I held off buying Ninja's Luxe Café coffee maker, but the new Pro model has just persuaded me
If you're in the market for a new espresso machine like me, no doubt you'll have certain features you're looking for. My must-have list includes wanting my espresso machine to do cold brew and drip coffee, as well as decent lattes. Plus, I'd really like it to have automatic milk steaming.
In a world of the best espresso machines, that's fortunately not too much to ask, and the model that stood out to me was the Ninja Luxe Café. But, there was one feature that put me off.
With the Ninja Luxe Café, I'd have to tamp the coffee puck by hand, which means I'd also inevitably end up spilling freshly ground coffee from the portafilter all over my kitchen countertops every single time. And that is less than ideal.
So imagine my absolute delight when I heard that Ninja just dropped a new espresso machine, the Ninja Luxe Café Pro. With the Pro, Ninja has added an in-built tamping mechanism, which means no mess.
And that's why I'm so happy that I waited to buy it.
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro may cost $150 more than the Premier Series, but there's plenty of reasons for this. There's an in-built tamping lever for espresso brews without the mess, an extra-thick froth setting and a hot water feature that'll make you tea, too. The brand are calling it "the ultimate guided experience that makes espresso uncomplicated."
Picking the Ninja Luxe Café original or Pro over an all-in-one bean-to-cup machine comes with lots of advantages. The main one for me is that you can take control over every element of your coffee and personalize it just the way you like it.
With Ninja's newest espresso machine, all the hard parts of this process are removed, meaning you'll get a lovely brew every time, without any mistakes. This is especially true when it comes to tamping.
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro has a new tamping mechanism that means you don't have to press down your grinds for your espresso by hand. Instead, pushing the in-built tamping arm down will ensure that there's an even compression of the grounds for puck perfection.
It's a simple lever that, when pulled down, will compress your coffee with no mess. Even more importantly, it'll make sure you're not over- or under-tamping pucks, resulting in too-strong or too-weak espresso.
Anything that'll save me having to clean my kitchen countertops more than I need to is a win. Especially if it's also going to give me the most excellent espresso alongside it.
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro also comes with a hot water dispenser. And if you love a nice cup of tea like me, then you'll find it to be a really great addition.
Being able to brew hot water on demand in your espresso machine makes it a great double-up instead of using your kettle, and another reason it's worth the extra money.
Simply press hot water and turn the center dial to adjust the temperature you want (low, medium and high).
Then, press start brew and the Pro will start dispensing hot water either to make a cup of tea or top up your espresso to make an Americano coffee. Perfect.
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Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
I'm a certified coffee snob, but the new Ninja Luxe Café Pro has won me over — here's why
The Ninja Luxe Café Premier rocked the coffee game when it dropped last year, but amid its myriad smart touches, there was one feature that I thought it lacked — a tamping arm. Enter: the Ninja Luxe Café Pro. Tamping arms are a huge mess-saver for modern espresso machines. You can find them in the likes of Breville and De'Longhi flagship models, and Ninja has caught on fast. Not only do they prevent messy countertops, but tamping arms also have the added benefit of measuring the height of your puck to check for grind volumes, and evenly tamping to prevent channeling. What else is new in this upgraded model? Well, there's a hot water dispenser, something that was sorely lacking in the OG for Americano-lovers such as myself. And its milk steaming jug is significantly larger, allowing you to brew for two. I've spent a week with Ninja's latest flagship coffee maker, and here's why the Ninja Luxe Café Pro has won me over. Price $749 / £699 Size 13.39 in L x 12.48 in W x 14.84 in H Colors Stainless steel + black Power 1650 watts Weight 27.07 lbs The Ninja Luxe Café Pro retails for $749 / £699, heralding Ninja's arrival in the luxury coffee machine market. For context, that's $150 / £150 more than the original Ninja Luxe Café Pro, and comparable to the likes of De'Longhi's excellent new La Specialista Touch or Breville's Barista Express Impress. Visually, the Ninja Luxe Café Pro isn't my favorite. And I'm not ashamed to say that looks matter to me in a coffee maker - if you're asking me to display something on my kitchen counters, I'd like to enjoy looking at it. In a word, I find it a little boxy. But it's in keeping with Ninja's branding: all singing, all dancing, but utilitarian. Not an inch of stainless steel is wasted, with a comprehensive drink menu and informative display panel. There's also a container on the side of your machine for the filters you're not using, which is a nice touch. Not an inch of stainless steel is wasted If I'm being picky, which I think is warranted for $749, I wish the water tank and waste water container were larger. I found myself refilling a lot more than I would with my usual Breville Barista Touch Impress, and I also had to empty the drip tray at least once a day. This might be because Ninja has added a separate, removable drip tray to sit underneath the group head, which loses about a third of the capacity I get in the Breville. This is a nice idea, because it allows you to put travel coffee cups (or the world's tallest mug) directly underneath your group head, which is something I usually can't do when I take my own coffee into the office. Like I said, I'm a coffee snob, and the machines in the office don't always cut it. But if I could trade, I'd probably take the extra waste water space over the removable group head