Miele and Café Appliances compete in the premium level of dishwashers. The companies could not be more different. Miele is a family owned company and GE, owner of Café Appliances, is one of the largest multinationals in the world. It's amazing but Miele has been in the dishwasher business since the 1920s and Café Appliances is relatively recent over the last 10 years.
Let's look at the companies, products and then compare.
Miele
Miele is a German company that was founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann. Miele is a family owned business, with a reputation for manufacturing the highest-quality domestic appliances and commercial equipment in the world.
They produce 96.8% of all their dishwashers parts, with the exception of the wheels on the racks. Because of their high building standards and control for what they produce, Miele is the most reliable appliance sold. You can expect longer life with fewer service calls with Miele than any other brand.
Miele will offer a full range of dishwasher options. You will have options; in color, with controls on the front, or on the inside. Because they are European engineered, they will install completely flush in standard depth cabinetry vs. American brands, which protrudes from cabinetry. This is a huge difference. In their premium dishwashers, on average above $1500, they have the most unique features like steel which resists fingerprints, scratches and smudges on the door. The 3rd cutlery tray allows more room for dishes on the bottom rack.
 |
 |
 |
|
G4286SCSF - $1339 |
G5285SCSF - $1599 |
G5675SCSF - $1899 |
Café Appliances
GE began in Louisville Kentucky, back in 1950. GE’s long tradition of innovation and technology has brought them a long way. About 6 years ago, they launched their Café line. The Café series offers a “pro-style” line at a very reasonable price, allowing consumers to really test their chef skills at home. GE has always been known more so for their cooking products, however they do manufacture a decent dishwasher.
Within the Café Appliances series, you will have just two options. Café Appliances is considered GE’s more premium brand. Because of this, their dishwasher options will start at a higher price point and have more cycles than an entry level Miele. Both GE Cafe dishwashers are stainless, with chunky “pro-style” handles and the controls on the inside. The big difference between the two, being sound and extra features.
Café Appliances will offer an exclusive feature called “Smart Dispense”. This will allow you to empty a whole bottle of liquid soap into the machine rather than every time a cycle is set. “Smart Dispense” will then dispense the correct amount of soap, based on the cycle selected. Café Appliances will be deeper and stick out a little, just like any other American brand. Café Appliances is only offered in stainless and does not have panel options.
Below are some feature highlights between the two.
 |
VS |
 |
|
Miele G5675SCSF
|
Café Appliances CDWT980VSS
|
Cafe does have rebates on the whole package with refrigerator, microwave, range and dishwasher which can decrease the price. I also like GE’s Smart Dispense Technology, but for me, GE is more known for their cooking products.
However, in my opinion, Miele manufactures a better dishwasher. They have more options and prices to choose with a better repair record. In addition they install flush to the cabinets, clean better and offer some great features, like the water softener, double insulated pump to prevent leaks and 3rd cutlery tray. Most importantly, Miele is simply the least repaired product sold.
Café Appliances vs Miele dishwashers is really comparing a range company versus a dishwasher producer.
Additional Resources
Donload the Yale Dishwasher Buying Guide with specs, features and tips for every major brand. Almost 180,000 people have downloaded a Yale Guide.
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 37,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
Please consider subscribing or adding to the conversation in the comments below. We appreciate you stopping by.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
