Ninja Luxe Café Premier Full Review

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Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Box


Luxe Cafe Machine


Tamper: Pillar Design


Comparing the Luxe Cafe to Oracle Jet


Chromed Brass?


Brew Over Ice Mode


The Ninja Luxe Cafe, Ready to Brew


Dosing Collar Storage


Double Filter


Storage Door


Deep Grouphead


Barista Assist


350g of Coffee


Drip Tray Assembly Removed


Bean Shut Off Control


Low Water Sensor


Don’t Do This


Well Made Burrs


Pitcher in Place


Removable Whisk


Cup Warmer Tray


Reservoir Markings


Left Side of the Panel


Documentation


Side Panel


Machine Revealed


Shut Off Latch


Steam Arm


Plastic Removed


Ninja Luxe Cafe Starter Kit


Fully Dialed In


First Shots with the Luxe Cafe


Second Tray


Testing the Machine


Luxe Cafe Machine


The Portafilter


Luxe Basket


Can’t Brew Into Two Cups


Tray with metal cover removed.


Shut Off System


Removable Reservoir


The Machine Removed


Cleaning Brush


Drink Suggestions


Dialed in Shots


Dosing Collar


Tamper Home


The Luxe Cafe Machine

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NotableFeatures

Let’s be real for a second: Ninja is a company with infomercial DNA. Their parent company, Shark, cut their teeth selling vacuums to insomniacs on late-night TV, and that heritage still exists in the Luxe Café Premier (ES601). The box practically screams “As Seen on TV.” It is covered in splashy graphics, bold claims, and enough reading material printed right on the cardboard that you could probably skip the manual entirely (sidenote: don’t; always RTFM). It is loud, it is busy, but hey, you definitely know what you just bought.

The Premier version of the Ninja Luxe Cafe

The front of the Ninja Luxe Cafe box.

One of the side panels, detailing everything the machine can do.

The other side panel, showing various drink builds.

But here is where I have to get grumpy. We take sustainability seriously at CoffeeGeek. The machine is packed in a mountain of polystyrene. Styrofoam, people! In this day and age. If Breville can ship the massive Oracle Jet in fancy molded cardboard and Rancilio can go plastic-free, surely Ninja can figure it out. Come on, Shark folks: read the room. Make an environmental statement and be a leader, not a landfill filler.

After removing the paperwork, you’ll find a chromed metal cup tray, and the Luxe Café Starter Kit nestled in styrofoam. Once those are removed, the machine itself is revealed all wrapped in a plastic bag.

The top of the box for the Luxe Cafe Premiere machine, which shows a lot of the things the side of the box does.

Opening the lid reveals some of the drinks you can make with the machine.

First look inside reveals styrofoam, and a lot of paperwork and parts

The Quick Start Guide is a must read, and well laid out for getting the machine fired up

The second cup tray grid, starter kit and power cord are slotted into the top styrofoam.

The elevated cup tray is very heavy and a chromed type of metal.

The main machine revealed once the top styrofoam is removed.

Ninja did reduce the styrofoam somewhat, by using these corner stays made of cardboard.

The machine sits on another layer of styrofoam.

The machine and all the parts, removed from the box.

Inside the starter kit, you get the portafilter (we will get to that unique bit later), a standard double basket, and their massive “Luxe” basket. Thankfully, neither are pressurized, which is a great sign. You also get a surprisingly decent click-pillar tamper, the mandatory dosing collar, and the usual cleaning suspects like a brush and blind filter. Gratefully missing? That useless plastic double-scoop spoon most cheap machines include. We definitely don’t miss it.

The starter kit that comes with the Luxe Cafe espresso machine

Starter Kit insert details what comes with the machine.

Inside you’ll find the portafilter, Luxe basket, tamper, dosing collar, and the cleaning and maintenance kit.

This scan code brings you to the starter page online for the Luxe Cafe, including setup videos.

Digging the machine out, there is another box, holding the milk pitcher, tucked under the grouphead. This thing has a magnetic whisk in the bottom, so don’t lose that. Then comes the ritual of peeling off about a mile of blue tape securing everything. Once it is naked, the Luxe Café actually looks pretty good. It has real brushed steel plates where it counts, specifically on the front, top, and sides, balanced out by some high-quality dark grey plastic. It doesn’t look like a toy, which is a relief.

Let’s now look at the machine in more detail.

Machine, Top to Bottom

There’s a lot to cover with the Ninja Luxe Café, but I’ll let our photos speak for themselves, aside from the detail we get into with the control panel.

