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GE Cafe Series..think I made up my mind

12 years ago

Ok.. final gut check. I think I made up my mind on the GE Cafe series for the gas range, microwave and counter depth fridge. Anyone have any really bad experiences (Ill take the good too!) before I send off the model numbers to the kitchen place??

thanks!!

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Comments (9)

fullpass
12 years ago
Hi there,

I have the GE Cafe series in my current kitchen (moving in 2 weeks). I have the gas range, the microwave and the counter depth French Door refrigerator. They all work well for the money but there are a few design flaws. Keep in mind that I would buy at least the range again in my new home but there is no gas available :(

First, the refrigerator does not accurately read it's internal temperature. I have two thermometers in there and both show that the digital read out is not correct. Sometimes things will freeze if left in the drawers so just be careful. I have a friend who was so frustrated by this that he returned the refrigerator- I just lived with it.

The range is terriffic. I will really miss it. But, the handle of the microwave is a poor design. It is metal and is located right above the power burner so if you are boiling water or cooking on that burner the handle can get very hot. Be careful! I've also had the touch pad go wonky when boiling water below it (these things happen even with the micro hood running full blast).

So I did like the appliances but you should know about these glitches. Good luck!
ApplianceSalesVet
12 years ago
The range is a good choice, but you might want to consider the new model (C2S985SETSS) which will be available late summer/early fall. It will sport a 20K tri-ring burner which is more powerful and will reduce the "cold-spot" effect that large sealed burners usually have. See below link...

Here is a link that might be useful: GE Cafe C2S985SETSS Range
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to egganddart49--Congratualations on getting a GE Cafe that looks and functions well. Just wanted to help you understand your fan noise. The quiet convection fan is separate from the noisier fan noise you heard when your oven reached 400 degrees or greater. That noise comes from a second cooling fan which only comes on when the oven reaches a certain temperature and stays on for awhile after the oven is turned off. You will probably find that when you use your convection or regular bake function at temperatures lower than 400 degrees, you will not hear the cooling fan come on. I found this out, because one of the defects in my 1st Cafe was that the cooling fan came on at 350 and the sound was driving me a little crazy. After my circuit board was changed out in an attempt to correct my convection bake issues, the temperature had to reach 400 before the cooling fan came on, which was much nicer since it would be unlikely that any of my baking would be above 375. Best wishes for continued happiness with your new range.
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Strikeraj, below has been posted on a different thread. I copied it over here to make it easier for you to read. My oven is awful. There are hot spots all over the oven. The only way I can somewhat mitigate the hot spots is to use the convection setting. The repairman said it shouldn't have the hot spots but he couldn't figure out what was causing them. I told GE about the experiment with the bread. GE's assessment was "burns toast" I tried to explain that I didn't burn the toast, it was a test to determine where the hot spots were. The next time I called for service, I got, "oh, it burns your toast." AARRRGGGHHH!!! I finally ended up with a Consumer Advocate. He was about the most ineffectual "consumer advocate" I can imagine. His title should be "Consumer Placator." He didn't advocate crap! Plus, on more than one occasion he said he would look into something and call me back on a day certain. Then he would fail to call back. GE called with a "satisfaction survey." They asked on a scale of 1-10 how did I rate my GE appliance. I asked if they had negative numbers I could use! I am at the point of just eating the $3k and putting this POS on the curb. It is the one element of my new house that I absolutely HATE with a passion (can you tell?). Even DH, who is pretty laid back, is irritated at the lack of customer service. Last time I called, they told me that although the oven is still in warranty, I would have to pay for any more service calls dealing with this issue. I baked a cheesecake at Thanksgiving. ONE SIDE began to burn and crack before I noticed and turned the pan 180 degrees. If anyone on this forum knows of any way for me to get some action out of GE besides calling the service line, I would appreciate it. I did promise the "Consumer Advocate" that I would use every opportunity in every online outlet I could find to let the world know how awful their products are. I am keeping my promise.
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Hi Sparking- I am no expert but will try to answer your questions. I haven't done the oven temp test but find it to be very consistent and even. Pre-heat time seems a bit long to me but the convenction cooks everything so much faster than my old gas oven that it makes up for that extra time. It is definitely very even heat. I make chicken wings in the oven using both racks very frequently and both racks brown up nicely and evenly. Cookies have been consistent too without having to move around pans from front to back halfway like i used to do with my old oven. I really don't understand this noise factor that I hear about when in convection mode. I honestly don't hear anything other than a very slight hum when the fans go on. Any noise would cover it up, it's that slight. I really love that both ovens have a very smooth rolling rack. Awesome for basting turkey! I hope that helps!
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ApplianceSalesVet
12 years ago
There are two microwave choices, one being the standard unit (CVM2072SMSS) or the advantium unit (CSA1201RSS). I would choose the later because it has microwaving, convection baking, speed cooking (15 min baked potatoes for example), and warming. Definitely worth the extra - I love my advantium.

As far as the fridge, are you talking the French-door bottom freezer or the side-by-side? I'm not a huge fan of the French-Door (CFCP1NIZSS) because the ice-bin is small and difficult to access, and the crispers and temp-drawer in the fridge are clumsy in the way they roll out. I've also seen more service issues with this Mexican-made unit.

The side-by-side unit is very nice (CSCP5UGXSS) as it is roomy (24.6 cf) and has the dual-evaporator system (produce will last 2 times longer).

But if you really want the French-Door style, the KitchenAid pro-line (KFCP22EXMP) unit is much better choice. The icemaker roll-out shelf can be locked onto the freezer door so when you open it the ice is ready to scoop without an additional step. And the crispers are on ball-bearing glides, as well as the large temp-drawer (chef's pantry) below the crispers. This temp-drawer is both taller and deeper than the GE unit as it's large enough to hold a 17" diameter platter.

Here are the internal dimensions of each company's temp-drawer:

KitchenAid - 26"W x 17.5"D x 5"H
GE Cafe - 28"W x 12.5"-15"D x 4"H

There may be a rebate incentive to do multiple Cafe units. I know our store is doubling the mfg rebate right now. And the KitchenAid pro-line handle is not exactly the same as the Cafe, but they are close in style to at least consider the KitchenAid.

Here is a link that might be useful: KitchenAid KFCP22EXMP
breezygirl
12 years ago
Why do they all have to be GE? I wouldn't do a GE fridge based on what I've read here over the past 1.5 years.

Are talking about a regular microwave or an over-the-range MW hood?
abg622
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks everyone...sorry I wasnt clear...im looking at the French door fridge...the pics of the kitchen aid look pretty sharp...I may be torn again!
64reno64
12 years ago
My neighbor has the OTR microwave and hates it. Its broken several times over the past two years.
breezygirl
12 years ago
Don't just compare the pics and the look. Performance is more important. For that reason, again, I would not do a GE fridge. Nor would I do an OTR MW for the reasons I mentioned on your other thread.
annac54
12 years ago
I have the GE Cafe range and love it. We went with an LG French 4 door refrigerator (not CD), and I really like it so far. We wanted both water and ice in the door, and I don't think the GE French door offered that. Our old refrigerator was a Kitchen Aid, and it ran without a hiccup for 17 years.

Now to find a good dishwasher.......
sawmill
12 years ago
I just bought the GE Cafe line for a work project: electric range, matching chimney hood, dishwasher. Getting a $300 GE rebate. Looks great together!
Bought the Kitchen Aid FD as it had a similar look, but over a thousand less than Cafe and has a $200 rebate.
Personally would not place a microwave over a hot range. Got the GE Spacemaker II which fits neatly in an upper cabinet and is adequate for all we do.

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