drip tray for the convenience of fewer trips to the sink. The key to a good coffee is a good grinder, but good grinders can be seriously expensive, so if I were placing bets, this is where I'd have expected the Ninja Luxe Café Pro to let me down. But actually, the grinder is pretty clever. The grinder has 25 settings, which is about on par with the range you'lll find in similarly-priced machines from Breville and De'Longhi. This machine uses a somewhat unique weight-based grinding system, meaning your machine never under- or over-grinds, and your puck will always be perfectly level. And I found this weight-based system to be shockingly accurate. Another cool feature that I've never seen before is the fact that the machine automatically detects when you change filter baskets. I'm not even sure how it does that, but it never failed in the pretty frequent switches I was making between the luxe basket and the double filter. A final feature that caught my attention is that the machine automatically purges a little coffee when you change your grind size. That's pretty smart, because there's usually some retention in domestic bean-to-cup machines, meaning when you change grind size, you'll end up with a little of the leftover grounds from the original size, topped up with your new setting. That can make it tricky to find the perfect grind size when you're dialling in. Then, there's the tamping arm. In the Breville Impress range, this arm will indicate if you've ground too much (or too little) coffee and suggest either trimming the top of your puck, or grinding a little extra to hit the perfect level. Ninja adds a token green light to let you know the machine is happy with the volume of grounds in your puck, but because it works on a weight-based system, it should in theory be perfect every time. The machine will suggest changing your grind size depending on the extraction time of your coffee. Too long, and your grounds may be too fine, therefore not allowing enough water through and resulting in a bitter brew. Too short, and the grounds are too large, not creating enough pressure and therefore leading to a weak and under-extracted espresso. The Ninja Luxe Café Pro suggested I start at grind size 18, and it was happy with the first espresso I brewed. I do wish the machine had a timer (my Breville does) to show how long the extraction takes, but regardless of whether Ninja was happy, I wasn't. I found the flavor to be a little lacking, and my shot was a little too speedy as it gushed into my espresso cup. After testing countless coffee makers, I know when a shot isn't pulling quite right. So I overrode the machine and changed the grind size to 15, which resulted in a very tasty shot. I was using Lost Sheep's Brazil roast, and the Ninja Luxe Café Pro brought out the deep fruity notes very well. My perfected shot flowed in creamy ropes, and took around 33 seconds. The machine suggested we meet in the middle at 16, which I (again) ignored. So is its grind suggestion perfect? No, but you can just ignore it, and it's also led me astray in my much more premium Breville Barista Touch Impress. And for more entry-level users, it's better to have some guidance than be left to figure out this complicated espresso business solo. My university nightclub used to sell 'Quaddies': 4 shots in one glass for a cost-effective and efficient way of getting the party going. Well, for obvious reasons, the university banned those, and I thought my quaddie days were behind me. Thanks to Ninja, I can now enjoy a different type of quad-shot in the form of its Luxe basket. I approached the Luxe basket with extreme scepticism. The Luxe basket is the reason the Ninja's portafilter looks a bit ridiculous: it needs to fit single and double baskets, but also a giant, deep filter that would easily double my daily coffee bean consumption. In this economy? But before I come down too hard on this unorthodox addition, I should admit that I've increasingly been turning to it for my morning coffee. I love an Americano, and combined with the new hot water dispenser, the Americano you can make with this XL basket tastes like straight-up, delicious jet fuel. It's really good stuff, giving me a strong but tasty buzz and topping off my mug with an attractive, thin layer of crema. I won't give up my drip coffee quite yet, but if you're looking for a machine that can brew longer coffee as well as short shots of espresso, the Ninja could be tempting. Like its Luxe basket, the milk jug Ninja developed for the Ninja Luxe Café Pro is also comically large. It comes with a whisk at the bottom, which can texturize hot and cold milk, and the option of four different froth levels if you choose to steam automatically. You still can steam manually, but I would suggest buying your own, smaller jug to do this. I struggled to steam by hand in the giant milk jug. I have no notes for the automatic milk steaming. The jug even comes with markings for different volumes to allow you to follow the coffee recipes printed on the side of the machine. I first made a cappuccino following these recipes, and my mountains of steamed milk came out glossy and dry, as you'd aim for when hand-steaming. Next, the latte. I was surprised and a bit wowed by how evenly this milk was textured, with a soft and shiny microfoam that was definitely latte art-worthy. To be mega picky, I'd have had to decant the jug into a more suitable vessel to then pour something impressive, but that's something they teach you at barista school, so seasoned home baristas shouldn't mind too much. As soon as the weather picks up, I switch out my coffee cups for iced latte tumblers. But I've never tried a machine that can make cold foam before, and it was love at first brew. First, I brewed a double shot of 'cold brew' which, like every cold brew setting I've tried from similarly-priced machines, doesn't quite rival the real 24-hour-steeped stuff but is a pretty good imitation. Extraction took about 3 minutes, and the machine pulsed water to pre-infuse and slowly pull a room-temperature shot. The flavor was mellow and fruity, and it definitely hit the spot on a hot day. I then toppped with