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Bonavita is relatively new in the coffee maker scene. However, this manufacturer seems to understand what modern coffee connoisseurs want: a machine that makes a great cup of coffee without lots of hands-on. Since you are here, you must be wondering ‘‘what are the differences between the Bonavita 1800 and 1900?’’
These 2 are some of its most popular coffee makers. While they may not be the prettiest in terms of design, they receive a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, and from experts due to their consistently high-quality brews.
So, which model is best? Join as we make a side-to-side comparison of the Bonavita 1900 vs 1800 with regard to overall performance and reliability.
| Bonavita 1800 | Bonavita 1900 | |
 |  | |
| Size | 10.50’’ (L) x 6.50’’ (W) x 12’’ H | 12.4’’ (L) x 6.8’’ (W) by 12.2’’ |
| Weight | 7.6 lbs | 6.13 lbs |
| Water Reservoir Capacity | 8 cups | 8 cups |
| K-Cup compatibility | No. Uses coffee grounds | No. Uses coffee grounds |
| Cup Size | 2, 4, 6, 8 cups | 2, 4, 6, 8 cups |
| Auto-Off | Yes, after 1.5 hours | Yes, after 1.5 hours |
| Heater Wattage | 1400 watts | 1500 watts |
| Activated Charcoal filter | No | No |
| Brewing Noise | Relatively quiet | Notably higher |
| Descale Alert Light | No | No |
These 2 coffee machines are like twins from a design perspective- they share a lot of similarities as the Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 comparison table shows. However, there are also a whole lot of differences that make them virtually different products.
To understand the difference between Bonavita 1900 vs 1800, we’d have to start right where all this started: the BV1800. The Bonavita BV1800 coffee maker came before the BV1900. The latter is actually an improvement of the Bonavita 1800.
Now, although the BV1800 machine is still available for sale on Amazon, it’s currently listed on Bonavita’s list of discontinued products. It’s quite mind-boggling that the price at which this coffee maker retailed when it was released has since doubled after its replacement was unveiled. This, however, is a clear indication of the level of quality used on it and the value it continues to offer.
When it was released, the engineering behind this coffee machine was way ahead of its time. As such, it’s not a wonder that its excellence was recognized as a part of the Certified Home Brewer Program by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
The Bonavita 1900 is very similar to its predecessor. As expected, it has a few improvements on the interior and exterior that are expected to improve your coffee-brewing art. Despite the differences between the Bonavita coffee maker 1800 vs 1900, there are still those who hold to the claim that the recent release didn’t bring any noticeable changes.
Let’s find out.
Look and Build
At a glance, there are no major differences between the BV1900 and the BV1800 from a design standpoint. These coffee makers have been stripped away of all the luxuries that most of its non-Bonavita competitors come with, including flash-like LCD, programmability, and blinking LED buttons.
Their simplicity approach extends to their built as well. These coffee makers have a simple shape comprising of a circular lid at the top left. This gives you access to the water reservoir. Another one on the right conceals the shower-head.
If you look at these machines closely, however, you’ll realize that the BV1900 now has a more modern appearance with relatively attractive curves.
The other notable difference in the Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 is their size. This is one of the features that matter so much when selecting a coffee maker, more so if you don’t have lots of space to spare on your kitchen tabletops and surfaces.
The BV1800 is around 10.50’’ in length, 6.50’’ wide, and has a height of 12’’. On the other hand, the Bonavita 1900 is 12.4’’ long, 6.8’’ wide, and maxes out at 12.2’’ in height.
The 1900 tends to add a few inches on all sides, thereby making it the ‘bulkier’ of the 2. Surprisingly, even with its slightly large size, the 1900 that weighs around 6.13 lbs is well over a pound lighter than the 1800 that weighs about 7.6 lbs.
Generally, these are some of the most compact coffee makers that we’ve set our eyes on so far. While this is our opinion, most reviews on Amazon also tend to suggest that they fit nicely in most homes’ kitchen surfaces.
Don’t assume, though. If every inch matters in your small kitchen, you might want to check whether your choice at the end of this Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 comparison will fit.
