GE Café vs. ZLINE Appliances: A Comprehensive Comparison

HOD Builder's Brief: Café offers high-quality appliances with many design options. ZLINE offers a similar quality with many finish options at a more affordable price point.

You're probably reading this because you're upgrading your kitchen or planning a new home project. Surely, you want a luxurious feel to your kitchen, giving you the perfect environment to cook. But with so many kitchen appliances in the market, how do you decide which is best for your needs? 

ZLINE and Café are two leading names when choosing a kitchen appliance. Both offer luxurious designs that can transform any dull-looking kitchen into a showpiece. However, which one should you choose? 

This article will compare the two brands and their features, price, quality, and more. Let’s first look at their brief backgrounds. 

An Overview of ZLINE and Café 

As a representative brand of GE Appliances, Café is a leading appliance offering modern features and luxurious design. Its exclusive finishes range from slate, matte black stainless steel to customizable panels that match every kitchen’s theme. 

Café specializes in creating premium-quality ranges and cooktops to give your kitchen an elegant touch.

ZLINE Kitchen & Bath, on the other hand, is a Tahoe-based brand that also produces high-end kitchen and bath appliances. Featuring modern designs, ZLINE stands out for its unique and powerful low-noise blowers, which make the company’s hoods the quietest in the market. 

With its high-quality power burners, wall ovens, and refrigerators, ZLINE promises to give your kitchen a modern look with convenience.

So, to help you decide between ZLINE and Café, let’s compare these two kitchen appliance giants.

Like most other home upgrades, technology and features are the main factors when judging a kitchen appliance. Both brands can deliver modern features and designs, but a few distinct differences remain. Here's a comparison between the two brands' major appliance choices (with a separate section for actual price differences later):

Ranges

Sources: ZLINE and Café

Both brands have professional ranges with high-end features and modern designs with touch controls and LED screens for easier operation. Generally, their ranges can be categorized into: 

• Electric/Induction
• Gas (Gas cooktop & gas oven)
• Dual Fuel (Gas cooktop & an electric oven)

Induction Ranges

As one of Café's flagship ranges, its 30-inch induction range offers precise cooking with induction technology and a built-in air fryer, giving you the opportunity to whip up delicious meals. 

ZLINE's ranges are also known for their advanced features, such as 6 sealed burners with infrared charbroiler and convection oven, making it ideal for professional chefs who need high heat output. 

The ZLINE 30-Inch 4.0 cu. ft. Induction Range with a 4 Element Stove and Electric Oven is one of their signature models that comes with a double oven configuration which allows you to cook multiple dishes at once. 

Aside from having a wider oven, ZLINE's induction range lets you save more than a thousand dollars compared to Café's range. 

Dual Fuel & Gas Ranges

For dual fuel and gas ranges, both ZLINE and Café' take pride in their 48-inch models. They are their flagship appliances that make a stunning centerpiece in any kitchen.

ZLINE's 48-inch dual fuel range has seven burners with unique functions such as rapid boil and simmer burners, allowing you to cook with greater precision. One of the seven is a special burner that fits a custom reversible cast iron grill/griddle. that  Café's model comes with six burners with a built-in griddle stainless steel griddle.

Both ZLINE and Cafe ranges are beautiful and functional, the major difference is the price. For a better bang for your buck, the ZLINE offers the same quality at an attainable price.

	Café	ZLINE
30-Inch Induction Range	$4,999	$3,399
36-Inch Dual Fuel Range	$8,199	$2,899
48-Inch Dual Fuel Range	$12,599	$5,499

 

Cooktops

Sources: ZLINE and Café

Cooktops are an essential part of any kitchen, and both ZLINE and Café offer a wide range of cooktops to choose from. Their cooktops are divided into 3 main categories: 

1. Rangetops
2. Drop-In Gas Cooktops
3. Drop-In Induction Cooktops

Rangetops

While both brands have 36-inch rangetop choices with 6 burners, ZLINE's 36-inch rangetop has two rapid burners, a dual burner, and an auxiliary burner. 

