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Specialty Drip Smart Coffee Maker
Those who know me will tell you I love a good cup of coffee, and I'm a coffee lover. Although coffee comes hot, iced, latte, macchiato, dark roast, or decaf, my favorite is hot and bold yet smooth. They also know sustainability is important to me; therefore, I buy sustainable items, including kids' clothes, when possible. I decided to write a Café Specialty Drip Coffee maker review because there are many coffee machines. I decided to write a review for the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker because I like to read reviews when I buy new products.
Who knew there would be such a thing as a smart coffee machine? I have a smart home; I control many items with my phone or voice commands, from my lights to my trash can. My ecobee smart thermostat is pretty impressive. It heats and cools my house pretty efficiently, and what's best of all, I can control it with my phone from anywhere. It is energy-efficient certified.
Who Makes Cafe Brand Coffee Makers?
The Cafe Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is a GE Appliance, and it has a premium look and performs very well. The coffee machine can brew 8 cups of coffee in under 5 minutes, but it is a 10 cup coffee maker. Buying a hot cup of coffee from specialty coffee stores can add up quickly, which explains why I purchased the coffee maker. It makes me feel like a professional barista in the comfort of my home, and let's not forget it creates flavorful coffee just the way I like it.
I'm not too fond of a cluttered kitchen counter, but coffee makers always take up prime real estate on my kitchen counter. First was the clunky coffee pot; I think it was a Mr. Coffee coffee pot, then the Keurig single-serve coffee maker, and finally, the GE Café Series Specialty Drip Coffee maker. A word of advice: If you don't want to own multiple coffee makers, stick with the Cafe Specialty Drip Coffee Maker.
Customer reviews On Amazon
4.2 out of 5 stars
721 global ratings
Side note: Have you ever wondered how to store fruits and vegetables to extend their shelf life? Also, save money and time by cooking once and eating all week.
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TO SHOP MY KITCHEN, VISIT MY AMAZON STOREFRONT.
What Are The Key Features of the GE Cafe Coffee maker?
I've had my Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker for months and have brewed several cups. It's a barista-quality brew, a great cup of coffee, and a sleek and aesthetic design, making it worth the buy. This 10-cup coffee maker boasts many features, including different brews.
Before starting my GE Cafe Coffee maker review, I want to point out a few nifty features of this coffee machine, a major part of my Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker Review.
First, there are a few reasons why the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker stands out. Therefore, it should stay on your counter at all times.
- SCA-Certified: If sustainable, ethically sourced products are important to you, you will be happy to know that this one is SCA-Certified (yup, there's a Specialty Coffee Association – who knew). For certification, coffee makers must meet specific standards for feature consistency, temperature, and time. The Cafe Smart Drip Coffee Maker meets the criteria.
- Built-in WiFi: Can you say convenience? For Voice-to-Brew controls, this coffee maker pairs with the SmartHQ app, which is compatible with Alexa and Google Home. It is not compatible with Siri, which is a bummer for me.
- Brews up to 10 cups Insulated Thermal: Since this is a smart coffee maker, the Café Specialty Coffee maker stores your customized settings such as cup quantity, temperature, and brew style. Making a fresh cup or pot of coffee has never been easier.
I am in the information technology field and a little into gadgets; I am super excited about high-tech specs, cup customization, and brew strength options like gold, light, medium, and bold. Therefore, it makes it all worth it.
Out Of The Box
Before I bought my coffee machine, I used a pour-over coffee maker, which was time-consuming, especially when I had to make more than one cup. Since then, I have pursued a simple, customizable, WiFi-capable coffee maker, which also features how many cups I'd like to brew. After some research, I found my winner, this GE coffee maker.
When I received and took the Specialty Drip Coffee Maker out of the box, I noticed how sleek it was, boasting elegance. Incredibly, it's the most polished and elegant piece of kitchenware I own, okay, small appliance. The copper carafe handle, knob, and button accents make it a gorgeous display. We are working toward going zero waste living, including in the kitchen, as much as possible.
Although there was a slight learning curve setting it up, it is expected with any new appliance. Give your new coffee machine a good cleaning before you brew your first cup of delicious coffee. Initially brew just water, and be sure not to add coffee.
