noted it’s quiet. Its gripes are that there are only two brew options, the keep-warm stops at 40 minutes and it’s expensive.

On the stone grey Currys listing, owners give it 4.9 out of 5 across 19 reviews (checked 28 Sep 2026), which may cover all colours. That’s a small sample, so treat it as a good sign rather than proof.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants the most features for the money.

KBG Select vs Melitta AromaFresh II

• Price: the KBG Select is £264.00 at Currys in stone grey and the AromaFresh II is £150.00 at Currys, both price at time of research (28 Sep 2026).
• Grinding: the Melitta has a built-in grinder with 11 settings, according to Currys; the Moccamaster needs ground coffee.
• Timer: the Melitta has one; the Moccamaster doesn’t.
• Keep-warm: 40 minutes on the Moccamaster; 20, 40 or 60 minutes on the Melitta.
• Warranty: five years on the Moccamaster; the Melitta’s depends on where you look (see my review).

If you want beans-to-jug convenience and a timer, the Melitta makes more sense. If you want a simple machine made to be repaired, the Moccamaster is the one.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants the most convenience per pound.

Downsides

• The price. Expert Reviews and Woman & Home both call it pricey, and Expert Reviews points to a rival as better value.
• Short keep-warm. The hotplate stops after 40 minutes, and there’s no thermal jug, as Woman & Home points out.
• Basic controls. No timer, no strength setting and no grinder, per Moccamaster’s own spec.
• Build feel. Expert Reviews says it doesn’t feel especially substantial.
• Exposed hotplate corners and lots of packaging, according to BBC Good Food.

Where to go next

The KBG Select needs ground coffee, so a decent grinder matters: see my best burr grinders under £100. Weighing your coffee helps you make a consistent jug, and my best coffee scales guide covers that. For fresh beans delivered, try my best coffee subscriptions. And if you’d rather have a grinder built in, read my Melitta AromaFresh II review.

FAQ

Does the Moccamaster KBG Select have a timer? No. It has an on/off switch, a half or full jug selector and a drip-stop, but no timer, according to Moccamaster.

How long does the KBG Select keep coffee warm? Moccamaster says the hotplate holds the coffee at 80 to 85°C and switches off after 40 minutes.

What warranty does the KBG Select come with? Five years, according to both Moccamaster and Currys. The brand also sells parts separately.

Why does the price change between listings? The price depends on the colour. At Currys, stone grey cost £264.00 and sandstone £290.00, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), so check the colour and model code before you buy.