Ninja has just released its most exhilarating coffee machine yet: the Luxe Café Premier Series, and I can’t wait to try it out. This is Ninja’s first foray into the world of luxury coffee machines, and it’s a barista-ready machine that can make drip coffee, espresso, and even a quick cool brew.
The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series is the first Ninja machine to feature a built-in conical burr grinder, which has 25 settings to provide the right grind for any type of beverage. Creating a grinder that can grind both abrasive and very fine brews, which is needed for high-quality espresso, is a real challenge, so I can’t wait to test out just how well the Ninja has done it once I get my hands on this latest release.
Perhaps the most exhilarating part of this launch is that The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series is only $499. While it’s still significantly more costly than many of the best coffee machines on the market, it’s a really competitive price for the best coffee machine with an integrated grinder.
What do we know about the Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series?
While it’s undoubtedly a capable coffee maker, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier series is just 13.2 inches deep, 13.6 inches wide, and 14.6 inches high, so while it’s definitely larger than most Keurig coffee makers, it won’t take up too much countertop space.
Not content with just being a barista-style coffee maker, the machine offers “3-in-1 versatility” with drip, espresso, and cool brew settings. Sound a bit too complicated? Well, Ninja has created “Barista Assistance Technology” to lend a hand you navigate grind size and brew adjustments based on your chosen drink, while the milk frother combines frothing and whipping to produce four different pre-set milk options: steamed milk, slim foam, stout foam, and cool foam.
The device allows you to brew cool brew and drip coffee in capacities of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 ounces and using the following settings:
- Espresso – double or quadruple
- Drip coffee – classic, nutrient-rich or iced
- Frigid Brew – cool pressed espresso or cool brewed coffee
I’m always impressed with Ninja products, but as someone who’s tested a lot of coffee machines, I’m a little concerned about the Luxe Café’s integrated grinder. Most coffee grinders specialize in either making the super-fine grounds needed for espresso or the coarser consistency needed to make a good cup of drip coffee, but it’s strenuous to do both in one grinder. If Ninja has successfully created a grinder that can do both and put it in a machine that costs less than $500, I’ll be incredibly impressed.
How does it compare?
I’ll always be the first in line to try a up-to-date Ninja gadget, but the Luxe Café Premier is especially exhilarating because it’s Ninja’s first foray into the premium coffee scene. The brand’s previous flagship, the Espresso & Coffee Barista System, retails for half the price, at $249.99, and is aimed at the single-serve market, using capsules to brew espresso, just like you’d find with a Nespresso or Keurig.
Taking cues from brands like Breville and De’Longhi, the Luxe Café is one of a group of assisted coffee machines that retain the charm of a manual machine but come with features like hands-free frothing, weight-based dosing and assisted tamping for evenly whipped discs.
In terms of features alone, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier System is comparable to market-leading machines like the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, which can brew coffee cool, offers tamp assist, and adjusts brewing settings to get the right extraction. But can it deliver at half the price? We’ll review this latest machine as soon as we can test it, but if the Luxe Café lives up to its promises, it could be a machine to beat.
