Customer Reviews

Krups FMF514 Programmable 10 cup Thermal Coffee maker with stainless steel double wall carafe

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(70)

 

 

Krups FMF5-14 10-cup programmable coffee machine, black.
I just don't understand all the negative reviews about this Krups Coffee Maker. Was there a plastic smell while brewing? Yes, but only the first time running only water through the machine & not at all since. Were there air bubbles in the gauge that tells you how many cups you are brewing? Again yes the first time I used it with water only. All I had to do is remove the plastic indicator, blow through it and presto no more bubbles. It really isn't rocket science.

I am not a a light coffee drinker & I have about 3-4 mugs a day, my coffee is very important to me, so when I read all the negative reviews about this coffee maker I panicked. I went out and bought a Cussinart Thermal Coffee Maker instead, that was a mistake.

I used to belong to the Gevalia Coffee Club & when I joined I got a free 12 cup non-thermal coffee maker. It made/makes great coffee. It is the one I have been using for over 8 years. I had learned years ago that even though it had the Gevalia name on it, it was actually made by Krups. I should of ignored the bad reviews of the Krup FMF5 Thermal Coffee Maker & go with a brand I know works great.

I returned my Cussinart, got this coffee maker & couldn't be happier. This Krups makes great coffee, keeps it hot for hours & is hassle free. It also has some nice features like a water filter in the reservoir & an empty reservoir warning just to name a few. There is no plastic taste in the coffee.

So just follow the simple instructions & recommendations, sit back & enjoy a great cup of coffee. Come back in a few hours & you can do the same.

I bought this Krups to replace a beloved Krups thermal carafe that sadly passed on. This new model features too many flaws. For one, the swing-open filter door doesn't always engage. Minor issue. If you pour your water into the machine too quickly, bubbles can form in the window, so you're never quite sure how much is in the machine. Further, my model always seems to leak both water and brewed coffee from the bottom of the machine. Granted, it's only the size of a quarter or half-dollar, but you don't expect this from a Krups. Finally, the carafe, itself, pours so broadly that leaks are inevitable. Sadly, this product does not live up to the Krups' reputation.

This is my first Thermal Coffee Maker. I hate the burnt taste of old coffee but heard the thermal ones aren't hot or are slow or noisy. This one is outstanding. It is quiet, programmable and brews very quickly. Morning coffee is actually hot and fresh at lunch (I did NOT have to prewarm the pot - that would be hard the night before!). It is not too tall, easy to clean, and seems reasonably priced. The fill line is easy to see. You can fit a #4 golden filter easily. It is programmable for 1-3 cups, I bet they don't stay hot as long if not pre-warmed. It comes with an optional filter insert which we don't use since we have a Brita on our faucet. Only potential draw back is the 10 cup capacity (I had a 12 cup one before). Yeah, no more broken glas pots!

This Krups family of FME / FMF coffee makers I bought to replace an old Braun coffee maker of very similar style which, while it still worked, had a bad habit of spilling over the top of the filter every few weeks. And, I wanted the program ahead and insulated carafe features, so I was looking forward to this model.

Like some other new electrical kitchen appliances I have bought, I was amazed when some aspects of the new machine did not work as well as the older model I was replacing. In this case, it is the fact that when you remove the filter holder, it cannot sit by itself on the counter while you open the filter and insert it, and fill it with coffee. This may be a small thing, but it daily makes my task of making coffee more complicated.

Several other reviewers complain about the quality of the coffee made by this machine. I am an '8 o'Clock' cheap brand coffee drinker from way back, so all I can say is that with this very ordinary coffee, it seems to do about as good a job as the old Braun. It does seem a bit weak, but that may be due to the water filtration gizmo. Meanwhile, I really like the automatic shutoff and keep warm carafe features. They work as advertised.

Like many others, I purchased this POC to replace a previous Krups machine that I was very happy with. I read the mixed reviews on Amazon but decided to give it a shot since my history with Krups had been successful. That was a mistake.

I have three main beefs with this machine:

1. Water guage
2. Poor carafe design
3. Lukewarm coffee temp

The previous reviews about the water guage are true. I always measure the coffee grounds to water ratio when making my coffee. 9 times out of 10 when you pour water into the machine, the guage immediately bubbles up and renders it useless. It may as well not even be included in the machine.

Like other reviews mentioned, pouring coffee out of the carafe can be messy. The coffee doesn't pour smoothly and consequently leaves the top of the carafe wet with overspill. I'm not sure how this got past Quality Control being an obvious flaw.