some milk I steamed using the cold foam setting, and it instantly elevated my summer staple. The thick layer of foam slowly melted into the cold brew, and while it faded relatively first (which is to be expected of any milk that's whisked instead of steamed) it looked lovely and tasted great. The most obvious machine to compare the Ninja Luxe Café Pro to is its predecessor, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier. And while it offers a few things the original doesn't, I do wonder if this is worth $150 more to every customer. Not because this machine isn't worth $750 machine, but because its initial offering was outstanding value. The price immediately lifts the Pro out of the realm of entry-level bean-to-cup machines like the Breville Barista Express, where it's playing in a league of its own. At $749, we're vying with the big boys. If, like me, you're not charmed by the aesthetics, the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is a very worthy alternative to the Ninja Luxe Café Pro. It's compact, packed with smart features, and offers a much more interactive experience than the Ninja. In the UK (where I'm based) it's a tantalizing $699, but it's $300 more than the Ninja Luxe Café Pro in the U.S., where it retails for $999. There are people who won't enjoy this machine, but they're in a niche minority. It lacks the finessed finish of more established coffee brands, and breaks with some well-established conventions in favor of accessibility. For one, the whisk at the bottom of the milk jug, while great for making cold foam, probably won't impress coffee enthusiasts who appreciate the art of hand-steaming. And while the luxe basket turned out to be a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, some will question whether you can get a good espresso out of a quad basket, and resent the unusually large portafilter that comes with it. As for me? As a seasoned espresso snob, I didn't expect to enjoy this machine as much as I did. Ninja has put a lot of thought into every element of this machine, from the automatic purging when you change grind size to the storage space for your spare baskets. And the inclusion of a tamping arm is a smart one, allowing you to still feel like you've crafted your coffee, but with less mess and more precision. The Ninja Luxe Café Pro offers the perfect balance between ease of use and manual features to create a uniquely accessible machine that almost everyone will love.
Yahoo
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‘Total discrimination': Chinese students facing US visa ban say their lives are in limbo
Chinese students in the United States are questioning their future in the country after the state department announced last week that it would 'aggressively' revoke visas for Chinese students and enhance scrutiny of future applications from China and Hong Kong. Chinese students hoping to study at Harvard, the US's oldest and wealthiest university, are under particular pressure after the Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was banning the school from enrolling new foreign students. The presidential proclamation cited Harvard's links with China as a particular cause for concern. Related: 'They are in shock': Indian students fear Trump has ended their American dream For Jerry*, a 22-year-old applied mathematics student at the University of California, Los Angeles, the uncertainty started last month, when the Trump administration suddenly halted Harvard University's ability to enrol any international students. Jerry has a place on a health data science masters programme at Harvard, which is due to start in the autumn. The US government's attempt to ban Harvard from accepting international students appears to have been blocked, at least temporarily, by the courts. But Trump's announcement on Wednesday invokes a different legal authority. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has announced that the authorities will be targeting Chinese students specifically, nationwide. It is 'total discrimination,' Jerry said. 'I don't think anyone would consider that reason sufficient. That's just pushing Chinese students to go elsewhere'. Unsure about whether or not he will be able to enrol at Harvard, Jerry is considering taking up a place on a DPhil (PhD) programme at Oxford University in the UK. He said on Thursday that following Trump's latest attack on Harvard, Oxford seems like an even more likely option. Although he hopes to study at Harvard, Jerry feels lucky to have a back-up plan. 'A lot of the people who accepted Harvard offers don't have other options. So it must be much more anxious for them'. Across the US, universities have been scrambling to find ways to reassure the hundreds of thousands of Chinese students on their campuses about their academic future. In a memo sent to Chinese students at University of Oregon, the school described the state department's announcement about revoking the visas for Chinese students as 'vague' and said: 'A revoked passport does not impact your legal status in the US because it is only an entry document used when entering the US'. However, the university warned that a revoked visa could lead to removal proceedings by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Warning about being targeted by ICE have taken on a new gravity since the agency started targeting international students with the lawful right to remain in the country. They include Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestine activist who was detained despite holding a green card to reside in the US. Khalil is now fighting a deportation order. Steven*, a 34-year-old Chinese PhD student at the University of Oregon, said that although he is not planning to apply for a new student visa soon, the prospect of an encounter with ICE concerned him. 