With built-in WiFi, a built-in bean hopper, and a built-in coffee bean grinder, the beautifully designed Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine will put your favorite coffee house to shame.
The 20-bar pressure espresso machine has one-touch controls that can dispense five different beverages and the stylish copper dispensing spout can be raised or lowered to fit your favorite beverage container. Spend less time fumbling around with your espresso maker and more time enjoying your favorite drink – and the compliments from your envious friends.
Choosing the best espresso machine from a crowded field of contenders isn’t so easy, but the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine stands head and shoulders above the competition for several reasons. It includes literally everything needed to brew the perfect cup of whatever you’re craving. Keep reading to find out why we gave it a 5-star rating.
Specifications
Unboxing
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine was boxed well in Styrofoam and plastic, and even had adhesive film securing the various parts in place and keeping them from getting scratched during the shipping process.
In the photo above you can see espresso machine, along with the drip tray and grate, milk pitcher, instructions, and cleaning kit contents, which include a black microfiber cleaning cloth, cleaning brush, pin needle, and 3 packs of cleaning solution.
In the photo above you can see the drip tray and grate on the left side, and also the disposal box and tray (pulled out) at the bottom of the machine. The coffee maker disposes of unused coffee grounds in this container. After 8 brews, the coffee displays an alert to remove and empty the tray.
Also, notice the service door on the left side of the espresso machine. The actual brewer is housed behind the service door, and this area needs to be periodically.
This is a side view of the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine. It shows the service door more clearly and also gives you a better view of the depth of the appliance (16.1 inches).
Note where the water tank is stored. It’s the top left side of this photo but is actually in the back when the espresso maker is in its proper position. Depending on how deep your countertop is, you may be accustomed to bringing coffee appliances as close to the front as possible so the water tank can clear the bottom of your upper cabinets. However, that’s not a problem with the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine. The water tank lid is collapsible, so if you don’t have a lot of cabinet clearance, the lid can drop down and be inserted sideways and then properly positioned.
Who would it suit?
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine is perfect for people who want to create a coffee shop experience at home – and want a well-designed machine that looks as good as it performs.
It’s a high-end appliance with a steel silver finish and brass trim, and includes all of the bells and whistles expected at this price point. (Other color choices include matte black and matte white.) And since it’s only 7 inches wide, the espresso machine is also ideal for space-challenged countertops (as long as you have countertop depth).
What is it like to use?
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine has a built-in coffee bean hopper, and when the lid is in place, it provides sealed storage for over 6 ounces of beans. This is one of my favorite features since it means that I don’t have to throw used coffee beans away because they’ve gotten stale.
There’s also a built-in stainless steel burr grinder. There are five different settings on the coffee grinder knob, making it easy to choose the desired level of grinding.
On the very top of the machine are the touch controls. The first selection is Power. The other five selections are as follows:
- Espresso: full flavored concentrated shot. This is the selection to make Cappuccinos, Flat Whites, and Lattes
- Americano: coffee brew sized drink
- My Cup: Ristretto (an espresso with only half the water) – which can be adjusted in the app
- Steam: used to heat milk and create microfoaf
- Hot water: dispenses hot water only
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine also has built-in WiFi and can connect to the SmartHQ app and the selections can be managed via smartphone. The My Cup function can only be adjusted through the SmartHQ app. The coffee spout can be raised or lowered depending on the size of the container and after the espresso is finished brewing, you can use the steam wand to heat and gently froth some milk.
Cleaning
I prefer coffee makers to espresso machines because the former is easier to maintain. The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine isn’t hard to clean, but it’s not as easy as a coffee maker.
The machine itself can be wiped with the included microfiber cloth – and a non-abrasive cleaner when necessary. The water tank, drip tray, and disposal tray can be washed and dried.
However, after a period of time, you’ll need to open the service door to access the service area. The cleaning brush and microfiber cloth are used to clean grounds from the service area and coffee grinder chute. The coffee brewer should be taken out and washed in the sink with warm water. The brewer and the service area should be completely dry before reassembling that area.
After 8 brews, the empty waste alert appears. When you empty the waste basket, the alert will reset.
The company recommends descaling the espresso maker monthly – depending on the water hardness in your area. Use one of the included cleaning solutions to descale or the company states that a 1:1 ratio of water and white vinegar can be used instead. Press the descaling selection to start this process, and then rinse the solution out with water.
How does it rate online?
Lots of people who bought the Café Affetto had owned GE's older espresso machine, because they missed the quality coffee that it makes. Reviewers generally scored this with five stars, meaning that it averages an impressive 4.7 stars on Amazon. The main praise of most reviews was that this is easy to use, excellent value, and well-built. If you want a stylish espresso machine, this is brilliant.
The main criticism of the Café Affetto is the steam wand. It's short and not very easy to handle. Even though it tucks neatly away, if you know that this is part of the coffee process that you struggle with, it's worth re-evaluating which model you invest in.
How does it compare?
If you like automatic and super-automatic coffee makers but want to make sure that you're clued up on the market, it's worth taking a look at the Philips 5400 Series LatteGo. It actually bests the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine on a number of points: it's cheaper, quieter, quicker, and I think it makes better coffee. There are more plastic finishes, but I didn't feel that these were particularly cheap.
On the other hand, the De'Longhi Eletta Explore is even more expensive than the Café, but I think the toppy price tag is warranted. It's sleek, smart, and can make 52 different types of coffee. I think the screen is easier to navigate through, the coffees are more easy to customize, and it does a better job at maintenance. The only drawback is the price tag, which is even larger than the Café's.
Should you buy it?
If you enjoy the control offered by a manual or semi-automatic espresso maker, you might prefer the Calphalon Temp IQ or the Breville Oracle. However, if you like the idea of pressing a button and letting the appliance do the heavy lifting, you’d be more inclined to favor the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine.
It looks expensive because it is, but if you’re prepared to pay for the level of attention to detail that goes into an appliance like this, you won’t be disappointed.
How we test
At Homes & Gardens, we have a meticulous process for how we test coffee makers. We have a team of experts who are always looking for the latest and greatest machines on the market. Once we find one that we think you'll like, we call it into our test kitchen where we have a team of experts who put every coffee maker through the same series of tests.
We'll let you know our first impressions, what it's like to set up, and any other unboxing details. Then, once we have that secured, we'll do taste tests of everything from espressos to Americanos and cappuccinos. We want to get a good idea of how well the coffee maker can handle simple, strong shots of coffee as well as whether it can texture plant-based milks and integrate it with coffee to make a creamy cappuccino.
Once we're happy with the flavors, versatility, speed, and noise of the espresso machine, we'll have a think about how it compares to other models on the market. This helps us to give you a good overview of how this compares to other espresso machines we love. It's also a good opportunity for assessing the value of the coffee maker.
After we've given you a sense of what the coffee maker is like, we'll draw conclusions on who it suits, whether you should buy it, and add anything else that we think you need to know. That way, when you invest in your coffee maker, you can do so safely in the knowledge that you're buying the best model for you.
