It’s no secret that we expect the impossible from our coffee machines in Australia. That’s why, when US-based home appliance company Ninja launched their automatic coffee machine over in the states last year, they couldn’t bring that same unit to Aussie shores. “At Ninja we don’t launch a product until it’s been through a thousand homes and has achieved a minimum 4.5/5 star rating.” Ninja’s Senior Product Marketing Manager Will Tran told me. “If it doesn’t hit that threshold, we go back to the drawing board and we start again.” Achieving that elusive review in the US was easy, but for us Aussies, not so much. After an initial sub-4.5 customer review result, Ninja went back to square one and designed a new and improved machine that was good enough to launch down under. Who said we were coffee snobs?
One year later, and I was finally lucky enough to try the new and improved Ninja Luxe Café Premier. We set up the coffee machine in our office’s test kitchen, and over the course of a few hours, a couple of highly caffeinated colleagues and I tried every coffee setting to see how they performed – which, if you’re wondering, there are 17.
So, before you drop several hundreds of dollars on this machine, read on for my honest review of Ninja’s Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine.
Ninja’s Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine review verdict
- Our rating: 8/10
- Why we rated it a 8/10: The machine itself was simple and convenient to use, but a few features didn’t live up to my (aforementioned) high expectations.
Pros
- The auto-grind, auto-dose and adaptive brewing functions mean no brain power is needed before 9AM (just how I like it)
- The hands-free milk frother takes the guesswork out of my morning brew
- It combines three machines into one: espresso, cold brew, and drip coffee
- It has an integrated conical burr grinder with 25 grind settings
- The auto clean and auto steam wand purging functions are convenient to use
- No preheating of the machine is required – simply switch on and go.
- A competitive price compared to other premium automatic coffee machines on the market
Cons
- The double shot espresso setting brews a larger, slightly less concentrated shot than we are used to seeing with Australian machines
- The frother takes longer than my current machine and the milk was lacking in all important micro-foam, so no latte art here (for now)
- Pros might want to switch to manual milk frothing mode for a silkier milk product
- The crema in the espresso shot was a little thin, but with some time spent playing with the settings, there is likely to be a fix that works for you
What’s so special about the Ninja Luxe Café?
The innovative appliance leader’s long-awaited debut in automatic coffee machines demystifies coffee, guiding you step by step through the entire brewing process.
- Barista Assist Technology™ that recommends real-time adjustments for the perfect brew.
- The Automatic Dual Froth System offers four types of frothiness and suits both dairy and plant-based milk
- A generous 2-year warranty for any mishaps that may happen along the way
What the Ninja Luxe Café comes with
- Ninja Luxe™ Café Premier Espresso Machine
- Portafilter
- Milk jug with integrated whisk
- Single shot espresso basket
- Double shot espresso basket
- Luxe espresso basket
- Assisted tamper
- Funnel
- Cleaning brush with steam wand cleaning tool
- Cleaning disc
- Cleaning tablets
- Descaling powder
- Hard water testing kit
- Water filter insert
- Water filter housing
How to use Ninja Luxe Café
Step 1: Insert the portafilter with espresso basket into the grinder. The machine will make a grind size recommendation that has been calibrated to your specific beans. Hit grind and, once complete, remove the portafilter and manually tamp the beans with the assisted tamper.
Step 2: Move the portafilter to the group head (where the espresso is brewed) and place a coffee cup underneath. Select the coffee you would like to brew (espresso, quad, long black, or cold press; single, double or luxe shot; and the concentration of coffee) using the dials and buttons. Hit start brew.
Step 3: Meanwhile, pour milk into your jug up to the relevant fill line and place it under the steam wand. Use the dials to select the amount of froth you would like, from a little froth, to normal froth, extra froth or cold foam, and whether it’s dairy or plant-based milk. Hit start froth and the machine will steam the milk once the coffee has completed brewing.
Step 4: Pour your frothed milk into your coffee shot and – if you’re fancy – pour it with a little wiggle for presentation.
Results from our test
The product is sleek, stylish, and comes in four shades: stainless steel, gunmetal, midnight black, and cyberspace. It stands proud on your counter top, and is certainly well-priced compared to other coffee machines on the market. It is also a similar size to other machines, at 32cm x 37 x 34cm. So for us, it all came down to the quality and taste of the coffee itself.
Easy brewing, customisable grind settings, automatic milk frothing and an auto purge – what’s not to love? We can appreciate that an automatic steamer that makes perfectly silky frothed milk is a rarity, so if you’re someone who cares about that, you would likely prefer a manual machine. But the convenience of grind size recommendations and automatic weight-based adaptive brewing is something we just can’t look past.
It’s a very solid machine that you’re unlikely to regret purchasing, but take it from us (and our disrupted sleep schedules), you don’t need to test every setting in one day…
Overall, is the Ninja Luxe Café worth it?
After a thorough and highly comprehensive test by me and my fellow coffee-obsessed colleagues, we can honestly say it’s worth it if you value convenience and simplicity. However, if you prefer ultimate control, this automatic coffee machine may not be the one for you.
What is the difference between Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier and Pro?
There are a few key differences between the Luxe and the Pro. The Pro offers a built-in tamper rather than tamping it by hand, nine additional espresso presets including lungo and ristretto, an extra-large jug for making more coffees at once, and a slightly higher price point. There’s no word on whether the Pro will be launching in Australia, but we’re pretty happy with the Luxe Cafe Premier.
Where to buy the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier retails for $999.99, but you can find it slightly discounted with these retailers:
- Ninja, $799.99
- The Good Guys, $799