At the top, you’ll find the bean hopper for the grinder, a cup warmer, and the lid for the removable reservoir. The grinder hopper low-profile design is a nice touch, making it more under-counter friendly. The cup warmer is large and features a brushed stainless steel ridged plate.

The reservoir holds 2 litres of water and has a low water sensor (something missing from the Breville Barista Express). However, it lacks a built-in water filter, which is surprising since all espresso machines should have one, and it would be a long-term profit opportunity for Ninja to sell replacement filters to owners.

The cup warmer tray does indeed get warm and holds a fair amount of cups.

The bean hopper lid is also low profile and seals pretty tight to help keep beans from going stale.

Inside the hopper is a lever to shut off the flow of beans to the grinder.

The reservoir lid is flush with the cup tray level, and easy to remove and access.

The reservoir level and markings are easy to read and view from the front side of the machine.

The reservoir is removable, and holds 2L of water.

The Ninja Luxe has a low water sensor, but no water filter system.

Moving down the front of the machine, you come upon the Luxe Café’s rather busy control panel, which has many LEDs and indicators. While it lacks a fancy OLED screen, it makes up for it with plenty of bright lights and number readouts. It might look a bit intimidating at first, but trust me, it becomes second nature after using it for a week. The top half is sleek glossy black glass, while the bottom half gets down to business with brushed steel buttons and knobs.

The panel is split into three distinct zones. The left side primarily runs the grinder show, and also includes options for espresso temperature (you get three choices) and the descale button. It displays your current grind setting and even recommends where you should be based on your drink choice. It also helpfully nags you to tamp the coffee after grinding, whether for espresso or the larger 16 to 18oz brewed coffee drinks.

The middle section is mission control for drink selection. A central dial lets you scroll through options like espresso, quad shot, cold pressed espresso, and the various hot and cold coffee brewing methods. The machine tells you exactly which basket to swap in and lets you pick a brew size from 6 to 18 fl. oz with a button push. If you long press that size button, you access the advanced menu, which you can read about in the manual if you are feeling brave (or read on in this review).

The right side is all about the milk. You get four main options: no froth, low, high, and cold froth. “No froth” is what you use for manual steaming since it kills the spinning whisk mode, while cold froth uses no steam at all, just the magnetic whisk spinning away. You also have controls to tell the machine if you are using dairy or plant-based milk, foam type selectors, a clean button, and a purge button to blast the wand before use.

The reside of the display panel (unpowered) showing options for brewing and milk operation

The left side is where the grinding choice and drink temperatures are made.

The initial barista guidance is for “12” on the grinder; which I always wonder: what kind of coffee were they using to require this coarse a grind?

Here’s what you see on the panel if you are low on water in the reservoir.

Though the panel isn’t OLED or anything super fancy, various text and iconic indicators light up depending on your modes and choices.

The “barista assist” system in operation: it times the shot pulled and if it runs too fast, recommends a finer grind setting.

One thing I learned quick: don’t use grind settings of 12 or so for brewed coffee options. It will stall out the group. But 25 is way too coarse, too.

There is a removable sticker on the right side of the machine with the most common drink build recipes. I’ve left ours on.

Continuing down the machine, you reach the main “business” area: the grinder doser, grouphead brewing area, and steaming platform.

The grinder only works with Ninja’s dosing collar; if you insert the portafilter into the grinder cradle without it, the machine won’t operate and alerts you on the display. The doser cradle includes a built-in scale, which Ninja markets as “Grind by Weight,” though our testing suggests it is actually an Adaptive Time Based Dosing (non official name) system that weighs the output post-grind to calibrate the next shot’s timer.

The grinder and burr assembly resemble the Barista Express, though there are differences. It features a removable conical top burr but cannot be micro-adjusted like Breville grinders. The grinder is fast, and the removable hopper holds up to 12 oz of coffee (350g). It features a bean shut-off system that allows you to remove a half full hopper without spilling beans everywhere.

The Luxe Cafe Bean Hopper can shut off the flow of beans for easy removal of the entire hopper.

Looks similar to the Breville grinder espresso machines, but doesn’t have the micro adjust.

the 39mm burr set looks fantastic, and is easily removed for deep cleaning.

The shut off system for the hopper.

The bean hopper can hold a full 12oz / 350g of coffee, no problem.

The cradle you insert the portafilter into. If you do not have the dosing collar attached, the machine won’t grind, and will warn you on the front panel.

