Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Review: The Best of Both Worlds!

The coffee maker world is getting more crowded all the time, with dozens of manufacturers jostling for your attention. That’s why it’s taken me so long to make time for a Braun MultiServe coffee maker review.

So, was it worth the wait? I must say I had high hopes for this sleek machine. In fact, I ordered one of these beauties from Amazon to test out. I’ll share my experiences using the thing a little later in this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review. In the meantime, let’s get started by taking a closer look at what we’re dealing with.

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Overview

One look at the Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker is all it takes to see that the manufacturer has upped its game. With its brushed stainless steel housing and gracefully curved lines, the MultiServe is definitely an attractive proposition. 

One thing I noticed right away was how sturdy and well built the coffee maker feels. Everything fits together nicely and I never worried about accidentally breaking anything during my Braun MultiServe coffee maker review.

I was particularly taken by the beaker-like glass carafe – it’d look at home in any respectable science lab. As is the fashion among the new generation of coffee machines, the MultiServe’s water reservoir is exposed, sitting up top alongside the brew group.

Below the water tank, there’s a large, chunky dial for selecting your brew size. Underneath, you’ll find the control panel and digital clock. I’m kind of on the fence about the MultiServe’s lime green accents. Whether or not you find these little flashes of color attractive will be a matter of personal taste. 

Still, Braun obviously hopes to appeal to a more discerning crowd of coffee lovers here. I’d say the plan must be working, because my interest was definitely piqued. With that said, the machine’s $149.95 price tag is nothing to dismiss, so I was hoping for some substance behind all that style.

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Review – SCA Certification

As it happens, the Braun MultiServe has been recognized as an exemplary home brewer by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Braun is in good company here – the SCA only awards this status to a select few machines, all of which have to pass a rigorous set of tests.

I’ve already reviewed a handful of SCA certified machines as part of my best drip coffee maker guide. If my experiences are anything to go by, the Braun MultiServe should be able to produce coffee to rival what you’ll get from a Chemex or Hario V60. 

However, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Or, it’s in the coffee, in this case! Later in this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review I’ll let you know whether the machine convinced me to put away my manual equipment for good.

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Features

The Braun MultiServe coffee machine is positively brimming with cool features. Some of these are immediately apparent, while others are quietly humming away under the hood. However, nothing escapes my attention, so let’s take a closer look!

User Interface

The Braun MultiServe coffee maker’s large control panel is intuitive and easy to navigate. Here you’ll find buttons for selecting brew strength as well as for adjusting the time and auto start function. 

However, be aware that these integrated buttons are really sensitive. I accidentally touched the Clean button and had to wait for 25 minutes until the machine had finished the cycle. If anyone from Braun is reading this, please add an option to cancel the descaling program!

I really appreciate the large, vibrant digital display that acts as both a clock and a freshness indicator. I’ll talk about the latter function later in this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review.

Program Function

As you’d expect from a coffee maker at this price point, the Braun MultiServe is fully programmable. Using the Auto On function, you can set the machine to brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance.

I’m well aware that many of you like to take advantage of this type of function. However, don’t forget that ground coffee quickly starts to lose its precious aroma, especially when it’s sitting in a brew basket overnight!

MultiServe Dial

One thing that really stood out in my Braun MultiServe coffee maker review was the MultiServe Dial. And not just because of the fancy pants lime green accent, either! 

Versatility is the name of the game here; the Braun MultiServe gives you several brew size options, ranging from a single cup all the way to a full 10 cup carafe. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I like having options!

ExactBrew System

Now we get to the part of this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review that deals with the substance behind that pretty face. As it turns out, the manufacturer has put a lot of care into the way this coffee machine does its thing. 

The ExactBrew system helps the Braun achieve consistent results depending on your brew strength and size selection. Apparently, the machine will adjust water temperature, flow rate and other parameters accordingly. 

BrewChoice Plus

I get a kick out of imagining coffee maker product development meetings. It must be hilarious to watch a group of people desperately trying to come up with technical sounding jargon for pretty standard features.