Here are some pictures of my new kitchen after a few upgrades and some good old elbow grease. I included some images of my coffee machine and coffee bar setup.
Setting up The Cafe Appliances Coffee Maker
When you set up your coffee machine, you'll need to set up the time, which is a nice feature because I've never seen a coffee machine that displays the time. As part of your setup, you can set the ideal temperature, which you can easily alter before any new brew, the preferred roast strength, and how many cups to brew from one to ten.
The Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is programmed to range from 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for a perfect brew, and I have mine set to 200 degrees, which works perfectly for me.
A More Sustainable Cup Of Coffee
How to make every cup of coffee more sustainable? Here are a few suggestions: Swap plastic pods for reusable ones. Swap regular coffee filters for unbleached bamboo ones. Replace one-time-use cups with reusable cups. Finally, replace single-use coffee creamer capsules with larger-size containers. Making some or all of these changes will also save you money.
I use sustainable unbleached coffee filters, and when I am done, I put the filter and the coffee grounds in my compost cady, then move outside to the compost bin.
Brewing and Customizing GE Cafe Coffee Maker
Once you have set up the coffee machine to your liking, you'll add your coffee into the filter with the scoop included. For reference, one knowledge equals one cup of flavorful coffee. When brewing is complete, it'll make a cute little melody. And you'll be ready to enjoy your coffee.
The Pros
We have covered a high level of how to use the Specialty Drip Coffee Maker. Soon, you will be a pro with this coffee machine, and a few essential items are worth mentioning. Compared to other coffee makers, the design is not clunky and bulky. You will always want to keep this coffee pot on the counter. I remember back in the day when the only option for coffee makers was awful-looking. No warming plate exists, but the carafe is insulated and keeps the coffee hot. The plate doesn't get hot, so there is no need to turn off the coffee machine.
Being able to customize the settings quickly makes this my favorite coffee machine. I can change the roast settings from a light brew in the morning to a bold brew when I need something to wake me up. With the different options, you're getting a different brew each day if that's what you want your craving.
The coffee maker has several trims: stainless steel, matt white with copper, and matte black to match your kitchen motif. I went with the copper trim because I like the farmhouse or rustic style.
The Cafe Specialty Drip Coffee Maker met my expectations and more.
The Cons
Aside from the slight learning curve, I found a few cons that come with this maker. The only thing lacking is a glass or see-through strip on the carafe to see precisely how much coffee there left.
Honestly, it doesn't bother me that it doesn't have the glass strip, but since this is a review, I'm keeping it real. I typically shake the carafe a little, and I can tell if there is coffee.
Final Thoughts on the GE Cafe Coffee Maker Review
Altogether, GE Appliance Cafe is a fantastic drip coffee maker. Also, this is one of the prettiest countertop additions to my kitchen. I enjoy looking at and using my coffee maker daily to brew a fresh cup of divine-tasting coffee. As a coffee lover, I like to mix up the strength of my coffee. This is the best coffee maker, and I have owned many different types and brands.
My daughter loved my new coffee maker; her husband is a coffee lover, too, so I bought her and her husband one. If you know any coffee lovers, it makes a great gift, too. After using the pour-over coffee maker, I thought I would never find a coffee machine to brew such good coffee. I also love that it is sustainably certified. I am not 100% sustainable, but every little change helps.
One of the other small kitchen appliances I bought after I moved into my new home was a NutriMill Artiste Stand Mixer. If you love to bake or make bread, NutriMIll Artiste Stand Mixer – Read my full review. It has a small footprint, so if you want to keep it on your counter, it won't take up much space. Don't let its size fool you with its power.
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FAQ: Questions and Answers
To reset the coffee maker when it is displaying the “Er4”. Simply unplug the appliance for approximately 30 seconds and then plug it back in. If the error reappears the appliance may be damaged. Call for service.
- Fill the reservoir to the MAX indicator.
- Run the coffee maker through 1 brewing cycle using the 10-cup setting.
- Once the mixture is gone, run the 10 cup brew setting 3 more times using clear, plain water in the reservoir.