Another unique element of the Luxe Café is the grouphead and portafilter. The 53mm chromed brass portafilter is extremely deep with two spouts cast into its design. Why it has two spouts is remains a mystery, because you cannot fit two espresso (or larger) cups on the elevated or base drip trays. The handle is weighted, featuring a metal Ninja logo at the end cap. While it shares the triple bayonet design of Breville’s 54mm portafilters, they aren’t compatible due to the recessed grouphead designed for the deeper portafilter.

Ninja’s filter baskets are also incompatible with standard 54mm Breville baskets or aftermarket baskets made for Breville machines. The Luxe Café baskets feature rubber insets, fitting only one way into the portafilter. The machine includes two baskets: a standard double basket for up to 18g of coffee and an extra deep “Luxe” basket, holding up to 45g. Thankfully, neither are pressurized. Also thankfully, Ninja sells replacements for these on their website at decent prices.

The very unique, and very deep portafilter for the Luxe Cafe

Here’s why any Breville aftermarket 54mm PF won’t fit on the Luxe Cafe: the deeply recessed grouphead design.

Very essential: you cannot use the grinder without it. It’s all plastic, and a possible failure point.

Sure seems like chromed brass, but Ninja have not confirmed this.

The double filter in place. Note the rubber collar on the filter basket that only fits one way in the portafilter. I suspect the machine “reads” this type, and knows which basket you are using.

The Luxe (deep) basket, also note the rubber collar.

The double basket is similar to the Breville doubles, but has the rubber collar.

The Luxe Cafe double basket (on the right) compared to the Breville double basket on the left.

The unique Luxe Basket, which can hold over 40g of coffee.

This deep basket is used for brewed coffee modes, and for the quad shot. It’s something Breville can’t touch.

Both baskets are “standard”, with no pressurizing tricks.

The luxe cafe tamper, from the top.

And there’s still more unique design choices to explore on the Luxe Café: its dual cup tray designs. A removable “mini” tray fits into the main drip tray. This allows the machine to accommodate large 18-20oz insulated cups by removing the mini tray and placing the cup directly on the counter. Since the Luxe Café uses a 3-way solenoid valve to release pressurized water after a shot, the main drip tray catches this purge water even when the mini tray is removed.

The second removable cup tray, made of thick metal, can be slotted into one of three positions, allowing you to move your espresso cup closer to the two spouts (again, why does this machine have dual spouts?).

The drip tray in place, on the Luxe Cafe Machine

The removable, elevated second cup tray. It can also be slotted into place to be level with the bottom tray.

The removable mini or “satellite” drip tray.

There’s not enough room to place two cups to brew in. So why does the PF have two spouts?

Even trying to angle the cups results in some espresso spilling outside the cups.

On the right side of the business area is the milk station with a cradle for the Ninja Luxe Café pitcher. It includes a temperature sensor, a purge hole directing steam wand water to the drip tray, and a hidden magnetic stirrer to spin the frothing whisk inside Ninja’s steam pitcher at different speeds.

The pitcher has markings for milk levels, and the frothing whisk is easily removable due to its magnetic attachment.

The custom milk pitcher for the Luxe Cafe

The magnetically held spinning whisk in the bottom of the steam pitcher.

The Luxe Cafe’s pitcher, in place.

The steam pitcher base houses a temperature probe, and a magnetic stirrer that runs at two speeds.

The steam arm can also be used manually, but only pulls straight out from the machine: it cannot be angled to the side.

the spinning vortex action on milk when making foam milk on the Luxe Cafe

On the left of the machine is the grind adjustment dial and slots for the tamper and dosing collar. More innovation can be found in the grinder adjustment settings: as long as the portafilter and doser collar are in the grinder cradle, each click finer you set on the grinder activates the motor for milliseconds, to purge some grinds and prevent damage to the burr carrier. We thought this was brilliant when we first saw it, and it remains so today (and something no other grinder maker or company making combi machines has duplicated).

You can also further purge the grinder of any left over grinds by pressing and holding the front mounted grinder button.

The tamper is a pillar design, and has a click effect with about 30lb of pressure applied. It is designed to work with the dosing collar, and using both ensures a very level pack on the ground coffee. Users have found that giving the portafilter a quick horizontal shake (our buddy Coffee Kev calls it the “Ninja Shake”) before removing the collar helps settle the fluffy mound of coffee and prevents spills.

The Luxe Cafe tamper isn’t cheap or a toy: it’s good weight, is a “click” tamper, and works with the dosing collar for a perfect level tamp.

