How to Set a Coffeemaker Timer

A man uses a coffeemaker.
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
What You'll Need
Coffee maker
Coffee grounds
Water
What You'll Need
Coffee maker
Coffee grounds
Water

People who enjoy using an electronic filter-drip coffeemaker sometimes struggle to use the automatic timer and get their early morning caffeine fix.

These machines come with an instruction manual, but by the time the timer needs to be set, this has usually been discarded into the back of the drawer.

The best thing that can be done is probably to dig out the little pamphlet. If you have a Gevalia coffeemaker, there is a set of simple rules that can be followed, step-by-step, to set your coffee maker.

Setting the Timer

Locate the Program button. If you’ve been using your Gevalia coffeemaker successfully, you probably know where it is. If this is your first time, it should be near the digital display. Press that button, and the display should now read, "Prog." You are now ready to begin programming the machine.

Press in the time that you wish the coffeemaker to start. This is done by using the buttons which set the time. "Min" will control the minutes, and “Hr” or “Hour” will control the hour. Using these buttons to fine-tune the screen, you should now have the time you wish the coffeemaker to start.

Add coffee grounds and water to the pot, but be sure not to press the "On" button just yet. The coffee maker will come on once the timer triggers it.

Hitting the button sooner will trigger the machine to brew the coffee instantly. Don’t forget to add the coffee and water, as this can result in harm coming to the machine, or even a small fire.

When all this is done, you should have a small auto light appear on the pot, indicating that the coffeemaker is ready to start brewing the coffee as soon as the right time is reached.

Other Methods of Timing

A coffeemaker on a counter.

If you don’t have a Gevalia coffeemaker, another option is to fill the machine the night before, and then attach your machine to a lamp timer, which will set the coffeemaker to brew coffee at the right time.

Set the lamp timer to turn the machine on at a certain point, press the "On" button on the machine, plug it into the lamp timer, and wait until morning.

This works just as well as programming the machine by hand and can be more convenient than missing the "hour" while pressing the button, and having to go all the way around again.

Other Machines

The DeLonghi coffeemaker can also be programmed without the instructions, as it is not very complicated. Set the clock to the right time, and find the "Clock" button. Press the program button and then press "Clock" until it shows the right time of day.

Use the On/Off button to see the display and On/Off indicator flash. Press the "Program" button again; the On/Off button will flash repeatedly until it has reached the time set. To over-ride the timer, press the On/Off button twice in quick succession. Let the coffee brew.