Two years ago, we purchased a new, counter-depth GE Cafe Refrigerator and paired it with a suite of Jenn-Aire Pro Style appliances: a Duel Fuel, Convection Range, Steam Dishwasher (stainless steel tub) and above-the-stove Microwave. We considered both the Jenn-Aire Pro Style and GE Cafe appliance suites, due to their comparable costs and features. I realize that some people might be mortified by this idea, but rather than choose between the two brands, we found a solution that gave us the best of both. A review of our unique circumstances, thinking and shopping process may be helpful for some. Each product line really is very nice. But at the time we needed to do our appliance upgrade, the budget prevented us from doing an entire kitchen and countertop remodel. Besides, our countertops and grout were in great shape, even though the house was 20 years-old. Fortunately, our refrigerator isn't clustered on the same walls with the other appliances, so the minor design differences aren't really all that noticeable. In the end, we chose this unusual brand-pairing for reasons of functionality, not aesthetics. Also, I reasoned that over time, reasonable people often install different brands of replacement refrigerators in kitchens. Our solution isn't perfect, but it worked for us. The GE Cafe line of appliances has beveled edges; the Jenn-Aire Pro Style line of appliances has straight edges. From an interior design standpoint, this is the single biggest difference between the two. The result is the Jenn-Air line has a no-nonsense, restaurant-style look; the GE Cafe line has a more graceful and stylish appeal. But both have beefy, pro-style handles and knobs and the brush-stroked finish of the stainless steel is similar. However, the GE Cafe appliance's stainless steel does take on a slightly warmer (yellowish) tint while the Jenn-Aire steel is cooler (blueish). Again, the difference is very subtle. 1. We really liked the GE Cafe refrigerator far better than the matching refrigerator for the Jenn-Aire Pro Style suite. At the time of our purchase, the refrigerator compartment in the GE model had a significantly larger capacity. This may have been because the GE model was taller. This meant it also did a better job of filling the existing cabinetry's built-in space. The GE Cafe model also made better use of the internal refrigerator space, as it had wider shelves that fully reached to each side of the compartment. The Jenn-Aire refrigerator-compartment design left unusually wide gaps between the interior shelves and the sidewalls. This mean this lower-capacity model also would be far less space efficient. Again, we were comparing the counter-depth models. 2. The GE Cafe range is a freestanding design. This would have required us to replace our kitchen countertop because it would have exposed the raw, saw-cut tiles that define the edges of the stove opening. We had some extra tiles in storage, but not enough edging tiles. In turn, this would have forced us to also replace the counters in the downstairs bar and bath, if not the ret of the house. Also, the matching GE over-the-stove microwave measured just a little larger and deeper, making it a tight fit with the existing cabinetry. 3. The Jenn-Aire Pro Style drop-in stove slid right into our existing tile countertop opening and the top edge of the stove overlapped the counter to cover the raw, saw-cut edge of our older tiles. Now, two years later I have three observations about the design and performance of these appliances. GE CAFE REFRIGERATOR Our model's interior light uses an old-fashioned (low wattage) light bulbs. This means the lighting fixture is very large, and it really intrudes into the compartment space. At the time of our purchase, I was very surprised that GE didn't use LED lighting, and maybe it does by now. I wonder if an LED conversion kit is (or ever will be) available for our model? The extra capacity of the GE refrigerator compartment remains important to our small family and I'm still glad we decided on this model. However, the GE Cafe refrigerator just doesn't keep drinks like water, soda and milk as cold as we like, nor as cold as our old refrigerator. The refrigerator compartment measures a standard 32F (the lowest setting available), but this just is not quite cold enough (for us, but it may not be a big deal for you -- we like our drinks icy cold). This may be due to the position of the refrigerator compartment's cold air duct (which gets cool air from the freezer), the interior air-circulation, the fact that GE is designed to store drinks in the door, or a combination of all these factors. Also, we notice slightly warmer drink temperatures when the refrigerator is fully-loaded (such as after a big trip to the store). This makes me suspect the compressor may be slightly under-engineered. One day, when we opened the door to the freezer compartment, a hard package of frozen food dropped to the bottom and cracked the interior liner in a semi-circular line. We just had a repairman out to look at the small crack. These liners are thin shells and a single part (or two). I was told that a styrofoam backing insulator is behind this layer. The only repair is caulk (to prevent the crack from spreading). GE sent the special GE-branded caulk and the repairman drilled two tiny holes at each end the crack and then filled it all with the caulk. JENN-AIRE PRO STYLE DISHWASHER Our inner tub is a stainless steel model, which should last longer. However, the versatile, fully-adjustable baskets have a lot of moving parts and attachments that work using space-age plastic hinges, snaps and roller wheels. These plastic parts started falling off within the first few months of use and this continues today. I think the connector designs need improvement and the harsh wash temperatures quickly took a toll on the functionality of these parts. We just had to replace a locking gate for the top basket due to a broken snap lock. This part cost over $25, though it probably was a 50-cent component. JENN-AIRE PRO STYLE STOVE This stove has two removable grates for the four burners. The grates have rubber feet that nestle into the openings for the burners, but the edges of the grates actually rest atop the stainless steel stovetop. You must carefully lift out the grates to clean the burner wells. When you place the grates back onto the stove, you MUST drop the grates straight down into position. If you misalign the grate placement and then slide the grates front to rear to correct the misalignment, you scratch the hell out of the soft, stainless steel finish. Our otherwise conscientious housekeeper has wrecked the top finish of the stove. No matter how many times I explain how to properly place the grates on the stovetop, she always gets it wrong. Most of these scratches aren't visible when the burner is in place, but they are disappointing and it points to a design flaw in the grate system. The stove's front control panel faces straight forward -- it is not angled up -- even slightly. This makes it very difficult to read the oven control labels and the writing on the knobs that control the cooktop burners. The GE Cafe stove's control panel was angled up slightly, and better in this respect. Also, the digital interface and integrated touch panel for selecting and choosing the Jenn-Aire oven settings leaves much to be desired. The small control panel display forces the manufacturers to use an array of digital, touch buttons and then step through levels to find the setting and value you want. IMPROVING THE DIGITAL KITCHEN I won't see this idea implemented in my lifetime, but it's time for all appliance manufacturers to move the digital controls off these appliances and place them on the iPad using WiFi, Bluetooth or the new NFC (near field communications) radio technologies. Imagine an App for all these controls! The iPad really is a marvelous and versatile device that already is being used to control entertainment center components in the den, lighting, water, heating, air conditioning and security. Why not the kitchen too?

