I flip-flop between coffee brewing methods depending on my mood. Sometimes I’ve got enough energy to craft artisanal experimental beverages on my espresso machine, sometimes I love perfecting my skills with iconic pour-overs, and sometimes I just want to flip a switch and be done.
So, for those days, there’s nothing better than the Moccamaster Cup-One. Sure, it’s one of the best coffee makers for ease of use. All I have to do fill the filter with coffee, fill the tank with water, and click ‘go’. Five minutes later, I’ve got a steaming hot cup of coffee.
But, it’s relatively pricey at $249, and it only makes one cup at a time. Still, though, it could be the coffee maker for you. I’ll discuss everything from ease of use to perfect ratios and more in this Moccamaster Cup-One review.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Cheat sheet
- Who is it for? Coffee lovers who want one cup at a time
- What does it cost? A pretty penny: $249 / £214
- What does it do well? Brews fast, easy to use, long 5-year warranty
- What are its weaknesses? Not very versatile
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Specs
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Price & availability
The Moccamaster Cup-One is a huge $249 from Amazon U.S. and £214 from Amazon U.K.. Considering the full-size Moccamaster Select KBGV is $359, you’re effectively paying $100 extra for ten times the capacity.
Now, I’m not saying the Cup-One is a rip off or not worth your time; not at all. I’m simply pointing out that for another $100, you can get the same product but with a huge 10-cup capacity, as opposed to one.
Moccamaster coffee makers are known to be pretty pricey. For an affordable drip brewer (with a 12 cup capacity!) I can recommend the Instant Infusion Brew at just $69. The Smeg Drip Coffee Maker, which has an auto-start button (so you can fill it with coffee before bed and wake up to a fresh brew), is a massive $399 for a 10-cup capacity.
The Cup-One uses #1 filters, as opposed to the rest of Moccamaster’s line using #4. The V60 uses #2, which is probably the most common filter size. #2 filters are for 2-6 cup coffeemakers, and #4 8-10 cup. This means you’ll have to buy #1 filters specifically for the Cup-One if you don’t already have a single serving coffee maker.
If you think $250 is pricey for a one cup brewer, don’t worry — you’re not alone. For those trying to save $$$, the Instant Infusion Brew is a fantastic choice.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Design
The Moccamaster Cup-One is, you guessed it, a one-cup coffee maker. Its water tank has a maximum capacity of just 10 ounces, which is enough for a single cup. Moccamaster provides two ceramic coffee cups that fit exactly 10 ounces.
This isn’t necessarily a pro or a con: it’s just a fact of nature. The Cup-One only makes that one cup, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a family coffee maker, or your main coffee maker. If you have a family who all love guzzling the brown energy juice, you’d be better off with the full-size Moccamaster Select.
However, if you live alone or you need an extra coffee maker in your home office, then this design is fantastic. While, yes, the Cup-One is relatively bulky considering it only makes one cup, but ooh damn, does it look stylish. I would buy a drinks cart for my home office just to display this utter beauty.
No, it’s not beautiful in the classic retro way of the Smeg Drip Coffee Machine, or beautiful like the futuristic sleek modernity of the GE Profile Smart Grind & Brew ($349). The Moccamaster Cup-One, like the entire Moccamaster range, has an unadulterated, poignant functionality about it.
The industrial-cool exterior (available in a huge range of colors; I tested bright orange) slaps you in the face with undeniable self-assurance. This is a coffee maker that knows what it’s capable of, and it won’t let you forget that.
The ‘tower’ part of the coffee maker houses the copper heating element that controls water temperature (between 197°F-204°F). Above the tower is the plastic water tank, which holds just 10 ounces in this model’s case, nicely marked with a black line. The silver metal drip spout is covered by a black plastic lid, which connects to the coffee maker filter.
The filter itself looks like a black plastic V60, but it fits #1 filters as opposed to the more common #2. No fret, though, as Moccamaster provides 240 filters with each new Cup-One. These filters are compostable, just like Chemex and AeroPress ones.
One of my favorite design aspects of the Cup-One is the auto shut off: when all the water has been heated and pushed through the spout, the coffee maker turns itself off to prevent burn. This is also how I knew my coffee was almost done; the little ‘click’ sound is quite loud!
One issue I had with the Cup-One is drip: Moccamaster claims it is an anti-drip spout, but in my case, is it a very much drip-drip spout. It didn’t drip enough to flood my kitchen or anything (imagine), but I did have to wipe up the drip after every coffee.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Performance
Some users online have reported issues with the showerhead, funneling, and overflowing, but I can confidently say that I didn’t experience any of that to a major degree.
