As someone who would pop out to grab an iced coffee or a latte almost daily, my Java addiction was costing me a good amount of money. I was never a fan of the taste of K-cups or bottled cold brew, and I found the bells and whistles of fancy espresso machines overwhelming. When Ninja offered to let me test out the new Ninja Luxe Café machine, I was initially intimidated. But once they explained to me just how easy it is to use, and the fact that it is essentially three machines in one that can make espresso, coffee and cold brew, I was ready to give it a test run.
Ninja
The best part of waking up… is not having to think when I make my morning cappuccino!
Ninja Luxe Café: First impressions
When it arrived at my house, the size and the array of attachments made me think I’d made a mistake. This thing looked professional! I can’t really function before I have my morning coffee, which is why I usually pay a coffee shop to make one. It was anxious about what I was in for. But, to my surprise (and joy), it took only about five minutes to set up. Not only that, the sleek design instantly elevated the look of my kitchen counter. This thing is gorgeous.
As for the attachments, each machine comes with a portafilter for espresso, a frothing pitcher, a double basket, a luxe basket (for quad shots!), an assisted tamper, a cleaning brush, a cleaning disc, a funnel, descaling powder, cleaning tablets, hard water testing kit and — as a neat treat — an inspiration guide. You get basically everything you could possibly need to set up a fully functioning coffee bar, aside from the actual coffee beans. After skimming the manual, I was ready to try it out. I found it to be one of the most user-friendly kitchen appliances I’ve ever tried.
How I tested
To get started, I filled the water tank and added whole coffee beans to the top compartment. A great feature is that you don’t need to measure or weigh the beans; you can simply fill the well-sealed compartment, and it will grind the beans to your specifications with each use (more on that later).
Next, I turned a dial to select the drink I wanted to make. You can choose between two espresso styles, double shot or quad shot, as well as three drip coffee styles: classic, rich, or over ice and two cold brew styles: cold pressed espresso or cold brew coffee. Each brew style is selected by turning the selector button. For drip coffee or cold brew, you can choose from a range of drink sizes spanning from 6 to 18 ounces.
Once I decided on my drink, I prepped the portafilter. The machine includes two baskets that easily pop in and out: the smaller option for espresso and the larger for coffee and cold brew. After dropping the correct basket in the portafilter and attaching the funnel, I stuck the portafilter into the grinder area. What truly sets this coffee machine apart is its user-friendly grinding system. Unlike regular methods that require manual weighing of grinds, which I am fully incapable of doing in the morning… before my morning coffee (and one of the main reasons I’ve shied away from fancy espresso machines in the past), this appliance features a built-in scale that handles both the weighing and grind dosing based on your selected drink.
The screen displays the recommended grind size, which can be adjusted by turning the grinder dial through 25 settings until it matches the suggested number. Once that’s set, just press “start grinding,” and your beans will be perfectly ground in seconds. I used the tamper to compact the grounds, attached the portafilter to the brewing area, selected my preferred temperature, and hit “brew.”
This may sound like a lot of steps but the entire process from start to finish takes maybe three to five minutes, depending on what drink you choose. As for me, most mornings I’m making an iced latte, so I just brew a double or quad shot of espresso (depending on what kind of sleep I got the night before), add some ice and pour in some milk. If I’m feeling fancy, I take the extra step and use the attached steam wand and frother cup. The froth system is just as easy to use as the coffee-making portion. You can choose between plant-based or animal milk settings and then select from the four presets: steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth and cold foam. With a push of another button, you have a barista-level beverage — minus latté art.
Ninja Luxe Café Review: Final thoughts
Besides loving how foolproof and easy it is to use (even on mornings when I’m barely functioning) I’m honestly also so impressed with how delicious every type of beverage I’ve made with this machine tastes. I feel like I’m a professional barista every morning, and haven’t had coffee anywhere but home since I got the Ninja Luxe Café two months ago, so it’s really helping me save some money in the long run!
Not only is this proving to be a money-saver, it’s also an organizational dream. I love that this appliance lets me make regular coffee, espresso and cold brew all in one, especially since I have a small kitchen in my apartment and just don’t have the space for numerous appliances. It has organized storage for all the accessories, so they’re not hanging out in different drawers and stashes. The tamper and funnel have dedicated slots on the left side, while the right side hides a compartment for the extra basket and cleaning tools. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to clean: The bottom tray catches excess water and grounds, and it simply pops out for quick dumping and wiping.
At $500, it’s definitely an investment but one that I wholeheartedly think is worth it. Not only do I use it daily to make my morning cup of jo, but it also helps me make nighttime espresso martinis and affogatos with ease. I’m not the only one who is a fan, the Ninja Luxe Café may have only hit stores in July but it’s already a No. 1 bestselling new release on Amazon with a 4.8-star rating and over 1,000 purchases in the past month. As one five-star reviewer put it “we like it a latté” and think you will too!
Ninja
It’s definitely an investment, but since I’ve stopped buying coffee every morning since getting it two months ago, it’s on it’s way to paying for itself.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
