As a coffee maker and espresso machine reviewer, I’ve tested all of Ninja's offerings: the Ninja Hot & Cold Iced XL Coffee Maker with Rapid Cold Brew, the Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee Maker, and the Ninja Espresso & Coffee Barista System. While the first two brewed various drip coffee types and sizes, the third one used to be my favorite because it made both espresso and coffee drinks—and it could use both capsules and coffee grounds.
But the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Series Espresso Machine, Drip, and Cold Brew Coffee Maker are now my new favorite Ninja - and the best model in the series. It costs twice – and even three times - as much as the other models. However, I do think it’s priced competitively with other machines I’ve tested that have built-in grinders and can make drip coffee, cold brew, and espresso, like the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, and many of Breville’s espresso machines.
I wanted to see how it compared to the best espresso machines in design and performance.
Terri is a freelance writer living in Birmingham, AL. She has tested hundreds of products, including kitchen appliances, vacuums, bedding, furniture, luggage, and tech gear. Terri has bylines at Architectural Digest, Forbes, Popular Science, CNN Underscored, NBC News Select, The Daily Beast, USA Today, US News & World Report, Tech Radar, Homes & Gardens, and Tom's Guide. Follow her adventures @Territoryone.
Terri drinks (decaf) coffee daily and tested the Ninja Luxe Café on and off for around six weeks, evaluating design, user-friendliness, flavor, consistency, and ease of cleaning. She was allowed to keep it for ongoing use.
Ninja Luxe Café: Key Specs
| Type | Semi-automatic |
| Pump Pressure | 9 bars |
| Grinder Type | Blade |
| Water Reservoir Size | 70 ounces |
| Dimensions | H14.6 x W13.6 x D13.2 inches |
Ninja Luxe Café: Price & Availability
The Ninja Luxe Cafe is available on Amazon for $499 at publication. The price is also $499 on the Ninja website and $449 at BestBuy. While it’s certainly not a budget option, the Ninja Luxe Cafe is competitively priced and a good value for the money. A built-in grinder, automatic frother, and the ability to make drip coffee, espresso drinks, and cold brew beverages make this a worthwhile investment.
Ninja Luxe Café: Setup
The Ninja Luxe Cafe arrived inside a branded Ninja Luxe Café box in a brown cardboard box. The box was securely packaged to keep the contents secure during shipping. Molded Styrofoam surrounded the machine inside the box, and there were also compartments for the various accessories and parts. In addition, the machine was wrapped in plastic to protect it from scratches.
The accessories box includes the double basket, luxe basket, portafilter, funnel, assisted tamper, and milk jug. Note that no single basket is included. Initially, I thought it was mistakenly left out. However, the manual states, “Single Basket not available on all machines.” This wasn’t necessarily a problem for me since I tend to drink double shots and drip coffee. However, it should be pointed out if you want to use single baskets. Also, since the baskets have a unique design, you can’t just swap out a single basket from another espresso machine.
The cleaning accessories, including the cleaning disc, brush, cleaning tablets, descaling powder, and water hardness test strip, are in a separate box. Ninja also includes safety instructions, a quick start guide, and a recipe booklet.
After removing the parts and accessories, I hand-washed them and used the test strip to measure the water hardness. I then filled the water reservoir and performed a water flush to prepare the machine for brewing and flush out any debris.
Ninja Luxe Café: Design
The Ninja Luxe Café is incredibly well-designed. Some espresso machines can be big and bulky, but this one, which has a stainless-steel finish with black accents and trim, is stream-lined and quite functional. For example, on the left side of the espresso maker is a built-in compartment for the tamper and another for the funnel. On the machine’s right side is a compartment labeled Accessory Storage, and this hidden space holds the double basket, luxe basket, cleaning brush, and cleaning disk. These small details make it easy to track items and keep them out of the way when not in use, resulting in a cleaner appearance.
The generous water reservoir is removable, which is always a favorite feature because it makes filling, removing, and cleaning much easier. The reservoir also has convenient and easy-to-read water level indicators (minimum, 18 oz, descale, and max).
The bean hopper is also removable and has a handle, making it easy to clean. The integrated, conical burr grinder has 25 settings, and there’s also a built-in scale. Based on my beverage selection, the Barista Assist Technology recommends the appropriate grind size, provides weight-based dosing, and automatically adjusts the temperature and pressure.
The Ninja Luxe Café is also incredibly intuitive. The control panel is loaded with selections to choose from. The control panel is divided into three sections. The left section is the grind control area, including the current, recommended grind, and brew temperature control. The middle section consists of espresso options on the left (espresso, quad, cold-pressed) and coffee settings on the right (classic, rich, over ice, cold brew). This section also has volume selections: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 ounces. On the right side are the froth options. This is where I would select steamed milk, thin frost, thick froth, and cold foam.
Ninja Luxe Café: Performance
I can choose from three brewing temperatures: low, medium, and high. The temperature is usually low or medium for dark roasts and medium or high for light roasts. This month, I’ve been using Partners Ghost Town Decaf Whole Beans, Café Grumpy Decaf Peru Whole Beans, Free Rein American Dirt Ground Coffee, Proper Hazelnut Syrup, and Nestle Coffee-Mate Creamer as I’m testing.
In the photo above, you can see that the grind setting is currently at 11, but based on my drink selection, it’s recommended that it be set to 25. There’s a dial on the left side to adjust the grind size. I can also adjust the brew temperature, choose a mug size for my classic coffee, and choose my froth level.
The bean hopper has a handle. It can be removed by rotating the handle counterclockwise and locked into place by turning the handle clockwise.