Storage slots for tamper and dosing collar. I though the dosing collar had to be screwed in, but nope, just clicks into place.

A slot on the left side of the machine is the home for the tamper when not being used.

Just push the dosing collar into place, and it clicks, and is held securely.

The adjustment dial. When the PF and cradle are in place, the grinder runs for a few milliseconds with each click finer.

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier model is smaller in real life than it looks in photographs; at least that was my initial impression. It sits just 37cm tall (14.5”), and will have no problem sitting under most kitchen cabinets. It is 34cm wide (13.25”) but you need a bit more clearance on the side for the tamper and dosing collar storage. Back to front it is just 33cm (over a foot at 13”).

The machine weighs 12.5kg (around 25lb). It runs at a full 1650W when doing everything, but my initial tests with a Kill-a-Watt meter show it manages that power well and is pretty efficient, drawing low power most of the time. The cord is 1m long, which to me is a perfect length for most kitchens, but some might find it too short.

Lastly, the warranty is one year, though there are options to extend that if you buy directly from the manufacturer.

Technical Specifications

If you are a tech specs geek, here are the full main specifications for the Ninja Luxe Café Premier, ES601 Model.

Before pulling a single shot, there are a few ground rules the Ninja Luxe Café Premier imposes on you. First, it simply won’t let you grind into the portafilter unless you attach the dosing collar stored on the side of the machine. The display will nag you until you comply. Second, you have very little “play” regarding your dose. The machine is programmed to grind approximately 17.5g to 18g of coffee for every double shot, and you cannot easily change this variable.

In our First Look, we speculated that the grinder wasn’t actually “Grind by Weight” as marketed, but rather a smart timer system. After extensive testing, we are confident this is an Adaptive Time Based Dosing system. The scale measures the finished weight of the coffee to judge the next dose. If a dose comes up light, the machine adjusts the timer for the next grind to run longer. It works well enough once dialed in, but don’t expect it to catch a sudden change in bean density instantly. We cover the pros and cons of this system in the Extended Use section below.

Back to the operation: the machine is delightfully fast. It requires almost no preheating time to brew its first shot of the day. There is no 15-minute wait and no need to run blank shots to warm up the grouphead. The machine runs its own active preheating routine immediately after you grind coffee. It is not an “instant on, instant work” system like the Thermojet-equipped Breville Bambino Plus or Oracle Jet, but it is faster than the cold-start performance of many more expensive thermoblock machines we’ve tested. The machine does have a roughly 30 to 45 second “preheating” mode to go through once you set up your first shot of the day and have ground your coffee. Follow up shot pulls happen much quicker.

Before diving into the initial critical tasting, I seasoned the grinder with about 3kg of stale coffee gifted by a local roaster. The Ninja handled the volume like a champ, though it did get confused when I was just grinding and dumping without brewing. I had to power cycle the machine occasionally to reset its internal logic, which expects a brew cycle to follow every grind.

Once seasoned, I loaded up our excellent standard lab coffee, Social Coffee’s People’s Daily Bump blend. The machine suggested a grind setting of “12”. Based on experience, I ignored this and set it to “8”. I kept all other parameters at factory stock.

The first shot ran fast, and the “Barista Assist” feature immediately chimed in, suggesting I go finer. I adjusted down to “5”, purged the grinder, and pulled again. The result was a 1:2.5 ratio shot that was tasty, fine, and solid. It was a 3-star shot out of 5; not bad at all, though perhaps a tad sour.

I dialed the grinder down to “4” and increased the brew temperature via the front panel. The next shot was significantly better. Good volume, great crema, and no sour notes. I would rate it a 3.5 to 3.75 star shot. Repeated pulls yielded near-identical results, proving the machine’s consistency.

Right out of the gate, the Ninja Luxe Café produces a better shot of espresso than a cold-start, thermojet-equipped Breville machine. Because the Ninja manages its own thermal stability during that post-grind pause, you avoid the sour, tepid shots common with other rapid-heat machines that haven’t been manually pre-heated. Of course, once a Thermojet equipped machine like the Oracle Jet or Bambino Plus are fully up to temperatures, they can and will produce better shots of espresso in seasoned hands.

This raises a point: experienced home baristas might find the ceiling is lower here with the Ninja, when compared to a Breville Barista Express or Infuser. In the hands of a skilled user, those machines can deliver a better cup, but they require much more “crafted input.” The Ninja delivers a “very good” shot with almost zero effort.

