Café Specialty Grind and Brew Coffee Maker, Single-Serve Option, 10-Cup Thermal Carafe, WiFi Enabled Technology, Smart Home Kitchen Essentials, SCA Certified, Barista-Quality Brew, Matte Black

It is the best coffee maker that I have purchased. The ease of taking it out of the box and setting it on my counter was in less that 10 minutes, ready for our first cup of ground coffee. We purchased the stainless matte silver to go with all our matching Cafe appliances, it looks very nice on our counter. The coffee decanter is easy to clean, keeps your coffee hot for approximately 4 hours (not that it lasts that long), and love the different coffee settings/temp for your 1 cup or the 10 cup pot. I use the paper filters for the pot but just have used the wire basket (included) for the 1 cup. The water decanter is a full 75 oz and is very ease to fill, either take it off or pour directly into it. I have never heard of the "bloom" but have somehow been able to drink the coffee without half and half, no more bitter taste. I say "try it , you will like it" Also the sound of the burr grinder is really quiet, not like the previous "747" we had!

I could tell you about the positives of the machine (it's attractive, coffee brewed on the "gold" setting is delicious, et.). However there is a design flaw that leads to leaking, and this is a fatal flaw in that you're most likely not going to want to keep this coffee maker. Let me explain. As other reviewers have noted, the screw-on water filter housing is very finnicky. It's an acrylic piece that screws onto the bottom of the acrylic water reservoir. You can't just screw it on and call it good. It has to be screwed on PERFECTLY, or it will leak. The only way to tell if it's on right is to either fill it with water and leave it sit for a few hours to see if there's a leak, or to look very closely at the black rubber gasket through the clear acrylic. This gasket needs to be perfectly seated, and if the piece isn't screwed on right, you can often see it by looking at the gasket very carefully--you'll see one side of the gasket is popped out of the recess where it's supposed to sit. Even if it looks right, I'd still recommend filling the reservoir with water and leaving it to sit on a towel on the counter for a few hours to make sure it doesn't leak. The problem is that even once you get the reservoir put together perfectly to where it doesn't leak sitting on the counter, it WILL leak once you put it in the machine. The reason for this is very simple, and it's due to a glaring design flaw you can see for yourself with careful study. The housing for the water filter has a small spring-loaded piece in the bottom center with a rubber gasket. When you put the water reservoir into its holder on the machine, this piece rests on the water intake, which pushes the spring-loaded stopper up, so water can flow/trickle out of the reservoir and be pulled into the machine. The deign flaw is that where these two pieces connect--the bottom of the water reservoir filter and the top of the water intake--is just two pieces of hard plastic resting together. There is no seal or gasket here, so no matter what you do, it's going to leak, because there's no water-tight seal to prevent it. This is why, when you take the water reservoir out, there is often water pooled in the holder on the machine. It's also why, if you fill the reservoir with water the night before, to brew in the morning with a timer, or via the app, you'll get a low water warning and find a puddle of water on your counter around the coffee maker. The more you fill the reservoir, the more and faster it leaks (e.g. it will leak more with 10 cups of water than with 4). I suspect the reason why there are good reviews for this coffee maker is people don't realize it's leaking. The leak is very slow, so you may only notice it if you use the timer function, or fill the water reservoir ahead of time. If you fill the water right before you make the coffee, you may not see or notice the leak, though you may still notice standing water in the reservoir holder on the machine. So if you do buy this machine (which you really shouldn't), I highly recommend that you fill the water reservoir and leave it on the counter for a few hours to make sure you've got the filer housing screwed on right. Then, if there's no leaking, fill it and leave it on the machine overnight and see if you're greeted by a puddle on your counter in the morning. It's possible that some units do have some kind of seal there, and I and others with this problem got units that are lacking this seal for some reason. Or (more likely, I think) they all have this flaw and some people are just not noticing. The worst thing about this, I think, is you may have the unit for a while before you do a timed brew, and so you don't find out about the leaking until the return window is closed. Packing this all up and sending it back for a refund was a hassle. There is either a design flaw in all these machines, or their quality control is so bad that some of the machines are lacking a crucial seal. Either way, your money can be better spent on a better brand. I ended up getting a separate coffee maker and grinder, both by Breville, and the build quality on those is much higher with no problems and no leaking.

