Krups FNC2 NOVO

Advantages: Beginning to make the very best coffee in the world
Disadvantages: Instructions & pathetic warming plate

...machines, and in particular the Krups Novo 2100 Plus 962. Pretty and unusual name, don’t you think….shame we’re not intending to have any more children. Half-way decent ones are unfortunately around the £100 mark and the Novo is no exception, though I bought this new, unused and boxed on eBay for £64 +£2.95 p&p. This price makes my coffee taste ever better. Similar machines seem to come up regularly, so bargains can be had provided you exercise ...
...off some heat which rises. Krups have decided to make a virtue of necessity and call a vaguely warm spot a ‘warming tray’. If you turn on the machine and wait for your cup to be warm, you’d best buy War & Peace for something to do. Fill your cup with boiling water for a few seconds instead, and all is well. The instructions tell you to remove the water tank when not in use or the valve/seal will deteriorate. Come on. Who’s actually going to do that ... Read review

Advantages: Good build quality, reasonably priced
Disadvantages: Still £130 for a coffee machine!!!!

...bit weird I thought, it’s Krups Novo 3100 ProCrema! Don;t these coffee machines have funny names. But after introductions she became just Krupsy to me. So what made her stand out from the crowd of coffee machines. Well, it’s difficult to say. She seemed classy without being overbearing and brash, a sort of subtle beauty, you know the sort, beautiful without making any real effort. She also had lots of substance, take her coffee holder for instance, ...
...the same hymn sheet, and Krups was producing wonderful coffee, strong and tasty, the sort of stuff that would put hairs on your chest if you were to drink enough of it (and boy, could I do with a few more hairs to add to my rather barren chest!). The secret was to fill the coffee holder right to the brim, and then not use too much water. Krupsy has a water container that holds enough for about 20 espressos, and it’s very important to only use a ... Read review

Advantages: Simple easy to clean system, seperate water resevoir
Disadvantages: None

...So I went for the Krups Vivo.. When I used to live with my folks in Costa Rica, we had a machine which was of much inferior quality and among one of the annoying things was the fact that you had to unscrew the boiler top to add more water, which meant that if you wanted to cater for more people it took an eternity to wait for the pressure and temperature to decrease enough to refill each time. The Vivo gets over this really easily by having a removable ...
...just open the lid, take it by the handle, pull it out and fill it at the sink. Alternatively, if you are in the process of making coffee or steam, and you notice the water level is dropping (it is transparent) you can open the top and pour more water in with a jug. All you have to do is switch it on and let it heat up a bit, then switch on the pump and let water flow around (yes it has a pump!! 15 Bars for a perfect cup!!) Then you switch it back ... Read review

Advantages: great if you can use it
Disadvantages: sprays walls

...and with it havings the Krups brandname, I expected it to be hardwearing and efficient. The instructions aren't very clear at all. I'm not exactly stupid but I got myself in a real mess with machine. There was coffee and milk sprayed everywhere. What a mess the wall by the sink in my kitchen was. I did manage to operate the steam arm and produce a gorgeous, frothy hot chocolate, but I just couldn't get away with the rest. Yes, I could do it and make ...
...took too long. The steam nozzle could be dangerous if you aren't careful. I got sprayed with steaming hot milk twice and it doesn't appear to have made any difference to my outward appearance. I gather from this that Cleopatra did something different with her milk. This machine wasn't what I expected. I really thought it would make life easier but it did just the opposite. So much work for one cup of frothy coffee! Think I'll stick to Costas, at ... Read review

Advantages: Price
Disadvantages: fiddly milk frother with bits that are easily lost in the washing up

We bought a similar Krups machine for a wedding present, and after sampling the results, I demanded one for my birthday this year. I can't get through the morning without my cappucino and croissants and I've got used to the fiddly milk frother now. I'm still trying out different coffee blends, although the Percol Fairtrade Organic makes a lovely cup whether you like strong and black expresso or fluffy cappucino. You can make your coffee straight ...
...the glass jug as the special lid minimises the steam escape. The milk frother has a rather fiddly little rubber device with a rod that controls the steam flow and produces fine froth for cappucino or looser for latte. Be careful if you put this little device in the dishwasher or you could lose it. The machine we have will make enough for two mugs of cappucino or four expresso cups. You can't keep coffee hot, drink it straight away and start another ... Read review