Update: Okay! It’s been a few months and our replacement has been amazing. There must have been an out-of-the-box problem with our original, because it was crazy loud from the start compared to the replacement. It’s still pretty, and now it works reliably, is quiet, and makes some really excellent drinks. Leaving my original review below for transparency, but I’m for sure impressed now that our original busted model is replaced. Strongly endorse. Original: I’ll give it a free star because it’s pretty. Listen, I know there are a mix of 5 star and 1 star reviews. I saw that, figured the 1 stars are people just not following directions or whatever. I’m telling you now, don’t risk it. For the short amount of time it works you’re going to love it. Within two months it almost certainly will break on you. It looks like others are having their grinder fail. If you roll the dice on this thing count yourself lucky if it’s just the grinder that fails. We have treated ours gently, kept it clean, followed all directions, and only used it 3 times per week or so. Now it shuts off after a few seconds—Every. Single. Time. It is literally unusable. I’ve tried every troubleshooting step they suggest. Nothing works. Oh, and note for GE, in the manual under troubleshooting, putting “check if it’s plugged in” when the machine fails is insulting. That and “check the gfi outlet” are all you can suggest when the machine shuts off after 3 seconds? Come on. So we will start the warranty process on Monday. Let’s see how it goes. Considering other reviews, I fully expect to be haggling over this $500+ paperweight with customer service. I’ll update the review once we’ve spoke to them. Read more
This is the absolute worst GE product I’ve ever owned. I purchased it to match my large kitchen appliances by GE in their café line and although it’s beautiful, it has extensive design flaws. I’ll start with the fact that the water from the decompression process does not all end up in the drip pan. It somehow leaks into the base of the machine and flows out from under the machine making a complete mess every time you use it. The second issue is that the grinder clogs constantly and is difficult to clean. I have followed the instructions and diligently cleaned the machine but once the coffee gets ground, it ends up getting solidly compressed in the space between the grinder and where it is dispensed. I’ve had to dismantle it several times, including taking apart the entire grinding mechanism just to get it to work again. Additionally, the labels on the buttons started wearing off after only a few weeks of usage. So you’re left with the option of either memorizing what each of them were or labeling them somehow yourself. While the machine is simple to use, does make a great tasting espresso that comes out super hot, the flaws greatly outweigh those positives. I love my large GE kitchen appliances, but I will never buy their small appliances again. It seems like they created this line just to appeal to those of us who want a cohesive aesthetic in our kitchens, but perhaps they should stay in their own lane and do what they know best. I missed the warranty window for returning my machine so I’m left with using a separate grinder and always having a towel under the machine to catch all of the leaking water. I’m trying to make it work as long as I can because the cost of this one was way overpriced for the terrible quality and I’m not looking forward to having to buy a new one after spending so much on this one. I rarely do reviews, but this has been such a bad experience and I’m just trying to save others from the same. Read more
If you’ve ever worked in the coffee industry none of the quirks of this machine will be foreign to you. It’s not a professional grade machine, that should be a given by the price point. ($500 vs $5000) This machine pulls AMAZING shots when dialed in (something you, the user, are responsible for) and for getting its water from a reservoir rather than a direct plumbing line, it works quickly and efficiently. The machine comes with four different baskets for the portafilter. Two for double shots and two for single shots, one double walled and one single walled. I use the double walled double shot basket. You cannot steam milk at the same time as pulling your shot. Another feature you would find on a professional grade machine but again, this is for at-home use and comes with an at-home price tag so I cannot complain. The grinder does occasionally jam up, something resolved by tapping the size of the bean reservoir a couple of times. Overall this machine is very aesthetically pleasing, good quality, and comes with what you need to make a divine latte/americano/whatever you wish, from the comfort of home. Read more
Absolutely amazing. High quality. Love this machine. Read more
This machine is beautiful and makes great espresso, but it was a bit messy spreading ground coffee around the countertop when grinding. We decided it was worth it to clean up the small mess each morning, but then after 2.5 weeks, the grinder stopped working. The shoot and grinder were becoming compacted with grounds. After many attempts to clean out the compacted coffee, the grinder still did not function correctly. Because of the difficulty we had with the messiness combined with the broken grinder mechanism, we decided to return this GE Cafe Bellissimo espresso machine and purchase the GE Cafe Affetto espresso machine. We have had it only 1 week, but so far we are delighted. It is not as "impressive" on the countertop as the Bellissimo, but it is beautiful, makes delicious espresso and cafe Americano, and is extremely easy to use. Read more
Works well but the grinder can get clogged. Easy to use. Read more
