Krups FME4-14 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless
by Krups
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: KrupsBrand: Krups
Model: FME4-14
Color: Black and metal
Product features:
- 1100-watt, double-walled stainless-steel coffee maker with 60-ounce water reservoir
- 12-cup vacuum glass carafe; soft-eject filter holder; LED control panel; programmable timer
- 1- to 3-cup flavor setting; pause-and-serve function for pouring a cup midbrew; brewing-complete signal
- Built-in water filtration system; de-scaling indicator; adjustable-time heating plate keeps coffee warm
- 1-year warranty
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- Krups TT6170 Stainless-Steel 800-Watt 2-Slice Toaster
- Krups GVA242 24-Ounce Mini Chopper Speedy Pro Plus
- Krups GX4100 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Krups FME4-14 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless
Customer Review: Good coffeemaker, works as promised; a little cheaply built
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't know how to understand some of the previous, extremely negative reviews.
I have not had any problem pouring a cup of coffee without dripping/spilling.
I think that the 1-3 cup feature is great: With my previous coffeemaker, it really wasn't possible to brew a small amount of coffee and have it taste good; with this Krups' machine's 1-3 cup setting, I get a few nice, strong cups of coffee without having to use too many coffee beans.
The programming feature is easy to use. I read the manual once and then, two days later, remembered how to program the coffeemaker to brew at a specific time. It's really as simple as pressing the "Prog" button quickly, toggling with the "hour/minutes" button" to set the timer. As to the fear that the machine will be a fire hazard by turning itself on without water because the timer is set, the manual clearly states that there is a safety feature that will turn the machine off if it gets turned on without any water in the reservoir. Yes, I would prefer a separate button to turn on/off the timer setting, but it isn't that big of a deal.
I haven't had any problem with water spilling out the back of the unit. In fact, I don't even see the overfill hole in the back of the unit that a previous reviewer mentioned. I seldom brew 12 cups of coffee at once, so perhaps I'm not the best person to judge whether this is a problem. I did do the initial "clean the machine" routine by filling it up all the way to run clean water through it and I didn't notice and spilling at that time.
I agree that the coffeemaker is somewhat cheaply built -- surprisingly flimsy for a coffeemaker with a list price this high. I actually bought mine locally and chose the more expensive FME4-14 model because the stainless steel front added some solidity to the machine. The FME1 and FME2 models, all plastic, seemed extremely cheap and light. They all use the same filter basket mechanism, though, which appears to be fragile. This is not a machine for those people who are impatient or treat their possessions in a rough manner. I can see breaking the swing out door or the filter holder because of how thin the plastic is. On the other hand, I bought this coffeemaker to replace an even more expensive Cuisinart model that broke just out of warranty. (Well, the coffemaker still worked but the brew-and-pour feature stopped working because a piece of plastic in the filter basket broke. Actually, I couldn't even use the thing at all until I bought a 10 cent washer at a local hardware store and jimmied the thing back into somewhat of a workable condition -- at least it no longer just spewed coffee all over my counter, but the brew-and-pour feature still didn't work. And, of course, I couldn't find the replacement part I needed to actually make the machine whole again. Also, the water level meter in that machine stopped working after just a few months and the clock was so poor that it gained over one minute EVERY DAY, interfering with the machine's ability to actually brew at a specific time each day using it's programming function.)
I agree that there should be markings on both sides of the carafe. This pot is designed for right-handed people because the markings are visible when it's picked up in the right hand. However, given the water level read out on the machine itself (which, despite others' experiences, I haven't had a problem with yet), this doesn't seem to be a big deal.
As to the warming plate's surface flaking off, I have to wonder what that person was using to clean the machine. The manual specifically states not to use ANYTHING abrasive on the machine and that reviewer used the word "scour." Really, when cleaning off the small drips of coffee that inevitably get on a warming plate when using a brew-and-pour feature (I've never seen a coffee maker that was perfect about stopping coffee from dripping when the pot is removed during brewing), all one needs to use is the soft side of a kitchen sponge for a quick wipe.
My biggest gripe about this machine is the manual. It is poorly laid out: there is a picture of the machine on one page with letters pointing to various features, but the legend of what those letters means appears a few pages later. Obviously the legend needs to be on the facing page of the manual. I was also a little concerned when initially unpacking the thing. There's a large piece of styrofoam holding the pot in place and I was concerned about breaking the filter basket door when I was ripping it out of the machine. The manual contains NO instructions about unpacking the machine. Normally instructions for something this basic aren't necessary, but if Krups is going to pack something this delicate in such a screwy way, they should provide better information to the end consumer. Perhaps this is how some reviewers' filter holder doors became broken in the first place. Another problem with the manual was the instruction to "rotate" the water filter holder open in order to insert the filter. No illustrations were provided. I don't know about you, but I consider "rotating" to mean twisting something off. But the filter holder is actually designed to be flipped open (one side should remain attached while the other flips down). Given how flimsy the plastic is on this part, too, I could easily see someone breaking the filter holder if they weren't careful and actually tried to rotate the end of it off.
I cannot speak to the longevity of the machine as I've only owned it for less than one month, but so far I'm liking its features and, more importantly, the taste of the coffee it produces.
Description of Krups FME4-14 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless
New from Krups, this 12-cup programmable coffee maker has 1,100 watts to provide fast and efficient brewing. The programmable timer/auto on sets the start time each day and has a 1-3 cup flavor setting to maximize flavor extraction from small quantities of coffee. There is an audible signal indicating when the machine is done brewing and a popular pause and serve feature allows interruption anytime during brewing. After brewing, the heating plate time is adjustable from 1 to 5 hours. The 60 ounce water reservoir has a detection feature which shuts the unit off if completely empty has a built in water filtration system to remove chlorine and limescale buildup. Beautifully styled with a blue illuminated LED control panel for easy of use, it has a solid stainless steel swing out filter holder with soft eject motion and easy pour 12 cup glass carafe with no drip spout and ergonomic handle design. The descaling indicator measures brew time and calculates when descaling is necessary. Comes with a 1-year warranty.Drip Coffee Machines
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