Are you particular about your coffee taste? Do you want a coffee machine which can make you great coffee cup after cup? Keep reading this post to find out why SCAA certification matters and which is the best SCAA Certified coffee maker to buy?
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What’s The Big Deal With A SCAA Certified Coffee Maker?
SCAA stands for The Specialty Coffee Association of America and they are a non-profit organization composed out of a bunch of obsessive coffee nerds, Okay, they prefer “coffee science experts” and “professional coffee tasters”, but the point is that these guys know their stuff. They are also quite friendly with the European Coffee Brewing Center – the guys who can nerd out about coffee in a few extra languages.
Anyway, since they are extremely… pedantic about what parameters lead to the perfect cup, receiving their stamp of approval and the official certification is a hurdle not many machines and manufacturers can even face. And since they really have no financial gain from this (nerds just wanna nerd), they are universally trusted to come up with impartial judgments.
How To Get Into The List Of SCAA Approved Coffee Makers
Their most important requirements are just the right temperature and extraction time – doesn’t sound like much but you would be surprised how many coffee makers (and by how much) fail in this very first round. To them, a good machine should be almost like you have a private barista waiting for your biding, and many items on the market simply do not measure up. The temperature needed should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90 to 95 on the Celsius scale) and it needs to pass through the grounds in less than 8 minutes. Well, unless you want your coffee super bitter – then you might need to use boiling water for 20 minutes. I say, to each their own.
They also look for other smart design features. The SCAA has a golden ratio of ground coffee to water that makes a perfect cup – it’s 9 to 11 grams for every 6 fluid ounces. Believe it or not, many machines can’t even hold enough grounds, so a spacious brewing basket is a must.
Another great feature is a shower style water delivery system. This is better at getting an balanced coffee extraction compared to a classic single hole spout. In the latter, the water is usually concentrated in one spot, resulting in too much water flowing through some of your coffee and not enough in other bits.
Also, the insulated stainless steel carafe is a must. Or at least the lack of a heating plate – it might keep your brew warm, but it also burns the bottom of it and messes with the flavor.
Best SCAA Certified Coffee Makers
So, which machines fit the bill? The landscape definitely looked very different just a few short years ago, but now they feel confident to recommend a series of models from different manufacturers. The price points for these coffee makers are still a bit up there, but let’s be honest, the amount of design and engineering that goes into these guys is not something you will find for $20 in your local Wally-world.
Their favorite brand seems to be Technivorm with a whopping 12 entries out of 28. The original Moccanaster also got high praise from those other nerds in America’s Test Kitchen. Models from some more recognizable brands (that don’t only specialize in coffee) like OXO and Breville have also found their way to the list. Let us examine these models now.
#1 Technivorm Moccamaster 79312 KBGT
Technivorm Moccamaster 79312 KBGT
Technivorm Moccamaster 79312 KBGT has advanced features to achieve the SCAA brewing standards.
It comes with a copper boiling heating element which is capable of heating water quickly to a temperature of between 196 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
In terms of water delivery to the ground coffee, it use a 9 hole outlet arm. This is part of its pre-immersion drip system which sends water through this arm in pulses to the coffee grounds. This helps the coffee grounds to release any carbon dioxide still inside the grounds. You won’t want the carbon dioxide since they have a sour taste. Also, they can also affect the coffee extraction since they repels water and prevent water from extracting the flavours from the grounds properly.
Its cone-shaped brew basket also helps to enhance the coffee extraction. This design allows the ideal water saturation with a regulated 6 minute steeping process.
Technivorm Moccamaster comes with a stainless steel thermal carafe which can keep coffee warm for an hour. What is special about this carafe is its “Brew-Thru-Lid” which help to mix the coffee during brewing, giving you a balanced coffee flavor and temperature profile.
Other Key Features of Technivorm Moccamaster 79312 KBGT
Large Capacity – able to brew 10 cups in 1 carafe.
Option to Brew Smaller capacity – allows small batches of 2 to 5 cups
Brews Fast – can brew a 10 cups of coffee in under 6 minutes
Quiet brewing – brewing coffee with the machine is a quiet affair.
Simple to Use – no complex menu to navigate or buttons to figure out its functionality. There is only 1 power button. Just fill up the water tank and the coffee grounds into the brew basket. Then place the carafe. Then hit the power button for brewing to start.
