Krups Coffee Makers and Espresso Machines: What’s Worth Buying

Krups makes coffee makers across almost every category: drip, espresso, super-automatic, milk-frothing, and the Nespresso machines they manufacture as part of the Nestle-Krups partnership. The brand’s reputation is mid-tier reliable. Their products are generally solid, sometimes overpriced for what they offer, and occasionally genuinely standout. Here’s what’s worth buying from the current Krups lineup, what to skip, and where they compete with the better alternatives.

Krups drip coffee makers

The Krups Simply Brew Plus 10-Cup ($75) and the Krups Savoy Programmable 10-Cup ($110) are the standard drip picks. Both brew at proper extraction temperatures, both have programmable timers, and both have decent build quality. The Savoy adds a thermal carafe, which preserves coffee flavor much better than the Simply Brew’s hot plate.

Honest comparison: at $75, the Simply Brew Plus is fine, but a Cuisinart DCC-3200 PerfecTemp at $100 is meaningfully better in build quality. At $110, the Krups Savoy is a reasonable thermal-carafe pick, but a OXO 9-Cup ($200) or a Bonavita 8-Cup ($150) would produce better drip at not much higher cost. Krups drip is a middle-of-the-road choice that gets the job done without standing out.

Krups espresso machines

This is where Krups gets more interesting. They make several espresso machines across price tiers:

• Krups XP3208 Calvi Steam Espresso ($120) — entry-level steam-pump machine. Like other entry-level espresso machines under $200, it produces approximately-espresso rather than true espresso. The 3.5-bar steam pump is below the 9-bar standard. Avoid.
• Krups XP5240 Espresso Pump ($200) — 15-bar pump espresso machine. Better than the Calvi but still uses pressurized portafilters that fake the appearance of crema. Disappointing for serious espresso users.
• Krups EA8108 Espresseria Super-Automatic ($600) — Krups’s super-automatic bean-to-cup machine. Real espresso, automatic milk steaming, integrated grinder. Comparable to a DeLonghi Magnifica Evo at $800, often discounted to lower prices, and represents Krups’s strongest espresso offering.
• Krups Quattro Force EA82 series ($800-1200) — higher-tier super-automatics with more customization features. Solid machines for users who want set-it-and-forget-it espresso at home without the manual workflow.

For serious espresso, skip the manual Krups machines under $300 and go straight to a Breville Bambino ($300) or save up for the EA8108 super-automatic. The Krups middle ground (XP5240 and similar) is the worst-value zone in their espresso lineup.

Krups Nespresso machines

Krups manufactures most of the Nespresso Original Line machines sold globally. The Krups-branded Nespresso lineup includes:

• Nespresso Essenza Mini by Krups ($150) — the cheapest current Nespresso, makes lungo and espresso pod shots. Small footprint, simple operation.
• Nespresso Pixie by Krups ($230) — slightly nicer aesthetics, similar functionality.
• Nespresso Citiz by Krups ($200-300) — taller machine, includes Aeroccino milk frother option.
• Nespresso Inissia by Krups ($150) — entry-level basic pod machine.

Nespresso machines are genuinely good for what they are: convenient, consistent, decent-quality espresso-style shots from pre-measured aluminum pods. The trade-offs are the per-cup cost ($0.80-1.50 per shot) and the closed pod system. For someone who wants the pod convenience and doesn’t want to engage with the broader espresso world, a Krups-Nespresso is a reasonable purchase.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups

Krups also makes the Nescafe Dolce Gusto machines, a separate pod system from Nespresso. The Dolce Gusto pods are larger, brew at lower pressure, and include milk-based and tea pods alongside coffee. Models include the Genio S, Piccolo XS, and Mini Me at price points from $100-200.

Dolce Gusto machines are even less coffee-purist than Nespresso. The drinks are closer to sweetened powdered-coffee-product than to true espresso. For households where multiple people drink different things (one person wants coffee, another wants chai latte, another wants hot chocolate), Dolce Gusto is convenient. For anyone primarily interested in coffee quality, skip them.

Krups coffee grinders

The Krups F203 ($25) is a basic blade grinder. It works for chopping nuts and spices and produces inconsistent grind that’s acceptable for drip coffee. For anyone serious about coffee quality, blade grinders are a dead end; the inconsistent particle size leads to over- and under-extraction in the same brew.

The Krups GX5000 Professional ($90) is a basic burr grinder. Better than the blade, but a Baratza Encore at $170 produces substantially more consistent grind for serious use. If you’re committing to a burr grinder, skip the Krups and get the Baratza.

My actual recommendation

Krups is rarely the best choice in any category, but they make some genuinely good products at fair prices:

• For mid-tier drip coffee: the Krups Savoy with thermal carafe ($110) is acceptable, though Cuisinart’s equivalent is slightly better.
• For super-automatic espresso: the Krups EA8108 Espresseria ($600) or the Quattro Force ($800-1200) are real value picks if you find them on sale; otherwise the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo at $800 is the standard recommendation.
• For Nespresso pods: the Krups Essenza Mini or Pixie are fine entry points to the Nespresso ecosystem.
• For Dolce Gusto: only if you specifically want the multi-beverage flexibility.

Skip the entry-level Krups espresso machines (XP3208 Calvi, XP5240, etc.) and skip the Krups blade grinder. These are the categories where Krups produces below-acceptable products at prices that could be better spent elsewhere.

The brand’s history (founded 1846 in Solingen, Germany; entered the coffee market in 1961) gives it credibility and the manufacturing quality is generally honest. The lineup just isn’t the best choice in most coffee equipment categories. Buy Krups when the specific model you want is a Krups; don’t buy Krups by default.

Related reading

• DeLonghi espresso machines
• Breville espresso machines
• Cuisinart coffee makers