Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine + Frother

I used to work at Starbucks. So while I don't know what it's like to compete for best barista titles, I do know what bad quality espresso/coffee can be. So far I've used dark french roast type beans as well as a dark medium roast type. When adjusted for grind level (feature availabe on the espresso machine itself), the espresso is fantastic! I also loved its simplicity of options for an Americano (espresso + custom amount of water selected via the app), a "MyCup" which allowed me to choose 2 espresso shots and hot water. There's a second spout that can deliver hot water as well as steam milk. I found the steamer to be just as good as the several thousand dollar espresso machines available. There is a waste dispenser as well as a magnetic drip tray that make disposal and clean up easy. My suggestion is to keep a rag on top of the drip tray to not only keep it clean but also to keep the stainless steel free of scratches. I do wonder how long it will last as the machines make a lot of noise when making the transition from espresso to hot water/steam. I bought the extra warranty to account for that potential failure. This may not be an accurate critique 5-7 years from now but I don't want to chance it as this seems to be the first semi automatic espresso machine offered by the GE Cafe line. I also think that this has a little bit of a learning curve that Nespresso or Keurig machines just don't have. It's hard to beat the simplicity of dropping in a pod versus more control but I would welcome anybody who is used to those machines to try a semi automatic or a regular espresso machine. They'll find that there's more control over flavor, and the actual character of their coffee. Overall, I think this was a great purchase for me. Flavor and quality control but the reduced cost of not having to buy Nespresso pods every month was worth it. If you're wondering the cost breakdown when comparing the repeated purchase of pods versus switching to this? It's about 15 months for a break even point.

This machine is pretty and matches my white kitchen but in person it looked kind of cheap and has a really small water reservoir. It’s definitely on the smaller side. The water reservoir is actually on the back of the unit and you have to lift it out from the top so if it’s under your cabinet you’ll need to pull unit out to do so. Super annoying to me. I wasn’t sold on it but was gonna keep it. THEN AFTER TWO DAYS OF USE AND 8 cups of coffee the coffee ground waste needed to be dumped and the light came on. I cleaned it out. No debris anywhere. Put it back in and the light wouldn’t go off. Machine would not function. The customer support which was not super impressive, told me to return it. It was defective. So I returned and bought the Philips 3200 automatic espresso machine. It’s not white but it is a better built machine that works well and has more customization capability for your coffee at the same price point. Btw if you aren’t aware the Cafe line is made by GE. I won’t be buying anymore GE products after this let down.

Everything I needed: the ability to pull a shot with a single push of a button. I love espresso and have a Picopresso and a Capresso Pump I use for travel/work. I definitely know how detailed it can get when pulling god tier shots of single origin beans: this machine is not for that. At this point I don’t need that at home so this machine is incredibly fit for purpose. Pros: -Simple, but still has some room to tweak settings via the app -Balanced espresso shots -Small footprint size -Nice aesthetic -Easy to clean Cons: -Frequent refills needed (depends on your volume – we do 4 to 6 shots in a morning) -Won’t pull as much crema as other machines or methods -Flavor clarity: will be tougher to tease out the tasting notes of high end or single origin beans We’ve had this machine for 15 months so far and really love this thing. Easy enough for my wife to use and very decent espresso for only pushing a button. Considering the amount of volume we do, I’d say the durability is well within expectations. If the machine happens to prove me wrong on that point I’ll use the Asurion plan and update this review. I’m not particularly skilled in milk froth or texturing, but for my needs (cordadito/Cafecito) this works very very well. Heat up time isn’t instant, but fast enough and lasts long enough to heat ~300mL to at least 150. This machine solved for meeting my wife’s preference for iced lattes/americanos and my preference for espresso/cortados. It’s definitely on the list of top purchases I’ve made in the past 4 years. One note is that I’ve descaled the machine 3-4 times in the 15 months and recommend regular cleaning to ensure operation (rinsing the group head, etc).

Very surprised at the negative reviews. I have had mine for 15 month so far and use it multiple times per day. I LOVE it. Easy to use and maintain.

Didn't work right out of the box due to fault in water sensor level. Obviously no quality control in manufacture, with exterior design the only concern. The suggested "repair" was replacement. Parts are all encapsulated and integrated. Yours might work for a time, but if something goes wrong it becomes a paperweight.

I’ve had very expensive machines ($2k) to smaller pod machines ($100), this is a really cool machine with great production.. one problem, it broke down twice in 13 months leaving me out of warranty. Customer service isn’t great and ultimately you pay $400 for a year worth of a machine. In my opinion there are too many moving parts / wifi settings. It claims it cannot handle any oily beans (which are usually the best kind of coffee). Long short: Purchase with caution and a short life span

I’ve been using this machine almost every day for half a year. So far no issues - hope it will stay this way. I am only using espresso beans and mostly choosing the espresso setting for my morning coffee. Highly recommended!

Very disappointed. It won’t work after 7 months. For the price it should last years! Amazon has been awful. GE Canada won’t warranty it because it was imported from the States. Amazon won’t do anything because it’s over 1 month old. GE US won’t do anything because I’m in Canada. Let the fighting begin for this overpriced junk.