GE Profile Smart Grind and Brew Review: Just the Basics
Behind the hopper is a removable reservoir with markings for 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 ounces, as well as its recommended maximum of 90 ounces. It has a replaceable filter included in the box, and it’s easy enough to remove the entire tank to fill it at the sink without spilling water everywhere. A removable lid allows filling while the tank remains attached to the device.
Photography: Pete Cottell
At the top of the unit’s front panel is a black-and-white LCD screen surrounded by 11 touch-sensitive buttons that allow quick access to features and settings with minimal menu diving. Before implementing our standardized tests, I put the Profile through a test similar to Aiden’s, in which I tried my best to make a cup of coffee as quickly as possible without reading the manual. I was pleasantly surprised by how intuitive the controls were compared to the variety of brewing options offered. The GE profile satisfied the question “Can I get a cup of coffee from this thing in less than 10 minutes without teaching myself how to use it properly?” » tested brilliantly. I plugged it in, filled it with water and beans, pressed a few buttons, and within five minutes a 10-ounce cup of coffee was ready to use.
Convenience over craftsmanship
The first step in your workflow is whether you want to brew a large batch in the included carafe or “single serve mode without a pod,” which is industry-speak for brewing directly in the cup of your choice without a K-Cup. There’s a button for each option that cycles through different output volumes: 4 to 10 cups for carafe mode and 6 to 24 ounces for cup. The strength can be adjusted between light, medium, bold, extra bold, and “Gold” (more on that later) with the titular button, and the brew temperature can be adjusted from 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit with the Temp button.
Tap “Brew” to brew now, or tap Delay Brew to open a submenu where the custom brew time is dialed in with dedicated hour and minute buttons. The My Brew button will save your current brew setting to memory for later use. Press it again at any time to load your My Brew preset, then press Brew to brew with that preset. The “Grind Off” button turns the grinder off during the next brew cycle, and the gear icon cycles through a trio of maintenance options: descaling, filter replacement, and grinder cleaning process.
As such, the proverbial levers that one can pull to adjust the end result are grind size, brew temperature, and brew strength. I started with the “Gold” option, which functions as a “start here” preset for people who are willing to follow the machine’s advice on what counts as a delicious cup of coffee according to the Specialty Coffee Association. With my trusty Kirkland Signature Organic Ethiopia on a grind setting of 5 of 6 as a starter, this resulted in a smooth cup averaging around 202 degrees Fahrenheit after the brew cycle. The beans’ typical tasting notes—soft tannic flavors with hints of orange pith and white wine—were sanded down into an understated, earthy cup that finished with flavors of fresh grass and the aroma of a woodworking shop. Passable, but I can’t think of a single coffee professional who would give this product a gold medal. So is the yin and yang of convenience and flavor.