Another way to compare the Bonavita 1900 and 1800 is the color schemes available for each model. The 1800 comes in only one color design- stainless steel with some ascents of black. The 1900, on the other hand, is available in 2 colors; stainless steel and black.
Coffee quality is definitely the ultimate telltale of reliability when it comes to comparing different coffee machines. Narrowing down to the Bonavita 1900 and 1800, this is one of the areas where they dwarf most of their similarly priced competitors. Worth of mention, the fact they are both SCAA-certified is enough proof that they are reliable in this aspect.
Brew quality is dependent on a few factors; quality of coffee, brewing temperature, and the level of saturation. The quality of coffee grounds is up to you, but heating the water to the required brewing temperature and ensuring adequate saturation depends on the machine.
One of the key arguments that you’ll hear in pretty much any Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 debate is that the latter is faster. This is true, and it can be attributed to the fact that the BV1900 uses a 1500-watt heater while the BV1800 is fitted with a 1400-watt heater.
When brewing a full reservoir (8 cups), the BV1900 may take anywhere between 6-7 minutes, while the BV1800 could take an additional 1-2 minutes.
The difference is almost negligible, and it becomes even smaller if you are brewing, let’s say 2 cups. Not to take it lightly, this difference in brew time could mean a lot if you are often in a frantic rush in the morning.
Also, in most reviews of the Bonavita 1900 vs 1800, most users affirm that the newer model produces notably hotter coffee than the older model.
Experts say that coffee is best extracted at 195-205 F temperature range. So, the closer the heating water is within the 205 F mark, the better. This makes the BV1900 the clear winner here.
This new coffee maker again brought 2 additional changes in an intention to take the brew quality a notch higher: pre-infusion mode and an improved filter holder.
As the name suggests, this is a unique feature that gently allows a small amount of water from the brewer’s head to soak the puck of coffee grounds in the filter. This causes a bloom, which slows the speed at which the water is passing through the filter basket.
As a result, there is an equal amount of water flowing through the entire bed. This leads to optimum extraction, thereby enhancing the aromas and natural coffee flavors in your cup of cuppa.
To activate the pre-infusion mode in Bonavita 1900 brewer, you only need to hold the on/off button for around 5 seconds or until the LED blinks twice. This LED will continue blinking to indicate that it is brewing in pre-infusion mode.
The other significant difference between these coffee makers is the type of filter holder that each model uses. While the original brewer uses a cone-shaped filter holder, the newer machine now uses flat filters.
| Bonavita 1800 | Bonavita 1900 |
| |
| Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Does this change in filter type make any difference in brew quality?
Honestly, in our experience at CoffeeVerdict, we believe that these 2 types of filters work the same. Our opinion is that what matters most is the freshness of the coffee and the brewing temperature. However, considering that the BV1900 allows blooming and has a slightly wider shower-head, we believe that it’s going to produce a much fuller-bodied brew than the 1800.
Strength, Reliability, and Durability Comparison
These 2 coffee machines are made from a similar combination of stainless steel and hard plastics. These are the same materials that Bonavita has been using for most of its household products, including brewers. We rarely see any complaints concerning the durability of the coffee makers’ shell. Generally, we expect these brewers to last pretty much the same time with good care.
However, if you are debating Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 in terms of durability, then that’s another story. We’ve seen quite a good number of complaints regarding the BV1800 breaking down after 2-3 years of operation. This issue seems to be caused by the corrosion of the metallic components inside the machine.
We expected this issue to have been solved with the new release- but that’s not the case. Although these reports seem to have reduced (albeit by a smaller margin), several Bonavita 1900 reviews on Amazon in 2020 state that the machines start shutting off in the middle of the brewing process after a few months. However, the manufacturer says that this is normal and it indicates that the machine needs to be descaled.
We should also mention that the BV1800 coffee maker’s glass-lined thermal carafe has not received the positive reports we’d expect it to get. Several previous buyers report that the glass explodes into pieces even with the smallest change in temperature.
With the BV1900, however, this glass-lined thermal carafe has been replaced with a stainless steel-lined model. We didn’t come across any reliability issues with this carafe. So, that’s a great improvement with the newer machine.
Cleaning and Maintenance Comparison
Bonavita coffee machines are relatively effortless to clean. Importantly, besides cleaning and descaling the brewer, there are no other user maintenance requirements that you’ll need to do.