Meanwhile, the variant from Café only has a multi-ring burner, with the rest being standard burners. Both models also come with griddle/grill inserts which can be used for more cooking options, but ZLINE's rangetop is also almost priced less than half of Café's. 

Drop-In Gas Cooktops

The ZLINE 36-Inch Induction Cooktop has automatic power level control to prevent overheating and is equipped with five induction elements. Having the same number of elements, Café's induction cooktop also has higher wattages for more heat. Despite having extra features, Café's cooktop is priced more than two times higher than ZLINE's. 

Drop-In Induction Cooktops

Although both ZLINE and Café have similar designs for their induction drop-in cooktops, the two brands still differ in terms of price. ZLINE's flagship induction drop-in cooktop has five induction elements with a maximum wattage of 7,200 watts. 

On the other hand, Café's version comes with six elements and higher wattages for better heat distribution but at higher price points.

	Café	ZLINE
36-Inch Rangetop	$3,777.00	$1,399
36-Inch Drop-In Gas Cooktop	$2,110	$899
36-Inch Drop-In Induction Cooktop	$2,777	$1,199

 

Refrigerators 

Source: ZLINE and Café

The two brands offer quite similar refrigerators. Both ZLINE and Café feature top-freezer models with a variety of options in terms of size, style, and features. 

For example, both of their 36-inch wide top-freezer refrigerators have adjustable shelves and French doors, interior LED lighting, and energy-efficient operation. 

However, the ZLINE model is equipped with a humidity-controlled crisper drawer while the Café equivalent has an adjustable temperature control system. Again, Café offers this at a slightly more expensive price point. 

Range Hoods

Sources: ZLINE and Café

When it comes to ventilation systems, ZLINE offers quieter and less intrusive hoods than Café. Its unique low-noise blower technology can eliminate smoke, grease, and odors from the kitchen efficiently and quietly. These hoods come with an adjustable speed control, and energy-saving LED lighting. 

Here's where it gets better: ZLINE offers hundreds of hood options and finishes. These include wall-mounted, island-mounted, and under-cabinet hoods in stainless steel, glass, or copper finishes. On the other hand, Café's ventilation systems are limited to just two models with similar features but higher prices.

The reason for the tons of options is ZLINE's origin as a hood company before it became a kitchen appliance brand.

Dishwashers

Sources: ZLINE and Café

Let's not forget about dishwashers! ZLINE and Café both offer built-in models with similar features, such as adjustable racks, stainless steel tubs, and energy-efficient operation. 

Café's Smart Stainless Steel Interior Dishwasher, however, is 3 inches wider than the standard size and has an additional third rack for maximum space. This model also features 6 wash cycles.

On the other hand, ZLINE's dishwasher has digital touch controls for quick setting selection, 51 dBA, and 8 wash cycles, at $449 less than Café's top-of-the-line model.

Package Comparison   

Many customers in-market for appliances are renovating their kitchen or building their dream home. This means they are most likely buying 4-5 appliances at once, the most economical way is to purchase an appliance package.

No, we didn't forget the first thing many of us look at – the price. Since they are a luxury flagship of GE Appliances, you can expect to pay more for Café than ZLINE. Even better, you'll get the same quality at a better price point.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the popular 36-inch appliance package from ZLINE offered at Home Outlet Direct, vs. the equivalent Cafe package.

Final Thoughts

With better affordability than Café products without going short on quality, ZLINE gives consumers more value for their money. Both brands offer excellent products designed to last and be energy efficient, but if you’re looking for something a bit more sustainable and eco-friendly, then the better choice is ZLINE.

Browse ZLINE Appliances

To purchase ZLINE products at better deals, Home Outlet Direct is the preferred online ZLINE dealer. We also offer discounts to builders and military personnel to ensure everyone is able to benefit from our products. Should you opt for financing, take advantage of our Affirm payment option. 

With Home Outlet Direct, upgrading your home is easier than ever. Speak to our expert team now today via call or live chat if you need assistance.