I love this machine. It makes great coffee. It looks sharp and stylish. It's the third grind and brew coffee machine that I've owned. Previously had the Cuisinart, and then the breville. They both made terrible coffee. This machine makes wonderful coffee. It was amazing how good the coffee was. But after three weeks off daily use, it stopped making coffee. It would turn on. The screen would indicate that everything was correct, it would grind the correct quantity of beans, and the screen would indicate that the brewing cycle was starting. But no water was going through. It got to the end of the brewing cycle, and the water reservoir hadn't emptied at all. There was just a dry pile of unbrewed coffee grounds in the filter. I tried unplugging and replugging. Tried cleaning all the parts, opening and closing everything, tried brewing from the app, tried brewing from the control panel. Tried different batch sizes. Switched from carafe to mug and back. Tried brewing with the grinder off, with it on. Cleaned everything as well as I could. Nothing worked. Contacted GE customer service. They suggested all of the steps I had already tried. They said it was likely a problem with internal circuitry, and that these machines are not reparable. They did say they would send me a replacement machine if I wanted. But I don't feel like I can trust this model because it broke after such a short period of time. Luckily it happened within the Amazon return window. But now I'm stuck. No way I'm going back to the weak, under extracted coffee of the breville, even though it did work like a champ for 5+ years. And the Cuisinart was even worse. Guess I'll be using a manual.coffee brewing method from now on. I have a good grinder and an aeropress... It's really nice to have freshly brewed coffee just waiting for me when I awaken. But it seems that there is no machine that meets my specifications for high quality coffee brewing AND reliability. I give two stars because it does make really good coffee. It just stopped working so soon after I purchased it.

This is a all class machine, from the look to the machine itself. Makes a great cup of java also! The grind and brew option is so nice and the grinder is quite well made. So easy to clean, twist to the left and pull out, I have a small hand vacuum I use just for coffee grinders, wipe it with a clean cloth, put it back in, turn to the right to lock and done! The basket does not need any filters and if it's messy it's because the user did not push it all the way in place! Have yet to see the mess other reviewers had, follow the instructions!... So many different adjustments to personalize to get your perfect cup! Everything from the temperature, grind size, bloom time, strength of coffee and how much to make, from 1 cup to 10. You can make 1 cup at a time if you desire! Can set up a schedule if need be and it even works with the WIFI. Well designed, well made and looks very nice on the counter! You will love this machine, I do.

Cafe specialty vs Cuisnart Grind and Brew vs Breville Grind Control (we’ve owned them all) Noise: Breville is very quiet. Cafe is not loud enough to wake us on the second floor with door shut and the sound is smooth. Cuisnart is very loud and crackly high pitched wakes everyone up. Durability: Breville is by far the smartest design with the most durable parts. Everything about the design just makes sense. Cafe has a lot of features that are made cheaply and seem like they could break easily. Cuisnart has fewer parts that could break but the ones that can are about equally or maybe more flimsy. In 4 years we had to replace the carafe, the basket, and the basket lid. None of the factory replacements were quite as sturdy as the originals. And none fit exactly perfect. Maintenance: Breville is designed so that cleaning the chute and the burrs is super easy and you can really get in there. Also, the water and grounds go into the basket from different holes, which is genius and prevents things from getting backed up and messy. There is zero mess around the pot after brewing. The extra holes in the basket require a little more care when rinsing and the lid of the pot is a bit of work to clean. Cafe has relatively simple descale and chute cleaning process. Single cup does tend to splatter. The basket sits inside an attached holder so overflow of grounds or liquid are a pain to get out of the holder. You need to detach and rinse the shower head each time (which is pretty easy) and the basket is the easiest to rinse. The pot has a lot of places where liquid can get trapped especially the lid. This pot is the easiest to pour from though. The bean tray is not removeable. Cuisnart sprayed grounds on the counter and pot surface every day. There are multiple components to the basket that have to snap apart before rinsing and dry before resnapping replacing. It’s tedious and hurts my fingertips. Cleaning the chute was kind of a pain and seemed like it needed to be done weekly at least. Functionality/performance : Breville brewed a good cup right off with no fuss. After we completed the grind calibration in made a great cup. No fuss, good coffee. Making a single cup is easy and not messy. But it’s a different brewing cycle than the pot and will be a totally different flavor. More mellow and French press-like. There is no extra splatter. Cafe the “gold cup” results were a little acidic for me. But we are using half fresh fancy beans, half decaf medium roast (really it looks like dark oily to me). I was able to use the 6oz function to do a full on taste test and perfect the settings to make an exceptionally flavorful and relatively low acid cup that was definitely yummier than the Breville. It took for work. But it was worth it. Also, the Cafe app and scheduling is such a treasure. So nice we can schedule different times each day and can even start the pot using our google home. Switching to single cups after we finish a pot is really simple. And because it includes a smaller basket, the end result is pretty close to the same as if you did a whole pot. You need to prop your mug on something or there will be tons of splatter. Also… the bloom function is really great and does make a really big difference in flavor. The removable water pitcher with built in filter is genius and such a convenience. Just make sure you get the filter in there right and secure the pitcher to the base correctly. Cuisnart also made a good cup but there was some variance day to day. I’d say the Breville was slightly better and definitely more consistant. The hot pad was nice but it’s going to affect the flavor if it sits there long. No single cup function. Filling the water tank in the back of the machine is a pain and we always spilled some. Recommendation: not the Cuisnart (it’s not bad… just the others are notably better. If you want a sturdy machine that is simple and can make pretty darn good coffee from most beans with really durable parts and less fuss. Go with the Breville. Me; our kitchen is all white and copper and that Cafe machine just looks beautiful in there. The app functions and the refillable carafe are big for me and I love that I could tweak the settings to make a great cup even from our over roasted greasy decaf beans. I feel like I’m going to be spending more time cleaning it and I worry that we’ll have to replace parts down the road. But I’m going to risk it for the aesthetics and the features.