Lastly, the temperature of the coffee simply is not hot enough. I enjoy my coffee hot and find myself having to either pour small cups or quickly drink it before it gets too cold. This was surprising considering that I never had this issue my previous machine.

For the money, look elsewhere and don't make the same mistake I did.

I too read the reviews, but couldn't find another carafe type I thought worth the money, so I took the chance. Yes, I've had bubbles in the water level gauge - I ignored them, looked in the tank itself for the level, and/or used the travel cup I was going to use for the coffee to fill the water tank. No worries. Bubbles are gone, and I find if I fill it carefully I can avoid re-introducing them.
And, yes, the last cup out is a bit clumsy - you have to hold the carafe at an extreme angle and drain all the coffee through the spout AND over the little plastic "gate", but if poured with reasonably steady hands I don't spill any and get it all out.
On the positive side, it makes great coffee. I'm fairly picky, and don't have any complaints with the aroma or taste using my favorite coffee (Mrs. Garland's blend from Flying Goat Coffee - try it..). The stainless steel carafe, cover, and swing door are easy to keep clean even in my high-mineral water area.
I would buy another, but I would also check and see if the same features could be found in a better-pouring carafe. Short of that, when this one gives it up I'll be back for another.

I really wanted to like this coffee maker especially since our old Krups model (Crystal Arome) works great. We wanted our new coffee maker to have a thermal carafe and timer so we could wake up to fresh brewed, hot coffee...which is a really nice treat especially during cold, dark New England winter mornings.

Shopping for a thermal carafe was more difficult that I thought. Many other makers are downright ugly and clumsy looking. The Krups model has a nice, modern appearance; something that would not look out of place on your granite countertops. I noticed that some other non Krups models were programmable but didn't include a clock, meaning you had to count the number of hours in advance you would like the maker to turn on...how strange! So the Krups model won out on looks and function.

However, after several mornings of using the machine there is a bit more to be desired.

The Positives:
1. The timer and clock is easy to program.
2. Nice look
3. The maker doesn't turn on if there's no water in the tank.
4. A display will inform you when to decalcify. You can adjust the maker based on the hardness of your water supply.

The Negatives
1. The brewed coffee is weak. We have to use more coffee to get the same brew strength as our old model.
2. The coffee isn't all that hot. The instructions say to preheat the metal carafe with hot water for optimum results. Unfortunately, that is a bit difficult to do if you're sleeping.
3. The overall build quality and ergonomics isn't all that great. The switch that opens the filter basket is flimsy and mostly doesn't work. You end up using both hands to open the filter basket. Also, there's a couple of rubber feet that always pop out when you drag the coffee maker across the counter, say if your cleaning around it or moving it to fill the water tank. Finally, the carafe should be redesigned so that you don't have to tilt upside down to pour coffee.

For now, this new model gets returned and we'll continue to use our old model without a timer or carafe...but in its simplicity makes a terrific pot of coffee.

This coffee maker is the best--perfectly brewed coffee every time with a carafe that keeps the coffee hot forever. The automatic turn off means you don't have to worry about a thing. I wouldn't own another, in fact I own two of these.

We got this coffee pot to replace its last model. We love the old model. This one smelled and tasted of plastic. I ran about 20 pots of water and some w/ vinegar in it to get the taste out. Nothing worked. I called Krups and they told me to use 2 cups lemon juice 2 cups water. Let it start brewing and stop it and let it sit for 2 hours and finish the brew. Then run 2 pots of water threw it. Now black stuff started showing up in the water runs I did. Like the lemon juice stripped the plastic. It was gross. It is also not uses friendly at all. The pot is hard to handle and pour the end of the pot into to a cup. There is nothing good about this pot. Very disappointing since the last model was so great. We are exchanging it for a new one.

This coffee maker makes delicious coffee. I love the thermal aspect - it stays warm and toasty longer. The timer is quite useful.

The whole thing just seems a bit cheaply constructed. Lots of plastic parts that don't seem durable. It hasn't broken yet, but one wrong move may change that.

PLEASE NOTE: I purchased the gold filter to go with the Krups FMF5 10-cup programamable coffeemaker - since on Amazon, it was something that people purchasing the coffeemaker were also buying. I hadn't had anything but a "paper filter" coffeemaker before. Anyhow, this filter does NOT FIT inside the filter holder on the Krups FMF5 10-cup programmable coffeemaker. Paper is the only option for you.