Customer Reviews

KRUPS KT4065, 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

We have used Krups thermal carafe coffee makers for years, needing to replace them every few years because of hard water problems. We bought a Zojirushi BD-15 and it leaked water from the reservoir like a sieve, from the base of the unit. We then bought this Krups and were disappointed as soon as we started to use it. First, the lid of the coffee maker pops open to expose the basket and the fill chamber, which is a small opening in the back right corner. This isn't so bad by itself, except that you can't fill the reservoir with the carafe because the lid sufficiently obstructs the fill opening, particularly if you use the carafe which needs to be almost fully inverted because of its design. We had to use a separate container for this step. The opening of the carafe is so narrow (2.5") you can't put a hand through it to clean it.

The clincher was that the coffee maker overflowed onto the counter as it was brewing (not from the top of the basket, but from the top of the carafe). Even with careful positioning of the carafe, the coffee would not enter the carafe without some cajoling. This was a hit or miss proposition and required us to watch carefully. We are going to send this model back. They should bring back the Model 229, which was a much better design.

The thing routinely pours coffee all over the kitchen counter. This is a design flaw but here is the fix:

If you take the lid off the carafe and turn it over you will notice I kind of funny square/round piece coming out of the bottom side of the lid. There is a little 'door' over this protrusion held on by a simple plastic hinged flap. The clogging is due to this door becoming jammed (either with grounds or possibly via 'vapor lock'). At any rate if you just take off that little hinge piece the coffee will NOT pour onto the counter again, returning the Krup name to its former glory! Now I love my coffee maker!

This Krups coffee machine is flawed, yet I find it has positive attributes worth considering. It makes the best home brew that has ever passed over my palate. Even the reviewers with a negative comment have not criticised the quality of the coffee produced. I have been brewing fresh roasted and gound gourmet coffee for many years without realizing that the coffee maker was such a crucial part of the process. My morning cup of joe is now coffee house quality and flavor. I am in coffee heaven.

There is a problem with pouring the coffee from the carafe. It pours slowly and deliberately with precision. Attempting to speed up the process results in spillage that is caused by the thumbnail sized movable cap on the underside of the carafe cover. (See follow up post for full details.)

Pouring water into the fill tank is a problem if you use the carafe unless you raise the carafe over the top of the upright open lid as you empty the carafe. Admitedly, no one should have to be this agile, especially in the morning before your first cup of coffee. The only work-around is to use a separate water pitcher.

The back-lit LCD readout is so clear and bright you can read it from across the room. It looks fantastic decked out in it's stainless steel exterior and stylish design. Until I find a machine that makes a better cup of coffee, I'll put up with its quirkiness.

*** Please see my follow up post ***

...but this may be the worst coffee maker ever designed. I've cleaned up my last overflow and am heading out to replace it. Yes, it looks great, and when it works, it makes good coffee. I was even willing to put up with the difficult water reservoir and the hard-to-read water gauge, but there is a problem with the design of the small flaps in the lid and the coffee ends up everywhere but in the pot. And today the small plastic tab that makes it possible to open the lid broke off. Could anything more go wrong with this design?

I have owned Krups appliances for years and must say that their quality has steadily, sometimes precipitously, declined. For brevity's sake I will quickly list the cons. The coffee is never hot and to keep the brew warm you MUST run the thermal container under hot water for 3-4 minutes (according to their instructions) before evening beginning the arduous process of making a 'quick' pot of coffee- what an ecological waste! Next, the coffee grounds tend to splatter on the 'shower head' water device inside the maker and the reservoir is located in one of the narrow corners of the interior with the water filter handle right in the middle of an already small space - you cannot help hitting the filter handle which might cause anyone's but a surgeon's hand to splash water all over their countertop. The pot has a double wall which should be a good thing; however, if you wash it frequently, water gets trapped between the walls and you have something akin to a thermos that stays perpetually tepid. You cannot pour coffee without dripping copiously, all over your table as the lid is extremely poorly designed- i.e., the coffee swishes along a raised internal rim and stays there long enough to drip whether you are serving or letting it sit in the niche in the maker! Pros: the paper coffee filters work well and the stainless finish is pretty and looks nice on my counter - i probably could have purchased a cheaper 'paper weight' at a statiionery store!