ZERO STARS!! But a review requires at least one star to be submitted. I could write innumerable words about how inferior this product is but the most important message I can convey is this: DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! RUN AWAY FROM THE BROWSING YOU ARE DOING AND BUY ANY OTHER AND I MEAN ANY OTHER PRODUCT THAT EVEN HOPES TO MAKE A CUP OF COFFEE!!! Because here is the most important and indisputable fact...the coffee machine and all its horrors do not even compare to the customer service you will NOT receive if you have a problem. When we first purchased this high price point machine, we were thrilled. We thought it was worth every penny because it made a delicious cup of coffee. Unfortunately, after less than four months of use, IT STOPPED WORKING. We tried every troubleshooting tip and nothing worked. The company who makes this machine outsources their customer service problems to GE Appliances, a Haier Company. Of course, we had registered this appliance. We dutifully jumped through every hoop in order to receive a replacement machine including additional troubleshooting, sending video coverage of the problem, pictures and other specific information about the machine and more. After three weeks, we felt we had passed the exam and after emailing numerous times to ask about the status of our case, we received a replacement. Hallelujah...or so we thought. THE REPLACEMENT DID NOT WORK!!! At this point, it has now been a month in our household without coffee and that is an unacceptable life condition. Immediately, we sent a video, pictures and every piece of information they had requested before. Guess what??? WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE AT ALL!!! THEY IGNORED US COMPLETELY!!! I sent a second request for response and forwarded all the information again. AGAIN, THEY IGNORED MY EMAIL!!! Because I was requesting a refund at this point, I called the company and asked to speak to the supervisor or manager of the person who had managed, or should I say mismanaged, our case. Get a load of this...I was actually told the Case Managers at GE Appliances DO NOT HAVE SUPERVISORS and there is nothing that can be done to help us. WHAT?!? So it's official, I am stopping the odyssey with this troupe of customer service miscreants . I am not giving up. We have spent hours and hours on this issue and it is just no longer worth the time and therefore money it is costing to pursue this. So, in closing, our $282.02 plus tax lesson is...wait for it...DO NOT BUY THIS INFERIOR PRODUCT OR EVER CAUSE YOURSELF TO DEAL WITH GE APPLIANCES CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! I am 65 years old and this is the first negative review I have ever written. As I make the final keystroke of this ugly odyssey, I hope it has served its purpose.

Aesthetically it looks great, kind of like a giant test tube. Unfortunately it leaked throug the large water filler for some reason and had to return it. Perhaps I'll gamble again an reorder. Not sure yet. I know it has gotten a lot of great reviews. Reddit seems to say something about the washer? bearing? seal? bushing? that could be need replacing...

2 Months In: I finally experienced the leaking issue immediately after replacing the carbon filter. The closure was screwed in tight but not but turns out no quit tight enough. A little extra effort and the closure turned about a 1/8 of an inch. NO MORE LEAKING! Next filter change I plan to apply a thin layer of mineral oil (used for my cutting board) to the lower section of the threads of the closure and gasket. This will aid closure and improve the seal. 10 Days In: I wrote this not to dispute the reviews it runs counter to but for those that love the looks of this machine and appreciate its ability to brew the SCA Gold Cup. First I've had NO leaking from this machine whatsoever in the past 7 days since it arrived. I have, however, made a conscious choice NOT remove the water reservoir from the base for filing and instead just fill it with a pitcher. Even if I wanted to remove it it's too large to fit in the filtered water dispensers of most refrigerators. I've had no ground coffee ground mess from the machine in and around where it sits. Everything is contained in the brew basket. I've included a picture of the brew basket to show the only the only "mess" you will encounter which is normal and easily rinsed off when you replace the filter. I've also I closed a video representing how you must make sure the brew basket is firmly in place before brewing. It requires a small amount of effort. I use paper filters to ease cleanup and I could not be more pleased with the Gold Cup brew in the carafe and most surprisingly when using the single serve bean to cup feature. When brewing a single cup I do recommend you place something under short cups to minimize splash back on the machine. However if you use a travel tumbler you're all set for a clean brew. I'm very impressed with the speed of the brewing cycle and how easy the controls are to use. I've not tried the phone app but I'll update this review once I do. I recommend the machine and I recommend that you apply a very light layer of mineral oil on the "O-ring" gasket which by the way mine came with extra. I hope my review helps if you love how this machine looks but concerned about the leaking reported in other reviews.