'Nowadays, even if you have a green card, you have legitimate status, you could get caught by ICE, because these guys are crazy'. Steven has been in the US for a decade. In that time, the US has become a less attractive destination for Chinese students, he said, something he sees borne out in his part-time job helping Chinese students with their college applications. The numbers wanting to study in the US have declined, with people favouring countries in South-east Asia, such as Singapore, which are more culturally similar to China. The US is 'just not that friendly' any more, Steven says. The loss of top Chinese students in the US would be a blow to academic research, and to the funding for higher education institutions, experts say. In the 2023-2024 academic year, there were about 277,400 Chinese students in the US, according to government statistics. That is a 25% drop compared to 2019-2020. 'By barring Chinese students and scholars from America, the Trump administration will strangle the pipeline of high-end talent into our universities, companies, and research institutes, sparking a serious deficit in talent and expertise that will damage American competitiveness,' said Denis Simon, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, who specialises in science and technology policy in China. The state department's announcement last week specified that students with connections to the Chinese Communist party (CCP) or studying in 'critical fields' would be included in the visa crackdown. For years, the US has tried to root out Chinese espionage in academia, with concerns raised about CCP-backed programmes to recruit top talent in science and technology fields that are strategically important to China. But academics and campaigners say that this has bled over into racism, with all Chinese researchers or those of Chinese heritage being treated with suspicion. Jerry, the mathematics student, said he has experienced discrimination in the US, but not on campus. But if Chinese researchers, staff and PhD students feel they have to leave the US because of an increasingly hostile environment, 'it's going to be a disaster for American universities,' he said. *Names have been changed Additional research by Lillian Yang
Yahoo
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Donald Trump says Elon Musk has ‘lost his mind' and dismisses peace offering
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The row between Musk and Trump, who were near-constant companions during the later stages of the latter's presidential campaign in 2024 and his first months back in the White House, showed no sign of abating, with Musk's self-proclaimed status as 'first buddy' rapidly disappearing in the rear-view mirror. Related: Trump v Musk: 10 ways they can further hurt each other Trump, who is not known to take criticism well, made his displeasure clear on Friday, doubling down on his newfound hostility to Musk, who spent nearly $300m to elect the 78-year-old. In an interview with ABC News, Trump was asked about reports of a potentially peacemaking phone call scheduled with Musk for later in the day, to which Trump responded, 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' and added that he was 'not particularly' interested in talking to his former confidant right now. The president also spoke to CNN, saying: 'I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem,' and told Politico that the relationship with Musk was 'going very well, never done better'. The New York Times reported , in private conversations, that Trump had attributed Musk's behavior to drug use. As well as giving many people a reason to return to X – the social media site Musk owns and where he has recently been amplifying rightwing, pro-Trump views – the bitter fight could heavily affect the political landscape. Musk suggested starting a new political party, one 'that actually represents the 80% in the middle', and, given his wealth, he would be able to pump millions into next year's midterm elections, potentially influencing races across the country. In the space industry, meanwhile, Nasa has become increasingly reliant on Musk's SpaceX company, with the Dragon spacecraft being used to transport the agency's astronauts to and from the International Space Station, and Musk pledged to decommission the Dragon in the wake of the Trump fight. He quickly signalled an about-face, but it was a reminder of Musk's influence, which is further bolstered by the key role the Starlink satellite broadband platform plays in Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. Trump, meanwhile, threatened to cancel Musk's US government contracts, and the president's ally Steve Bannon suggested that Musk, a South African-born American citizen, 'should be deported from the country immediately'. In a sign of the immediate impact on Musk, his net worth fell by $33bn on Thursday alone, while Tesla's shares initially dropped by about 14.2%, wiping roughly $152bn off the value of the company. The rolling quarrel began after Musk criticized Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' – tax and spending legislation that experts say would add $2.4tn to the national debt, strip more than 10 million people of their health insurance and enshrine tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Trump said he was 'very disappointed in Elon' over the criticism, as Musk said Trump's trade policies would cause a recession, before the dispute escalated wildly. Many had predicted that the relationship between Musk and Trump, two men known for their large egos and unpredictable behavior, could not last, but the sheer level of vitriol stunned Americans and would seem to make a reconciliation unlikely. Musk did at least appear to proffer an olive branch in a reply to a post from the hedge fund owner Bill Ackman, who called on Trump and Musk to 'make peace for the benefit of our great country', but on Friday Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, told NBC News 'there are no plans' for a call between the two men. In the meantime, it was business as usual for Trump on Friday, with the president offering a series of misleading takes on the US job market, which new figures show slowed in May. Musk was unusually quiet on social media, as Tesla's shares rebounded somewhat from Thursday's loss, rising by 6%, although at least one customer seemed keen to divest from the company: the White House said on Friday that Trump plans to sell his Tesla Model S.
