Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker review: an elegant workhorse | Homes & Gardens

This delivers on both form and function – it's exceptional

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Effortlessly combining form and function, the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is a stunningly beautiful stainless-steel appliance that includes a boatload of features to help customize the coffee-making experience. However, unlike many multi-featured coffee makers with a steep learning curve, this one is also easy to use.

Beautiful design

Temperature control feature

Brew strength control

Programmable

Wi-Fi enabled

Choice of thermal or glass carafe

Charcoal filter

Descaling feature

Cord storage

SCA Gold Cup Certified

3 color choices

It's an expensive choice

If you don't like smart products, look elsewhere

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If you've done some research into drip coffee makers, you'll know that the best models aren't always the most aesthetic. However, the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker bucks that trend.

Out of all of the best drip coffee makers we've tested, the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is the most beautiful. It's wonderful to look at while also being incredibly functional, providing precise temperatures and a range of brew options.

I tested this across all of its different settings. I already knew that it was SCA Gold Cup Certified, but it is so much more than that. Here's everything you need to know.

I was immediately impressed with the presentation of the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker. Unboxing it felt like opening a Christmas present. The coffee maker arrived in a traditional brown shipping box. However, upon opening that, the actual box for the coffee maker includes handles, making it a lot easier to transport.

After placing the box on my countertop, I encountered another surprise. Usually, unboxing the actual coffee maker is a gentle balance of trying to maneuver it out of an impossibly tight box without dropping it. However, after breaking the seal on either side of this box, I was pleased to see that the front half of the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker gently folds downward, making it easy to remove the appliance.

Once it was out and on the countertop, I could see that the coffee maker came with a measuring scoop, carbon filter, instructional booklet, and 10 coffee filters. I have the model with the thermal carafe, but it’s also available with a glass carafe.

The coffee maker itself is a stunningly beautiful stainless steel (full disclosure: stainless steel is my favorite finish). However, if that’s not your cup of tea, the coffee maker is also available in a black matte and a white matte – and all three coffee maker choices have the same rose gold trim.

The Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker suits kitchens that put style first. It's not just the finishes, but the long cord that lets you reposition the machine on the countertop.

It's also great if you have a larger household. Both the capacity and range of settings mean that you'll be able to cater to a range of different brewing preferences without needing to invest in multiple coffee makers.

The Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is easy to use. There is a large button at the bottom is the Brew/Select knob. This is where you set the clock, and select the strength, temperature and auto-brew functions.

The top button is the Strength button, which allows you to select a light, medium, bold, or gold brew (and it also serves as the Descale button). Below that is the Temperature button, and the coffee maker’s temperature can be adjusted between 185 and 205 degrees F. (You can also switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius.) Note that if the Gold Setting has been selected, the temperature can’t be changed.)

The Auto Brew is used to program the coffee maker to start brewing at a pre-set time. It’s also possible to pair the coffee maker with your smartphone and use the Smart HQ app for remote control and monitoring.

The brewing process is straightforward and uncomplicated. After filling the water tank with the desired amount of water and selecting the strength and temperature, I merely pushed the Brew/Select knob. Because this model has a thermal carafe, it keeps coffee hot for a long time – and the carafe is cool to the touch.

The Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker brewed coffee in just under five minutes, which is about average for drip coffee makers. The flavors were the most impressive part though. They were light, delicate, well-balanced, and absolutely beautiful. I can't fault them. The coffee stayed hot (and delicious) for a good few hours too.

It’s easy to clean the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker. The body can be cleaned with a soft cloth dampened with water, but you shouldn’t use abrasive cloths and cleaners. The brew basket, mesh filter, and carafe can be rinsed under running water, or cleaned with warm soapy water and a softly bristled brush. However, they should not be washed in a dishwasher.

The coffee maker will flash a descaling alert (under the time display) when it’s time to descale the coffee maker. (Descaling removes the mineral build-up caused by hard water. If the coffee maker is not descaled, it can affect the brewing temperature, brewing flow, and even the taste of the coffee).

Some companies prefer that you use their brand of descaling solution, but thankfully, the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker has no such stipulations. The company suggests pouring a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar into the coffee maker, filled to the MAX line. Then run a brew cycle on the 10-cup setting. Afterwards, brew 3 cycles using clean water to flush the descaling solution out.

If you look up how the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker rates online, you'll see an overwhelming amount of positive reviews. People always comment on the design of the Café, which is expected. There's also lots of talk about the customizable features and smart home integration. Even though that makes this a little fiddly to use at first, customers agreed that it's worth persevering so that you can make the most of all these features.

There are some drawbacks to the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker though. I found a few customers who, on top of finding the controls a little fiddly, also didn't like the non-removable reservoir. It's also quite expensive, so you'll have to be happy to spend a little more money for the luxury of owning an attractive drip coffee maker.

Whilst the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is one of the most beautiful models on the market, it's not the only one on offer. The Zwilling Enfinigy is another beautiful option. The Zwilling doesn't have the same range of colorways on offer, but it's definitely more versatile. You can adjust the temperature and water settings, which is really useful if you're more sensitive to coffee flavors.

As for other options, the OXO Brew 8-Cup sits at the very top of the market. It's cheaper and makes arguably better coffee. However, it's not nearly as beautiful. That's really the essential difference between the two. I'd probably go for the OXO and just store it out of sight.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive coffee maker to make a decent cup of coffee, this isn’t the appliance for you. If you prefer SCA Gold Cup Certified coffee makers as well as the ability to customize your coffee to your specific taste, you’re more likely to appreciate this coffee maker.

I loved all of these features, in addition to the option of controlling the coffee maker from my smartphone. And almost equally important, I appreciate the design that merges form and function in one beautiful package.

Before we review or recommend any product to you, we’ve tested it in person as if it’s an everyday product. We have a specialized process for how we test coffee makers. I’m trained as a barista and a qualified Customer Advisor for coffee. This means that I’ve been through a number of processes to become an expert on all things coffee.

Before testing, we carefully research the claims that a brand makes about their product, so we know what we are looking for. We will also look at and test competitors, so we can place every product that we test on the market.

I took this Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker and tested it alongside automatic machines, espresso machines, and other coffee appliances. I used it in an everyday kitchen and made sure to test every function. At every stage of the process, from unboxing to cleaning up, I made thorough notes and observations.

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Terri Williams is a journalist with real estate, home improvement, and product review bylines at Architectural Digest, Real Simple, Realtor.com, Bob Vila, Yahoo, MSN, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Houston Chronicle, and Apartment Therapy. She also covers business topics, with bylines at USA Today, The Economist, US New & World Report, Verizon, and several other brands that you’ve probably heard of. Follow her adventures on Twitter.

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