Anyway, BrewChoice Plus refers to the Braun MultiServe’s brew strength settings. Aside from Light, and Bold, you can select Gold, which is the mode certified by the SCA. There’s also an Over Ice mode, which results in a more concentrated brew for great iced coffee. Here’s a little teaser: the iced coffee I made really was great. I drank way too much of it!

FastBrew System

The Braun MultiServe’s exclusive FastBrew heating technology means the machine will make a full carafe in under eight minutes without sacrificing taste. At least that’s what the manufacturer would have you believe. 

As you can probably imagine, I was a little dubious about this particular claim. However, during my Braun MultiServe coffee maker review I made sure to time the machine and everything worked out as promised. Way to go Braun!

Water Tank

The Braun MultiServe’s clear plastic water tank features prominent level markers and icons, making it easy to see how much water you’ll need to use. The 50 ounce (1.5 liter) water reservoir is fully removable and even features a convenient carry handle.

Best of all, you can install a charcoal water filter in the tank. Not all manufacturers offer this option, so I applaud Braun for caring about their customers’ water quality!

TempSensor System

Seeing as the Braun MultiServe coffee machine is SCA certified, you’d expect that it’ll produce brewed coffee at the ideal temperature. That’s where the TempSensor system comes in. 

The Braun is installed with three sensors that constantly monitor the temperature while the machine is brewing. All jokes about stupid jargon aside, I’m pretty impressed by Braun’s dedication to maintaining high standards.

Freshness Indicator

Regular Coffeeness readers will know I always prefer a coffee maker with a thermal carafe. I just can’t stand the idea of drip coffee in a glass carafe being slowly cooked on a hot plate. 

For what it’s worth, the Braun MultiServe will start counting down from 60 minutes once your coffee is ready. Personally, I’d recommend starting a fresh brew after 20 minutes, or so. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you choose to ignore my advice!

Brew Basket

The coffee maker’s removable filter basket sits snugly in the brewing group on the left side of the machine. Although the Braun MultiServe comes with a reusable gold tone filter, I know some of you don’t like silty residue. Fortunately, you can use a #4 paper filter for a cleaner extraction.

Stylish Carafe

I already raved about the Braun’s stylish glass carafe – it may not be thermal, but at least it looks great! Plus, I found the carafe to be pleasingly ergonomic and I didn’t experience any unwanted drips. 

What’s more, the carafe has been designed to trap moisture, thanks to its elongated shape. Apparently, this will prevent your coffee from developing a bitter taste. That said, nothing will stop your coffee turning nasty if you leave it on that hot plate for too long!

Warranty

During my Braun MultiServe coffee maker review, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the machine comes with a three year warranty. While it’s unlikely you’ll need to take advantage of this generous warranty, I’d recommend keeping your sales receipt. After all, you’re better safe than sorry!

Of course, if you buy from Amazon, you can always pull up old receipts, even several years after the purchase was made. I love this about Amazon!

What’s in the Braun Multi Serve Coffee Maker Box?

Let’s keep the ball rolling in this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review by taking a peek at what other items come in the box with the coffee maker itself.

How to Use the Braun Multi Serve Coffee Maker

If you’ve had any experience using drip coffee makers, the Braun MultiServe shouldn’t be difficult to operate. Sure, there are more settings to contend with than on your standard drip machine, but you’ll quickly get the hang of things. Hold your horses, though – there are a few things to take care of before making coffee for the first time.

Start by plugging in the coffee maker and pressing the On/Off button. After that you can input your water hardness and altitude settings. I won’t bore you with the details here, but there are thorough instructions in the user manual.

Once that’s done, run a whole carafe brew cycle using only water. That’ll prime the coffee maker and purge it of any dust that might be hanging out inside.

I probably don’t have to tell you that your coffee will taste better if you’re using fresh, filtered water. To that end, do the right thing and install the included charcoal filter. Again, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to do that in the user manual.

Brewing Coffee in the Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker

Now your Braun MultiServe is primed and ready to make fresh coffee. Here’s how to do it:

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Observations

I started out by preparing a full carafe of coffee, using a fully washed Purple Caturra from Colombia. As I already mentioned, the machine delivered a carafe in around eight minutes and the resulting brew was nice and hot. 