The funnel sits atop the portafilter and makes it easier to grind coffee without making a mess.
My first test was to make a double espresso. (Don’t forget it doesn’t come with a single basket). After pouring coffee beans into the hopper, I inserted the portafilter with the double espresso basket (and securely inserted the funnel on top). I selected my desired drink and followed the onscreen directions to adjust it to the current grind size. For example, the recommended grind size for a double espresso is 3; for quad, it’s 18; and for classic coffee, it’s 25. Then I pressed the start grind button.
A few seconds later, I removed the assisted tamper from the side of the machine and began tamping (with the funnel in place to keep my countertop neat and clean).
The next step was to remove the funnel and place the portafilter in the group head. Then, I placed a cup under the group head and pressed the brew start button.
Sometimes, I forget to use the adjustable cup tray to lift the smaller cups, so you may see some coffee splattering.
I was impressed with the crema layer on the top and took a sip to see if it tasted as good as it looked. It was full-bodied, with no bitterness. This would be a good place to note that while I liked the Ninja Espresso & Coffee Barista System, I was never really impressed with the quality of the espresso drinks. However, it was never a big deal since I used that machine primarily for coffee.
However, the Ninja Luxe's espresso is significantly better, and with this model, the company has perfected the coffee maker/espresso combo.
For my next test, I made drip coffee. It’s the same process, except I’m selecting from the coffee side of the middle panel. Since I’m a drip coffee lover (and an espresso liker) and have always been impressed with Ninja’s coffee, I crossed my fingers that the company hadn’t sacrificed great coffee in pursuit of great espresso.
I was not disappointed. The coffee was rich and strong, and I could taste the smoothness and earthy notes.
I also made cold drinks but didn’t drink them because my taste buds are not agreeable to such things. However, I chose the ice and cold brew options just to test the performance. Based on appearance, they seemed to come out quite well.
Testing the frother was sheer joy. There’s an integrated steam wand, and the stainless steel milk jug has an integrated whisk. I made steamed milk for coffee, thin foam for lattes, thick froth for cappuccinos, and cold froth for espresso drinks. I only drink dairy milk, but plant-based milk can also be used. All these selections are on the control panel and easy to select. The best part was that the milk froths automatically, so I never had to stand there and hold anything (although there is an option for manual frothing). The steamed or frothed milk was delicious on each set – especially on the thick froth option.
I love the intelligent notifications on the control panel. For example, once, I forgot to install the funnel on the portafilter, and the onboard alert flashed “Install Funnel” in red to remind me. Other alerts include adding beans, adding water, installing the portafilter, installing the hopper, installing the jug, purging, cleaning, and descaling.
There’s also a progress bar on the control panel to let me know how much time remains. I’d prefer an actual timer, but the five bars are sufficient to let me know which phase the machine is in. Soundproof experts say the noise level is around 64.1dB when grinding (comparable to a refrigerator) and 54.7dB when brewing coffee, which is a little louder than moderate rainfall.
Cleaning is what you’d expect with an espresso machine. After each use, the portafilter is removed, and the grounds are disposed of. Then, the portafilter and basket are hand-washed. When the steam wand is in the down position, it automatically purges any milk out. On a routine basis, the drip tray is emptied and cleaned. The descaler alert comes on when running a descale cycle is time. When running a clean cycle to flush out residual oils and coffee grounds is time, the clean cycle alert comes on.
Ninja Luxe Café: User reviews
On the Ninja website, the Ninja Luxe Café has 183 reviews with a 4.6 rating. Many reviewers said they enjoyed grinding and making coffee and espresso at home. Others were impressed at all of the functions available at that price point. One reviewer thought the appliance felt cheap. On Amazon, there are 12 ratings with a 4.2 score. Again, some buyers were excited that they could purchase such a functional appliance to use at home. Others liked that there was no learning curve. One person said the grinder jammed, and another lamented that there was a steam/froth option but not a hot water option.
Would I buy the Ninja Luxe Café?
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | seems to handle pressure well, producing a good crema layer on espresso; assisted tamper and adjustable grind size | 8/10 |
| Temperature Stability | ability to choose from three brewing temperatures (low, medium, high) | 9/10 |
| Extraction Time | clear instructions and settings for different types of coffee; progress bar on the control panel helps monitor the process | 8/10 |
| Foaming | integrated steam wand and automatic frothing feature; ability to froth both dairy and plant-based milk | 9/10 |
Buy it if
Don't buy it if
How does the Ninja Luxe Café compare?
I was highly impressed with the Ninja Luxe Café due to its beautiful and functional design and its many conveniences. However, my favorite remains the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, which has a built-in grinder and adjustable dosing ranges. It also has a pressure gauge. The machine makes coffee, Americano, espresso, latte, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and hot water for tea or hot chocolate. Plus, the dual milk system lets me use the automatic LatteCrema system or manually use the latte art option (although I never do). At almost $1,000 (almost $1,200 at some retailers), it’s a high-end machine at a high price but looks like something you’d see at your local coffee house.
The KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine is closer in price and build to the Ninja Luxe Café, though it is slightly more expensive. However, it also has four filter baskets, and a pressure gauge, along with adjustable temperatures, a burr grinder, a steam wand, and a pitcher. The KitchenAid is also available in various colors, including Candy Apple Red, Juniper, Porcelain White, Cast Iron Black, and Brushed Stainless Steel.
How I tested the Ninja Luxe Café
I tested the Ninja Luxe Café in my home for six weeks. Typically, I made at least one beverage a day—sometimes coffee and sometimes espresso drinks. I also used various froth varieties. Aside from testing for design and product durability, I also measured performance and noise levels and noted the cleaning process.
