I love coffee. And, I love it virtually every way: hot or iced, latte or macchiato, dark roast or decaf.
I almost have a friendship bracelet with Starbucks at this point, but a $5 fresh brew per day adds up quickly. That said, Café’s Specialty Drip Coffee Maker makes me feel like a full-fledged barista at home and creates delectable roasts — just the way you like it.
I’m not going to lie, coffee makers have nearly taken over my kitchen counter. First, it’s the handy-dandy Keurig. Then, it was the Nespresso Vertuo that I adore for stronger, frothy cups. Now, it’s Café’s. But, if you stick with the Specialty Drip Coffee Maker, you won’t need to have one machine for light roasts and another for bolder ones.
I’ve made quite a few cups with Café’s Specialty Drip Coffee Maker and it’s not just worth the buy because of its sleek and aesthetic design. There are so many features to this 10-cup maker that I had to stop in between brews to jot them all down.
Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker, $299 (originally $349)
Is the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker worth it?
Before we hop into our review, it’s good to have an overview of what to expect from this nifty machine. How does it work? What are the mini buttons for? More importantly, how does the coffee taste?
While the last question is subject to the types of coffee you choose to make, there are a few reasons why the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker stands out — and, in turn, should stand on your counter at all times.
- It’s SCA-Certified: If you’re into sustainable, ethically sourced products, you’ll be happy to hear that this one is SCA-Certified (yes, there’s a Specialty Coffee Association). To meet certification, coffee makers must live to specific exacting standards for qualities like consistency, temperature and time.
- There’s built-in WiFi: This coffee maker pairs with the SmartHQ app, Alexa and Google for Voice-to-Brew controls
- It brews up to 10 cups: Because it’s a smart coffee maker, the Café remembers and stores your preferred settings (like cup quantity, temperature, brew style) so you’ll make a fresh cup in no time.
Though I’m not super nit-picky on high-tech specs, the cup customization and brew strength options — gold, light, medium, bold — make it all worth it. But, we’ll get into that now.
Our review of the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker
The only time I’ve used a pour-over coffee maker — or seen one used by my parents, I should say — is on a holiday when my family of more than 40 are seated in the dining room awaiting their pre-dessert roasts. I’ve been on the hunt for a coffee maker that is simple to use and is customizable to how many cups I’d like, and I found my winner.
As soon as I took the Specialty Drip Coffee Maker out of its box, the first thing I thought was “sleek.” Seriously, it’s the most polished, minimal-esque piece of kitchenware my fingers ever touched. Not to mention, the chrome carafe handle and button accents make it a gorgeous display piece.
Though setting it up was a slight learning curve, that’s typical with any new appliance. I recommend brewing just water — no coffee — when you first take it out of the box to give it a good rinse.
The first thing you’ll set up is the time on the coffee machine, which is boujee because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coffee maker that also tells you the time. You’ll set the ideal temperature that you can alter before any new brew, the preferred strength of the roast and how many cups you’d like, from one to 10.
The Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is programmed at the “perfect” range of 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, too. For reference, I have mine set in the sweet spot of 200 degrees.
Now, it’s brewing time.
Once your settings are affixed to your liking, you’ll pour however many cups you choose with the included scoop. One scoop equals one cup of lovely tasting coffee. When it’s finished, it’ll make a cute little “ding!” and you’ll be ready to remove the carafe from the maker’s fixture and marvel in the divine aroma and steam of your coffee while you pour.
The Pros
While the entire explanation of how to use the Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is a pro in and of itself, there are a few noteworthy items worth mentioning. Let’s start with the design alone. Whenever my parents whipped out their ages-old multi-cup coffee maker, it just looked clunky and off-beat with our kitchen. With this maker, you won’t even want to take it off your counter.
The customization makes the machine. Truly, it’s so nice to have a light brew in the morning and then a bold brew after nights of not much sleep. You’re not getting the same brew each day with all of its options.
Not to mention, it also comes in stainless steel and matte blacks to meet your preferences and match your kitchen.
The Specialty Drip Coffee Maker actually made me feel like a barista. I loved using the included scoop to finally use my coffee grinds after not having the proper piece of equipment with which to brew them. It’s a nice switch from the pop-a-pod in lifestyle I’ve grown accustomed to.
The Cons
There aren’t many cons that come with this maker. Aside from the slight learning curve, the only criticism to relay is one from my father, actually. While we were brewing our cups, he mentioned it would be nice to have a glass strip so you can see exactly how much coffee is remaining in the carafe.
“If you have a few people over and start passing the carafe around, you’ll have to open the cover and look to see how much is left,” he said. Valid point, though it didn’t bother me all too much.
But hey, this is a review, so you’re getting the real, honest feedback.
The bottom line
Overall, this is one of the most exciting countertop additions in my kitchen. It’s something the whole family can enjoy and is really all you need for a fresh cup of heavenly tasting coffee.
If someone you know is a coffee lover, it makes a great gift, too. I didn’t think I would want another one after the two I have, but this is the one that’s been getting all the use each morning.
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