We had a bad experience. Our dishwasher was broken on arrival. It didn't work right out of the box. It smelled like mold. Repairing it was a nightmare. It took over a month. Here are some warnings/things I wish I had known based on our experience: 1. You may not be able to return your dishwasher due to it being defective or non-operational. If your dishwasher is—like ours was—defective right out of the box, the procedure for resolving that issue is for GE to send out technicians to repair it, often using parts that themselves are not new and may require weeks to arrive. You can only return your faulty dishwasher AFTER the technician declares it unserviceable. How many months of hand-washing your dishes will that take? 2. Cafe’s return policy ONLY applies to dishwashers purchased directly on their website. If you buy it through a designer for a discount, you may be (like we were) completely ineligible for a return. If you do buy it from the website, you are given a 7-day return policy (in which you need to pay for return shipping) or 30 days in which you can return it for store credit minus a 25% restocking and pickup fee. And after 30 days, your dishwasher is unreturnable and unreplaceable. In the event your dishwasher is defective, it could take you (as it took us) 2-4 WEEKS to get a technician to even look at your dishwasher. This means that, BY THE TIME A TECHNICIAN ARRIVES TO TELL YOU YOUR DISHWASHER IS DEFECTIVE, IT MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE TO RETURN IT. Catch-22. 3. Service quality is disappointing. Cafe uses subcontractors to deal with service calls. If your dishwasher breaks down or is defective, this means that you may be dealing with a company that is slow, unreliable in showing up for appointments, and may have technicians who are not knowledgeable. As was the case with our technician (from RR appliance in Miami), they may have NEVER EVEN SEEN a Cafe dishwasher before. And these are technicians who were scheduled through Cafe’s own customer service department. 4. Cafe ONLY stands by its product for 1 year after purchase. After that, your warranty expires. Given that there seems to be quality control issues, if you aspire to have a working dishwasher for, say 6 years, you will probably want to price into your purchase the cost of an extended warranty. At the time of this review, the cost for a 5-year warranty from Assurant (…it starts after your factory warranty expires) is $457.75. 5. And…while we are on the topic of extra costs, it may be helpful to price in the cost to you of a dishwasher that is non-operational because you are waiting for a technician to arrive or for parts to get shipped in. In our case, we had to hand wash dishes for over a month before we were able to successfully run a single load in our brand-new, right-out-of-the-box dishwasher. That is 1/12 OF THE ENTIRE WARRANTEE LIFE of the product that we spent hand washing dishes because Cafe/GE doesn’t have the infrastructure it needs to provide fast, efficient service for its products. On the plus side, it is a beautiful-looking dishwasher. And if you (like we did) got it with the matching fridge, range, and microwave, you are pretty much stuck with it.

I have Bosch double wall ovens, not French door but side swing. I’ve been happy with them. Have had them for a little over a year - through the holiday season - where I both baked and roasted quite a bit, without any issues (although to be honest I am a novice when it comes to convection mode). I have a counter depth French door refrigerator but not a cafe or Bosch (the Bosch was not yet on the market when I made my purchase or I would have strongly considered it). It’s been great. My old refrigerator is in the garage and I have utilized it for really large gatherings but most of the time the counter depth refrigerator is ample for my needs.

These pulls have three reviews saying they match: two from homeowners, one from a designer. Solid Zinc Cabinet 10" Center to Center Bar Pull Copper Solid Zinc Cabinet 10" Center to Center Bar Pull (Part number: SQBP-ZCOP-9MM-10) by Celeste Designs SKU: CEDG1048 Pic from review: Reviews: Love these pulls! They match my new GE Cafe appliances with copper handles. The 8-in is a great size for both drawers and doors. Love these copper pulls!! I looked for months to find a match for the copper pulls on my new GE Cafe appliances, without luck. Each time I would order one to try. Even GE couldnât tell me who carried matching pulls. When I saw these online, I was so excited but again, only ordered one to try. When it came in, I couldnât believe I finally found a match! These are solid pulls so have a nice weight too. Thank you, Celeste Designs and W! Very nice pull. Used in my clients kitchen to accent the GE Cafe Series white appliances with the copper handles. A very nice compliment to the cabinets!