GE Cafe Appliances: My Honest Review After 5 Years
GE Café Appliances: My Honest Review After 5 Years (Are They Worth It?)
I'm constantly asked about our GE Cafe appliances and whether they're worth the investment. After five years of experience with two different sets (matte white and stainless steel!), I'm ready to share my honest Cafe appliances review.
Our Cafe Appliance Journey
Years ago, we did a complete kitchen renovation in our city home. We wanted a modern design and fell in love with the matte white GE Cafe appliances. It was a tough choice between matte white and stainless steel appliances, but we're so happy with how the matte white looks in that kitchen. The GE Cafe refrigerator with French doors is stunning. The white appliances in matte finishes are truly breathtaking!
Fast forward to last year, and we've moved to the suburbs. We remodeled our traditional kitchen here too, and guess what? We chose Cafe appliances again!
This time, we went with stainless steel appliances. My only complaint with the stainless steel appliances is that they smudge a lot more than our matte white appliances.
However, we picked our stainless steel appliances for good reason. Our current kitchen has white cabinets and we're not planning to update them.
Matte white appliances don't look great with white cabinets. With new appliances in the matte white finish, you need a cabinet with color or an off-white.
Full disclosure: Cafe Appliances gifted us the appliances for our first kitchen, but all opinions here are 100% my own. I'm writing this blog post because I get tons of emails every week asking for my feedback.
Fun fact: My husband, Matt, used to work for GE Appliances, so he's always been a fan of GE products. When the GE Cafe line came out, we were immediately intrigued.
But even with his insider knowledge, we still did a ton of research to make sure they were the right fit for us. The GE Cafe line has so many unique features.
Why We Chose GE Cafe Appliances
Stunning Aesthetics: The Cafe line has a design-forward approach. The designs are modern and sophisticated, and the matte finishes are gorgeous.
Unique Features: Cafe appliances are packed with innovative features that enhance usability and convenience.
Wi-Fi Connectivity: One of the best things is that they're Wi-Fi enabled! I can preheat the oven, start the dishwasher, and even get notifications from my phone.
Cafe Appliances: Matte White vs. Stainless Steel
When we first started looking for new kitchen appliances, we were drawn to Cafe's unique matte white finish. It's incredibly stylish and surprisingly easy to keep clean.
Matte White Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Stunning and unique look
Fingerprint resistant
Easy to clean with soap and water
Durable - we haven't had any issues with scratches or chips
Cons:
Can be more difficult to match with other appliances if you decide to mix and match brands.
Stainless Steel Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Classic and timeless look
Goes well with any kitchen style
Widely available, making it easier to mix and match brands
Cons:
Shows fingerprints and smudges easily
Can be more difficult to clean
Scratches easily (mainly on the cooktop)
Cafe Refrigerators Review
We have the GE Cafe fridge with French doors in both kitchens, and I love it! It's a statement piece with a spacious interior and customizable shelves. The counter depth refrigerator design is perfect for our kitchen layout. The top of the fridge has great storage capacity.
Features We Love:
Internal water dispenser: Keeps the exterior sleek and clean.
Temperature-controlled drawers: The crisper drawer and others are perfect for storing produce, dairy, and meat.
LED lighting: Makes it easy to find everything in the fridge.
Spacious freezer: With three separate sections, there's plenty of room for frozen goods.
Great crispers: Keep our fresh food fresher for longer.
Things to Consider:
Door opening: If your fridge is against a wall, you might not be able to fully open the doors.
Beverage center: We have the CGE29DP4TW2 model, and have had some issues with the beverage center freezing drinks. The back of the beverage center gets super cold, so I keep beer towards the front. Definitely don’t stack anything that can’t freeze.
Cafe Dishwashers Review
I never thought I'd be raving about a dishwasher, but this one is amazing! It has a fantastic bottle feature that's perfect for families with young children. The fold down tines make it really easy to fit bigger pots & pans.
Features We Love:
Bottle jets: Thoroughly clean baby bottles, nipples, and pacifiers.
Quiet operation: You'll barely notice it running.
Top drawer versatility: I love that the top drawer pulls out so I can put sharp knives up there. It’s a great safety precaution with little kids at home.
My biggest recommendation is to use Finish detergent with it. It makes a big difference. You'll have the best customer experience.
The dishwasher is so quiet! When we first tested it with our contractor after our home remodel, we couldn't tell if it was working or not because it was so quiet, ha!
Cafe Built-In Microwave Drawer Review
Our Cafe microwave is built into our island, and it's super convenient. It's easy to use and has a sleek design. In terms of microwaves, it’s pretty straightforward. There are no noticeable differences, but it matches the set perfectly.
I actually don't have a picture of our microwave in the kitchen because it's built into our island, but it's great! No complaints.
Café Appliances Hood & Range Review
I get the most amount of questions about our hood and GE Cafe range. The double oven range is a lifesaver, and I love being able to preheat the top oven from my phone. One of the best things about the Cafe appliances is the level of detail to their design, like the brushed bronze handles and the Cafe symbol.
Features We Love:
Double oven: Allows you to cook multiple dishes at different temperatures simultaneously.
Powerful burners: Heat up quickly and cook evenly.
Quiet hood: Effectively removes smoke and odors without being too loud.
Easy-to-clean grates: Can be put in the dishwasher.
Things to Consider:
Scratching: We've noticed some light scratching on the stainless steel range top.
Are Cafe Appliances Worth It?
After five years, we can confidently say that we love our GE Cafe appliances. They're beautiful, functional, and packed with smart features that make our lives easier.
While they are a bit of an investment, we believe they're worth it for their style, performance, and longevity. We did a ton of research before purchasing our first set, and we haven't regretted it for a minute.
We loved our so much, that my parents ended up getting them as well when they redid their kitchen. No complaints! In five years, we’ve never had a service call.
Have you considered Cafe appliances for your kitchen? What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments below!
Shop Our Kitchen
Lazy susan (linked similar)
Light fixtures (original — sold out) Here’s a similar one.
If you have any additional questions, I'd love to help you! Email me at jen@jennaye.com.
Hi, I’m Jen!
Hi, I’m Jen, your perpetually optimistic, fun-loving, witty friend. When I’m not working at The Marketing Greenhouse, you can find me gardening in the sun, playing games with my kids or creating content that inspires people to try new things and be the best version of themselves.