This coffee maker makes an EXCELLENT cup of coffee. The differences were immediate in the first pot. Full aroma, full body and great flavor. I can't say enough about the coffee. All I want is good, consistent coffee. I can deal with the quirks cause, let's face it, most if not all coffee makers have them.

And let me tell you, the machine is gorgeous on my counter top. Good looks, hot fresh wonderful coffee. What more could you ask for? Apparently much more, according to these reviews.

Is the water fill portal too small? Maybe. But I have never used the pot to pour water into my coffee machine, I have a separate container for that since I get filtered cold water from my refrigerator and the pot wouldn't fit in the door dispenser anyways.

Do you have to be sure that the pot is directly under the filter basket? Yes. No brainer.

Is the pot slow to pour? Yes. How slow? Not that slow. It's not pouring molasses. It's a slow controlled pour. In these days of drive through coffee at Starbucks and instant everything I find it kind of a throw back to pour my coffee slowly and to enjoy it slowly.

The automatic controls could not be easier to set up. Whomever said that they couldn't figure it out is a monkey.

It's loud. Get over it. It's a coffee maker. It boils water. That makes noise. Get over it.

Focus on the coffee, it's the reason we buy these to begin with.

This is my third Krups thermal coffee maker. Spotted this new model at a BB&B store in Palm Desert, CA, in early October, 2009, and loved the new look. Bought it on the spot. It makes great coffee. The leakage problem under the base with earlier models apparently has been corrected. Some precautions, however: as one reviewer noted, it's hard to add water to the resevoir for brewing. I use a funnel. Make sure the pot and coffee basket are lined up perfectly, or you'll have overflow as the coffee brews. Unlike earlier models, there's no beep to let you know when the brewing cycle is over, something I miss. I like the Aroma feature for brewing small amounts of coffee, but I'll never use the programmable abilities. Overall, a great looking machine for a modern kitchen.

Our office got this coffee maker to replace one that was working fine before (?!) and I HATE it. I was willing to give it a good chance, but it constantly disappoints.

1) the thermal carafe actually does keep the coffee warm without burning it, but you can't see how much coffee is left in it. Apparently this is an even better excuse for my coworkers to leave a quarter-cup of coffee in the carafe and not make a new pot.
2) the thermal lining has a lip inside that traps the last bit of liquid in it, which makes it hard to clean, hard to pour the last of the coffee into your cup, and makes the reservoir impossible to fill with the carafe.
3) if you do fill the reservoir with the carafe and accidentally spill some of the water into the filter area (it is impossible not to do this), it drips straight out onto the platform where the carafe sits, making a big ol' mess.
4) the carafe does not pour cleanly.

Overall, this coffee maker is badly designed, expensive, hard to clean, and hard to use. I'd spend my money elsewhere.

I read all the reviews on Amazon before finally purchasing this coffee maker at a local store about 4 months ago. My objectives were to get a better quality cup of coffee out of a drip coffee maker that kept coffee hot for more than 20 minutes. On these two fronts this coffee make exceeds my expectations. Coffee stays HOT for 1 hr+.

For the ease of use - I have never had a problem. Neither of the other two people I live with have had a problem. I think there was a design revision that worked out some of the bugs mentioned earlier. The identifier on the bottom of my unit is KT406550/5CA-4910 (I have no Idea what these numbers mean), your mileage may vary.

There are a couple of points that you will need to be mindful of. One is, as is well documented, the water pour point is small and the carafe will not work to fill the unit. I read the reviews prior to my first use and saved my old glass carafe - works without a hitch. The second is that you will need new water filters after about 2-3 months of every day brewing with tap water. The taste does diminish as these exit their useful life, so grab a couple on Amazon ($10 for 2) if you will be brewing with tap water. This make a big difference.

I do view this maker at the sports car of drip (consumer grade) coffee makers, and I think that I get pretty close to a commercial grade unit like at Starbucks with it. It takes a little thought to do it right, so if you would rather sacrifice quality for a tiny bit of extra effort - look elsewhere. If, however, you can meet the design half way, you will be pleased.

I've had this coffeemaker for over a month now and I love it. My husband makes the coffee before he goes to work and I don't get to it until an hour later. It is still piping hot! If you take an extra second or two and pour slow you'll have no problems.