Cleaning and descaling the machine whenever necessary not only helps in keeping the machine in good shape, but it also assures you of a good quality cup of coffee with each brew.
Here is Bonavita’s recommendation on when to clean and maintain these coffee machines;
- Weekly– wash the filter basket and carafe in warm soapy water each week. Glass carafes can safely go in the highest rack of the dishwasher. Thermal carafes, however, should neither be put in dishwashing machine nor fully submerged in water. These should only be hand-washed.
- Monthly– the water reservoir is not removable. As such, it can only be wiped clean to minimize or remove residue build-up. If your water supply has a higher mineral content, this is a good time to descale too. Note that the 1800 and 1900 don’t have a descale alert alight. So, sticking to a monthly descale regimen may help a lot.
- Quarterly– if you use soft water, descaling the system after 3 months using a descaling solution and detergent combo will significantly help in improving the coffee maker’s performance.
There is no clear winner in the Bonavita 1900 vs 1800 comparison as far as ease of cleaning is concerned. They all use similar removable parts and a similar internal heating system.
These coffee machines use a very simplified and straightforward method of brewing. To brew a cup of coffee using either of these machines, you start by placing a paper filter on the filter holder and placing it on top of the carafe. Next, pour enough amount of coffee into the paper filter depending on how many cups you want to make and place the 2 (carafe with filter holder on top) in position under the shower-head.
With the right amount of coffee in the filter, the next step is to add enough water into the reservoir. Each of these coffee makers’ reservoir has a nicely labeled scale that allows you to add 2-8 cups of water. The last step is to hit the power button and wait for 6-8 minutes for the coffee to brew.
When you hit the power button, a pump will draw all the water in the reservoir and take it through a heating element where it is heated to the ideal coffee-brewing temperature range. This is usually between 195 and 205 F.
Later, the water is pumped through a tube into the shower-head where it flows out through a series of 7 spouts to saturate your coffee grounds.
Not a fan of coffee makers that feature several buttons overcrowding the control interface? Well, these models’ single-button control interface might be all that you need.
The Bonavita 1900 and 1800 have automated everything from precise water temperature control to pressure. So, you only need to wait for a few minutes for a hot cup of coffee. Keep in mind that this incredible ease of use comes at the expense of the level of control that you have over the quality of the brew.
If you are considering the Bonavita BV1900, you might want to get used to activating and deactivating the pre-infusion mode.
In addition, its carafe does not come with the drip-free spout that the former coffee maker’s carafe came with. So, you’ll also need to be a little bit careful when pouring coffee in your cup.
Verdict
If you are debating the Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 coffee makers, you’ll find them quite similar in most aspects. These coffee machines’ ‘pour-over brew-style’ coupled with a unique shower-head do the trick in bringing out the aromas and flavors in your coffee grounds. These brewers also score high marks in terms of ease of use and maintenance.
At the end of the day, though, the BV1900 has several upgrades that may be positive marks if you are super strict about the quality of your brew.
The unique pre-infusion mode and a large brewer head, for instance, will add a tangible difference in the texture of your coffee. Its high-wattage heater could also bring a lot of difference if you want your hot coffee really hot.
| Bonavita 1800 | Bonavita 1900 |
| |
| Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Hold the on/off button for 5 seconds or until the red light starts blinking. Use the same procedure to switch it off.
Bonavita recommends descaling the system at least once after every 100 uses or after every 3 months. If your water supply has a high mineral content, descaling every month might be necessary.
Yes. These brewers come with a 2-year warranty.
- Bonavita BV1800 vs BV1900: Comparison Table
- Bonavita 1800 vs. 1900 Review Overview
- Bonavita 1800 vs 1900 Comparisons and Differences
- Look and Build
- How do the Bonavita 1800 and 1900 compare in Brew Quality?
- What is the pre-infusion mode in Bonavita 1900?
- Does this change in filter type make any difference in brew quality?
- Strength, Reliability, and Durability Comparison
- Cleaning and Maintenance Comparison
- Bonavita 1800 vs 1900: Ease of Use
- No endless buttons to fiddle with!
- Verdict