I was most interested to see how the Colombia would taste when brewed with the Gold setting. To test this out, I first brewed up a 12 ounce (355 milliliter) travel mug, using three scoops of medium ground coffee. The resulting coffee was really clean and juicy, but not as complex as I would have liked. Overall, I was starting to feel a little disappointed.

Not to be deterred, I brewed up an 8 ounce (237 milliliter) serving, again using three scoops. This is more than the manufacturer recommends for this brew size, but I was glad to have followed my instincts. 

The resulting coffee was a huge improvement; the Colombia’s green apple acidity was on full display and the coffee was much more full bodied. I found myself staring into space, enjoying notes of caramel and milk chocolate, and as the coffee cooled it only became more complex.

By the way, I should mention that the Over Ice setting is a big success. I used a medium roast blend and brewed over a 12 ounce (355 milliliter) glass of ice, using the Bold setting. As expected, I ended up having to add loads more ice once the coffee was ready, but that wasn’t really a big deal. 

More importantly, the iced coffee was incredibly delicious and satisfying. I’m thinking I should add this machine to my iced coffee maker guide 2024. Let’s just say I was bouncing off the walls by the end of my Braun MultiServe coffee maker review!

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Cleaning and Descaling

The manufacturer might say that all the Braun MultiServe’s removable parts are dishwasher safe, but I beg to differ. Do yourself a favor and ignore the dishwasher while you rinse the carafe, gold tone filter and all the rest under warm water. You can use a little mild detergent if you want, but it shouldn’t be necessary.

As for the machine itself, use a soft, damp cloth to clean the housing of any coffee splashes and fingerprints. Avoid using spray cleaners of any kind here – you’ll run the risk of damaging the brushed stainless steel.

In case you were wondering about the Clean button at the bottom of the control panel, it’ll light up when it’s time to descale your Braun coffee maker. Braun recommends using their brand of descaler, but using white vinegar or citric acid cleaner should work just as well. 

How often you’ll need to descale your coffee maker really depends on how often you use it and the hardness of your water. Still, don’t put off performing this important task; both your coffee maker and your taste buds will thank you once it’s done!

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Specifications

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker vs the Competition

My aim is to provide you with a fair and balanced Braun MultiServe coffee maker review. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a couple of similar machines. That way you can have peace of mind about whichever one you go with.

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker vs Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker CM401

I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but you may have noticed how similar the Braun MultiServe is to the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker. Both machines share features like multiple brew sizes and brew strengths. Heck, even the glass carafes look almost identical. Still, there is one notable feature missing from the Braun coffee maker, namely a milk frother.

I was very impressed by the Ninja’s milk frother during my hands on review of the machine. Plus, I was able to get some pretty darn tasty coffee out of the CM401. Costing $99.99, the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker is slightly more affordable than the Braun and it’s definitely worth checking out.

Related: Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker CM401 Hands On Review 2024

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker vs Cuisinart Coffee Center

At $199.99 on Amazon, the Cuisinart Coffee Center is quite a bit more expensive than the Braun MultiServe. 

What’s more, the Cuisinart can’t boast of an SCA certification. Still, there’s plenty to love about this coffee maker including the fact that it comes with a reusable K cup pod. As much as I dislike coffee pods, anything that reduces the amount of unnecessary plastic waste is alright by me.

Related: Cuisinart Coffee Center Review 2024

Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker vs the Competition Comparison Chart

Verdict: Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker Review

I’ve got a confession to make: I had serious doubts before embarking on this Braun MultiServe coffee maker review. My first impressions of this machine led me to believe I was looking at little more than a Ninja knockoff. 

However, having taken a closer look, it seems all those folks were right about not judging a book by its cover. As it turns out, Braun has taken the whole SCA certified brewer thing very seriously. A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into the design of this machine, resulting in a sophisticated, versatile coffee maker with tons of outstanding features.

I really enjoyed my Braun MultiServe review, and I feel confident in recommending this coffee maker to anyone. Sure, the MultiServe is on the pricier side and there are a couple of things I’d change. Still, I was very impressed by how well the Braun performed and I still find myself dreaming of that iced coffee … 

Braun Multiserve Coffee Maker FAQ