Who Makes Cafe Appliances And Where Are They Manufactured?

Back in 2018, a new appliance brand hit the marketplace called Café. This wasn't an entirely new name though. GE Appliances first introduced the Café name back in 2007 as a luxury appliance line, but it was just one line of appliances under the greater GE umbrella. That changed when GE Appliances decided that Café should be its own standalone brand, which it has been since 2018. While GE Appliances is its parent company, the true owner of Café Appliances is Haier. This is a Chinese conglomerate that owns many different appliance brands around the world, and it acquired GE Appliances in 2016.

Despite being a subsidiary of a Chinese company, appliances from Café are still primarily manufactured in the United States. Café Appliances headquarters is located in Louisville, Kentucky, which is also the home to GE Appliances' headquarters, and while that is the main hub, it's not the only place these appliances are built. GE's plant in Lafayette, Georgia is where the cooking products are built, and there's another a smaller facility in Selmer, Tennessee that focuses primarily on refrigerators and freezers for Café and other Haier-owned luxury brands like Monogram and GE Profile.

Unlike many other appliance brands, Café focuses exclusively on kitchen appliances. These include ovens and stove ranges to refrigerators and dishwashers. There's also a number countertop appliances it produces, like toasters and coffee makers. The company specializes in high-end luxury appliances for those looking to revamp their kitchen, both in performance and aesthetics. Consequently, Café Appliances sells its products at a premium as well, but the reason its prices are so high goes beyond it just being your average luxury brand.

GE Profile is one of GE Appliance's brands that focuses on luxury and smart appliances. As a comparison point, the most expensive GE Profile double wall oven costs $4,099 and is the only model above $4,000 it offers. This is a combination oven that includes the ability to bake, air fry, or steam your food. Café Appliances, on the other hand, has six double wall ovens costing over $4,000 with the most expensive model going for $7,019. It includes all of those cooking modes on the GE Profile model plus a French door opening for the top oven. The most important thing upping the cost though is the ability for aesthetic customization.

This double oven allows you to choose between three different look bases — stainless steel, matte white, and matte black — and six different finishes for the hardware, such as handles that are bronze, copper, black, or another finish. These are the kinds of options Café has all over its appliance selections, but the customization doesn't stop there either. It also has the Café Style Studio. This is a service that lets you consult its in-house interior design experts to help you select the best aesthetic options for your kitchen. This is a free service, but Café offering it means the money needs to come from somewhere else, hence the increased appliance prices. Some appliances, like fridges, even have the option for a completely customizable panel in order for it to blend in seamlessly with your kitchen cabinetry. While Café doesn't place particularly high in SlashGear's ranking of smart fridge brands, you can surely get one that looks tailor-made for your kitchen.