How to Troubleshoot a Krups Coffee Maker

If you have a Krups coffee maker not brewing coffee, working through a few troubleshooting steps may be the game-changer for turning your empty coffee cup into a full receptacle for this satisfying beverage. In 1846, Robert Krups founded his namesake company, which has been a worldwide supplier of home appliances. But even with the company's longstanding history of excellence, a Krups coffee maker may still experience some performance hiccups. Your Krups coffee maker manual troubleshooting section is a good place to start diagnosing these and other problems.

Krups makes different kinds of coffee makers and espresso machines. Consult the user manual to find specific operation tips and problem-solving steps for your particular model. For example, your troubleshooting may follow a different checklist for a coffee maker than it does for a Krups espresso machine troubleshooting checklist.

If your Krups coffee maker isn't brewing at all, some of the solutions are surprisingly quick and easy. Although it seems like an obvious reason, coffee can't brew if the water tank is empty. If there's been a recent power outage or power surge, you may have to unplug the coffee maker and plug it back in to reset it. Be sure to reprogram the clock if you reset your appliance so that the scheduled brew time will work.

The automatic stop feature can also be the reason for a Krups coffee maker not brewing. To cancel this feature, simply turn off the coffee maker and turn it back on again.

If your Krups filter basket overflows, you'll have to clean up the mess on your kitchen countertop before troubleshooting this problem. If there's water on the counter near the outlet, exercise caution when cleaning up the spill by turning the circuit breaker that supplies power to the coffee maker to the off position before attempting to remove the water.

Coffee that's ground too fine can prevent water from freely flowing through the coffee filter, and the grind of coffee that's used in an espresso machine will not work in a drip coffee maker. Check to see if there's any ground coffee stuck between the paper filter and the filter basket that's clogging the filter. And you may have inadvertently inserted two filters instead of one into the filter holder. Water will overflow the filter holder because this double thickness won't allow the water to flow fast enough from the filter to the coffee carafe.

Even a dirty coffee maker can cause the filter basket to overflow. When it's time to clean your appliance, descaling it can make a world of difference in coffee brew time as well as the taste of your coffee.

A Krups coffee machine not working properly may simply mean that it needs cleaning. Krups recommends descaling your coffee maker once a month by following these steps:

• After removing the filter cartridge, pour Krups descaling solution or a solution of 5 oz. white vinegar and 17 oz. water into the water tank.
• Press the CLEAN button (o) and the BREW/control knob (k) to initiate the 30-minute descaling cycle.
• If the water tank is still empty at the end of the descaling cycle, start another cycle by pressing the CLEAN button.
• Rinse the coffee maker by running two complete 12-cup cycles with water (no coffee) before replacing the filter cartridge and brewing coffee.