Brew Pause feature – If you like to drink a cup of coffee before brewing is completed.
Energy efficient – This is an energy efficient coffee brewer. The heating element switches off after brewing. It doesn’t receive power unless the water is filled. The only power consumption is by the power switch.
BPA Free – All plastics used on this machine is free of BPA.
Video of Technivorm Moccamaster KBGT in action
Pros
- Stainless steel thermal carafe
- Can brew 10 cup and smaller 2-5 cup batches
- Fast brewing of 6 minutes for 10 cups.
- Quiet brewing
- Simple to use
- Brew Pause feature
- Energy efficient
- BPA free
Cons
- No auto-brew and auto-off
#2 OXOBREW 9 Cup Coffee Maker
Oxobrew uses microprocessor controlled features to meet SCAA brewing standards consistently. Its microprocessor controls the pre-infusion time, brew temperature and water flow throughout the coffee brewing.
In terms of the water delivery, it uses a rainwater shower head design to spray the water uniformly throughout the coffee grounds.
Oxobrew uses a insulated thermal carafe made of double-walled stainless steel, which is able to keep coffee hot for up to 2 hours.
Other Key Features of OxoBrew
Large Brew Capacity – Can brew up to 9 cups
Programmable auto-brew – allows you to preset the coffee machine to start brewing the next morning
Simple Intuitive Controls – There’s only 1 dial on this machine. The dial controls the number of cups to brew and the programmable auto-brew timer.
Nice backlit LED screen – shows the brewing status and freshness of coffee.
Video of this Oxobrew 9 Cup in action
Pros
- microprocessor-controlled brewing process
- Simple intuitive controls
- Can brew 2 to 9 cups of coffee
- Programmable auto-brew
- Stainless steel thermal carafe
- modern look
Cons
- Can’t vary brewing parameters
Full Oxo Brew 9 Cup Coffee Maker Review
#3 Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer [Top Pick]
Breville Precision brewer uses a thermocoil heating system to achieve the optimal brewing temperature and keeps the temperature at the precise range using PID controllers.
What is different with Breville Precision is the control you get over these brewing parameters.
You can vary the brew temperature, blooming temperature and even the water flow rate.
Automated Gold Cup Mode
If you don’t want to bother about changing the parameters, you can just choose the “Gold Cup” mode. This will automatically adjust these parameters according to SCAA standards.
Other Key Features of Breville Precision
Very Large brewing capacity – can brew up to 12 cups
Allows smaller batches – can make 2 to 8 cups.
Dual coffee filters – 2 coffee filters for large and small batch brewing to optimize coffee brewing.
Can brew into small cups – Breville precision brewer can brew coffee into both carafe and small cups.
Iced Coffee & Cold Brew option – It has option to make iced coffee and also cold brew ( with option to adjust the steeping time up to 24 hours!)
Fast brewing – brews 12 cups in just 7 minutes with “Fast” mode option.
Strong Coffee Option – automatically adjust the brew parameters to extract more caffeine.
Programmable auto brew – you can set the time for the coffee machine to brew automatically in advance.
Programmable auto standby mode – automatically go to standby mode to save energy. But you can adjust the time for it to go into standby mode.
Child lock Safety Feature – locks your machine from being used. To activate this feature, just press Auto Start button for 5 seconds. To unlock it, repeat the same step again.
Video of Breville Precision Brewer in action
Pros
- Large brewing capacity of 12 cups
- Able to brew 2 to 8 cups
- Fast Brewing of 12 cup in just 7 minutes
- Gold mode to brew coffee using SCAA standards automatically
- Able to make iced coffee and cold brew concentrate
- Strong coffee option
- Programmable auto brew and standby
- Child lock safety feature
- Can brew into a carafe and small cups
Cons
- More expensive, given its more sophisticated features
Full Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Review
Related : Best 12 cup coffee makers
Which is the Best SCAA Certified Coffee Maker?
Each of these models have great features to attain the SCAA brewing standards. But I like Breville Precision more as it comes with a lot more features.
It has a large brewing capacity of up to 12 cups. It also comes with programmable auto-brew and standby.
In addition, it can also make iced coffee and cold brew. And it has a strong coffee option for a more caffeinated coffee.
Brewing is also fast with 12 cups made in just 7 minutes. Lastly, its child lock feature really appeals to me.
I hope this post has helped you find your best SCAA certified coffee maker.
