The Krups FMF5 Coffee Machine offers sleek, sophisticated styling and a full range of features.

The housing comes in black, stainless steel, or white with brushed stainless steel and smooth, rounded edges. A coordinating thermal carafe has a brushed stainless-steel finish with white handle, rim and cover. The unit stands just less than 14 inches tall and has an 8.5x10.5-inch footprint.

The control panel consists of four pushbutton controls: On/Off, Hour/Mi., Prog. and 1-3 cup. For simple one-touch operation, you can fill the water reservoir, add coffee grounds to the removable cone-shaped filter basket and press the on/off button. The capacity of this unit is 10 cups; however, you can brew anywhere from 1 to 10 cups by simply adjusting the amount of water and coffee grounds.

The water reservoir has a flip-back lid for easy filling. You can use the carafe to fill the water reservoir or you may find it easier to use a separate pitcher or measuring cup. Although the carafe holds the proper amount of water, it is tricky to pour the entire contents into the reservoir since the carafe has a narrow mouth, requiring that it be tilted at an awkward angle to pour the last bit of water. We suspect that the narrow mouth contributes to the carafe’s excellent heat retention abilities.

We were impressed with the efficient brew cycle, which took approximately 8 minutes to complete. The brewed coffee drips directly from the filter basket through the specially designed lid of the thermal carafe with no escaping steam. Heat and flavor are retained by the double-walled lining. During brewing, you’ll hear the traditional percolating and bubbling noises, and the display screen flashes "on." When the brew cycle has finished, you hear a gentle series of beeps.

The initial temperature of the brewed coffee was approximately 168 degrees Fahrenheit. After an hour, the temperature dropped by only 4 degrees, and after 2 hours, the coffee was still steaming at 158 degrees.

If you are anxious for that first cup, there is a drip-stop feature that lets you remove the carafe from the base to pour a cup. Be sure to replace the carafe immediately afterward to avoid an overflow of water in the filter basket.

The Krups FMF5 Coffee Machine also has a programmable clock/timer, which lets you preset the brewing time up to 24 hours ahead. Once the time is programmed, it will remain in memory until you change it or until the machine is unplugged.

Because fresh, clean water is paramount to great-tasting coffee, this unit is also equipped with a "Duo Filter" water filtration device. A small charcoal filter is inserted into a holder, which sits inside the water reservoir. The double-acting filter removes both chlorine and scale for optimum freshness and flavor in the finished coffee. The filter is designed to last up to 2 months (in areas with hard water) or 6 months (with soft water supplies). The machine can also be operated without the filter in place.

Other "smart" features of the Krups FMF5 include an empty water reservoir detection, which shuts the unit off, and descaling indicator, which alerts you when cleaning/descaling is required.


Pros: Quick and efficient brewing, 10-cup Double-walled stainless-steel carafe, programmable clock/timer
Cons: Carafe’s narrow mouth makes it difficult to pour the last few drops

Warranty
1 year, limited