Latest news with #NinjaLuxeCaféPro
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Business
- 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.
Tom's Guide
21-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Ninja's sellout Luxe Café coffee maker now comes in two modern new colors
The Ninja Luxe Café is one of the best coffee makers available right now. And we're not the only ones that think that, considering it sold out for months after its initial release. So, it really comes as no surprise that Ninja has now released two entirely new colors to make buying it (if you haven't already) even more tempting. Introducing Gunmetal Gray and Trace Blue, joining the existing Stainless Steel model for the exact same price of $599. At time of writing, Trace Blue is out of stock on the Ninja site, but Gunmetal Gray is available to buy. The Ninja Luxe Café is the best beginner-friendly espresso machine we've ever tested and we gave it an epic four-and-a-half stars. It's an excellent investment that makes a variety of drinks, from lattes to cold brew to regular drip. And this sleek and stylish design just got a little more interesting with the coffee maker now available in Gunmetal Gray and Trace Blue for $599. This marks another excellent release around the Ninja Luxe Café with the upgraded model, Ninja Luxe Café Pro, launching in early May. I held off buying Ninja's Luxe Café, but the new Pro model persuaded me with its in-built tamping arm that makes mess-free espresso a guarantee. Although now I really wish it was available in one of these two new colors! The Ninja Luxe Café is a great-looking coffee maker with its attractive stainless steel exterior paired with black accents and a sleek digital screen. It's pretty unique for a coffee maker, favouring simplicity and streamline technology over complicated dials and settings. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. But, these new colorways are something a bit different, opting for matte rather than the shine of the original stainless steel. The benefit here being that they won't smudge as easily, and we can't complain about that. I love these new colors. I find Gunmetal Gray isn't too far a step away from the original, but it's definitely a stylish step up. To be bold though, I'd go for the Trace Blue because it offers something a little different from the rest. In fact, if I had my way, I'd love to see the likes of Breville's brass accent range or even KitchenAid's Color of the Year make an appearance one day. For now, I'd settle for the two new colorways making their way to the Ninja Luxe Café Pro model as they're currently only available on the Premier Series. I'm sure given time and some idea of how successful they are, they'll do just that. On the topic of bold kitchen colors, there's certainly a trend emerging to have a bit more fun when it comes to your interior design palette, and I'm seriously relieved to see a step away from silver. For coffee makers in particular, there's the Fellow Aiden in Matte White or the Moccamaster's new calming Ocean colorway as just two shining examples of what's possible in a world of color and coffee. Ninja is no stranger to color though. In fact, Ninja recently dropped a pink model of its popular Ninja Crispi air fryer, alongside Mint and Periwinkle. Clearly colorful kitchen appliances are on the rise and Ninja's wholeheartedly jumping on the trend. And I for one certainly wouldn't turn away a Periwinkle Ninja Luxe Café.
Tom's Guide
12-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
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.
Tom's Guide
06-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Ninja just dropped a new espresso machine, and it's even smarter than the Luxe Café
(Image credit: Ninja) Ninja just added a new espresso machine to its Luxe Café coffee maker lineup. The new Ninja Luxe Café Pro looks much the same as the original Luxe Café, but includes a new tamping mechanism. This removes all the hassle of dosing and tamping your espresso by hand, and instead uses an in-built tamping arm to evenly compress your grounds for perfect pucks, every time. Retailing at $699 direct from Ninja, it's $150 more expensive than the Luxe Café Premier Series. Other new features include an XL milk frothing jug that will allow you to make two cappuccinos in one, and an extra-thick froth setting for luscious foam, totally hands-free. You may like Smarter than ever (Image credit: Ninja) Ninja changed the game when it dropped the Luxe Café Premier Series espresso machine last year, but an in-built tamping arm was the one feature I felt it was missing. It's a feature I love in my Breville Barista Express Impress, and it also features in De'Longhi's La Specialista range. Although the machine's dosing funnel prevents mess, it won't eradicate it completely. So the addition of a lever that evenly compresses your coffee without any manual requirements will ensure that there are no scatterings of coffee grounds on your kitchen countertops. Another major plus of in-built tamping capabilities is that it removes yet another variable that can get between your machine and the perfect espresso extraction. Over or under-tamped pucks can throw off your machine, leading to a too-strong or under-developed shot of espresso if you don't use the perfect amount of pressure. So by integrating the tamping system to the inside of the machine, you can be confident that your tamping technique isn't responsible for any dodgy shots of coffee. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. (Image credit: Ninja) I've yet to get hands-on with this machine, but from what I can see on Ninja's promotional materials, it doesn't seem quite a smart as Breville's Impress range. Those machines use the in-built tamping arm to provide feedback on the volume of coffee you've ground. They then either top up the portafilter or advise you to trim a little off the top before brewing. Ninja offers none of this feedback. There's a reason for this omission, though. Ninja's machine uses a smart weight-based dosing system which weighs your coffee as it grinds. In theory, this means your coffee puck should always be at the right level. As I said though, I've yet to try this feature hands-on. I'll be testing this machine as soon as I can get my hands on it, but this latest smart feature firmly cements the Ninja Luxe Café Pro as an ultra-smart, mess-free coffee making machine. If the hassle of hand-tamping your coffee has put you off buying until now, I'd recommend you invest sooner rather than later, considering that the original Ninja Luxe Café has barely been in stock since it launched last year. More from Tom's Guide
