How do I Set the Programmable Timer on a Krups Coffee Maker?

Having a programmable timer on your Krups coffee maker means that you can tell it when to start a brew cycle. You may wish to do this, for example, just before you wake up in the morning, filling your home with that freshly made coffee smell. You can also tell it how long to stay on after the coffee has been brewed--so if you're prone to hitting the "Snooze" button on your alarm clock, your coffee will still be warm when you get to it.

On some models, like the Krups EC311, you can even tell it to make a noise when the coffee is finished brewing, says the manufacturer. Setting the programmable timer is much like setting your alarm clock: first, you must set the time of day, then program the timer itself.

Plug in the Krups coffee maker, and fill the basket with the desired amount of ground coffee beans (one tablespoon per cup of coffee is recommended), using a paper filter or a permanent filter. Then fill the water reservoir with the desired amount of cold water, using the marks on the side of the coffee pot or on the water reservoir to guide you.

To set the clock on the Krups coffee maker, make note of the correct time. Get started by holding the "prog" button for 3 seconds. This will make the hours on the display blink "88__."

Adjust the hours by pressing the "h/mn" button until the correct hour is shown on the screen. Press the "prog" button again to adjust the minutes; the display will blink "XX 88." Press the "h/mn" button until the correct minutes are reflected on the display. Confirm that the time is set correctly by pressing the "prog" button once more.

If you want your Krups coffee maker on military time, you can also make that selection by continuing to increase the hours during the setting process.

Program the Krups coffee maker to start automatically at the same time each day by pressing the "prog" button again. Watch for the display to blink "prog" briefly before showing "8888." Press the "prog" button once again to set the hour and the minutes as you set the time in Step 2.

Press the "prog" button one last time, and look for a clock symbol to appear on the display indicating that the programmable timer has been set. Your coffee will begin brewing automatically at the time you set.

Be sure that you clean your coffee maker regularly. It may be more difficult to remember to regularly maintain your appliance if it is brewing automatically, since you are less involved in the preparation process.

Remove the basket and wash it with warm soapy water at least once a week. Similarly, the coffee pot should be removed and cleaned, and the filter and grounds should be disposed of after each use. According to Urnex, cleaning and descaling are both important to maintaining your machine, so be sure to descale regularly per manufacturer, as well.