A bit of jargon explanation: ‘showerhead’ is the spout that dispenses water over the coffee; ‘funneling’ refers to when coffee grounds go up and around the filter instead of staying flat; ‘overflowing’ is, well, overflowing.
A couple of times, my grounds were a little funneled, but this didn’t massively affect the flavor of my coffee. I think this is a pretty decent sacrifice for convenience.
I’ll run through my go-to routine later on, but the USP of the Cup-One is its ease of use. It’s designed to be a brewer that you set up, turn on, and walk away from. You’re paying for convenience.
Using the Cup-One is just so straightforward. It takes #1 filters, so not the standard #2 you see often, but Moccamaster provides 240 with each new brewer. Moccamaster recommends 18-21g of filter-ground coffee to the full capacity of 10 ounces of water.
While, yes, the Cup-One basically behaves like a pour-over, it’s a completely hands-free pour over. I think the coffee tastes a little different, too; I went with 18g of medium-ground coffee for the 10 ounce capacity, so a ratio of 1:16. This is the standard ratio for pour-over.
However, the overall flavor wasn’t as floral as the V60 (which relies on pouring style heavily) or the Kalita Wave (which generally has a stronger flavor due to the smaller drip holes).
Overall, the flavor of the Cup-One is a little simpler than traditional, manual pour-overs. I’d compare it to a mixture between the Espro P7 (a fancy French press) and a Kalita Wave. Obviously, though, the very nature of coffee is that you can easily experiment and figure out a grind and ratio that suits your taste. For the purpose of this review and subjectivity, I followed Moccamaster’s recipe.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: My go-to Moccamaster Cup-One routine
As I like a lighter coffee, I ground 18g of Rwandan beans medium-fine using my 1ZPresso K-Ultra grinder.
I scooped the coffee into a pre-wetted #1 filter and filled the water tank up to the black line. Then, I secured the plastic lid, placed my mug under the dripper, and turned on the Moccamaster.
Exactly 2 minutes and 59 seconds later, the Cup-One switched itself off. At 5 minutes 11 seconds, the last of the water dripped through and I had a delicious coffee.
Here’s a photo of the spent grounds.
As you can see, there is a little funneling. However, I think the grounds are evenly saturated with water and the shower head did not spray any excess water outside the coffee maker. Also, what’s a little funneling when the coffee still tastes delicious? Obviously the dream is to have a coffee maker that can brew without funnelling, but if it doesn’t actually detract from flavor, what’s the issue?
In general, I’m extremely happy with the performance of the Cup-One. There’s nothing wrong with the baseline coffeemaking ability of the drip brewer. My only issues with the product are around price and versatility (or, lack thereof).
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Storage & maintenance
Given that this is a pretty tall brewer, it doesn’t fit in my kitchen cupboards. It is, however, slim enough that it could be left out on the countertop, or in a home office.
Moccamaster offers an impressive 5 year warranty in the U.K. and U.S., and Moccamaster will even repair your brewer for a reduced cost after those 5 years. This warranty is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a coffee maker.
In terms of cleaning, Moccamaster sells a descaler and a cleaning aid. Current recommendations are to descale after 100 uses, but more often in a hard water area. I live in one of the hardest water locations in the U.K., so I’d descale after about a month of usage. Obviously, this will depend on your location.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: How does it compare?
In terms of ease of use, the Cup-One is right at the top with a Chemex. Using and cleaning the Cup-One is beyond straightforward: simply add coffee, water, press ‘go’, and when it’s finished, compost the filter, wash the dripper, and you’re done.
There’s very little room for user error here, unlike other products like the V60 and espresso machines. I’d recommend the Cup-One for coffee lovers who don’t have time to stand over a coffee machine, but still want an excellent cup of coffee.
If you want something even easier, then the Clever Dripper could be an option. It’s like a combination between a dripper and a French press, but with a huge opportunity for experimentation. It’s just as easy to use as the Moccamaster and costs a fraction of the price. It makes just one serving, too, so could be a good non-electric option — but you’d need a kettle.
Moccamaster Cup-One review: Verdict
The Moccamaster Cup-One follows the same rules as other Technivorm gear: excellent, functional, attractive and expensive.
While I’d recommend the bigger Moccamaster Select over the Cup-One for versatility, if you just need to make one cup of coffee and be done, then the Cup-One would be the option. However, for more versatility and brewing for more than one person (or, brewing the day’s coffee in one go!), then the Select would be a better choice.
I think the Cup-One is easier to use than AeroPress and tastes just as good as a Clever Dripper, but it doesn't have the complex flavor profile of something like the Chemex, AeroPress, or V60. For time-poor coffee lovers who want just one cup at once, though, the Cup-One is a no-brainer.