One immediate disappointment during this first session was the lack of hot water. I looked for a way to dispense water for an Americano or just to preheat a ceramic cup, and found nothing. It is a baffling omission for a machine that claims to be a “swiss-army knife” of coffee. We discuss this frustration in more detail in the The Overall Good and Bad subsection below.

Living with the Ninja Luxe Café Premier is a mix of happy surprises and specific, daily frustrations. This is a machine that tries to be everything to everyone, and for the most part, it succeeds, provided you are willing to accept a few compromises.

Let’s get the annoyances out of the way first. The machine is loud. The milk frothing emits a high-pitched screech that could wake the dead, especially when doing hotter milk settings or using the “Thick Froth” mode. It settles down once the air is incorporated, but that initial shriek is jarring. If you have a sleeping baby or a light-sleeping partner, you might find yourself using the manual steam mode just to control the volume.

Second, this machine is thirsty. It feels like for every cup of coffee you drink, the machine drinks one too. It frequently auto-purges the steam wand and thermoblock, dumping water into that deep drip tray. You will find yourself emptying the tray and refilling the 2L tank far more often than you expect. This is the price of the “Auto-Purge” system that keeps the wand and internals clean, but it is a maintenance reality you must accept.

A specific gripe for the US and Canada model (ES601) is the lack of a hot water dispenser. If you are an Americano drinker, you are out of luck unless you use a separate kettle or run blank shots, which is messy, inaccurate, and can lead to stray grinds in your hot water. The EU model has this feature, but we didn’t get it. This is a baffling omission for a machine that claims to be a complete café solution.

How the Ninja Luxe Café Handles Milk

On the subject of milk production with this machine, Ninja have executed a very neat and unique solution. At first you might think what they got going on is a clone of sorts of what Breville does on their Oracle and Touch lines of machines. But nope, Ninja found their own solutions. A magnetically spinning whisk tied in with traditional steam wand (with airflow that adjusts), and a temperature sensor to get the milk more or less right.

The automated results are a bit of a mixed bag out of the box. The system prioritizes stiff, dense foam over the silky microfoam we usually aim for. We also found the factory temperature settings to be aggressively hot, often hitting 75°C (167°F). At that temperature, the natural sweetness of the lactose breaks down and you risk a scalded taste.

We strongly recommend diving into the Advanced Menu (accessible by long-pressing the Size button) to lower the target temperature to the “Low” setting. This brings the finish closer to a sweeter, more palatable 60°C to 65°C range that specialty coffee demands. The machine’s instruction manual covers how to do this.

For those wanting true latte art quality milk, you might want to bypass the automation entirely. The machine actually hides a fully manual steam mode that ignores the sensors and whisk logic. Select ‘No Froth’ on the dial, and hold the “Start Froth” button for three seconds; this will engage continuous manual steam. We found the best results came from setting the Ninja pitcher aside and using a standard 12oz stainless steel barista pitcher. With some practice, you can roll the milk manually to create that elusive wet paint texture the automated whisk struggles to replicate.

The automation does shine for pure volume and convenience, however, and if I’m honest, at the mid foam levels, does an admirable job hands off. The magnetic whisk spins at varying speeds to incorporate air while the steam heats the liquid. It creates thick, slightly silky foam that is perfect for “dry cappuccinos” but also pourable enough for some basic latte art.

Finally, we have to talk about the milk workflow, specifically the “Queue Milk” feature. This is pure genius for a lazy morning. You set up your shot, prep that milk pitcher with the magnetic whisk, select your foam level, and hit start. You press “Brew” first for the coffee and “Start” for the milk immediately after. The machine brews your shot, and the second the pump stops, the steam system fires up, and after a few seconds, the steam wand and whisk both kick in automatically. You can literally walk away to grab a pastry. It handles the difficult coordination of timing your milk and espresso perfectly, even if it “screams” at you while doing it.

The Drink Building Process: Robot included

Using the Luxe Café feels less like operating a traditional espresso machine at times and more like collaborating with a slightly bossy robot. It starts with that big central dial. Let’s say you want a simple double espresso. You rotate the knob to “Espresso,” and the machine immediately wakes up, telling you exactly which basket to load (the standard double) and lighting up the grind setting it thinks you should use. If you have the “Luxe” basket in there from your morning cold brew, the machine will actually scold you, politely, on the LED readout, to swap it out.

Once your portafilter is loaded, attaching the dosing funnel isn’t optional; the machine demands it physically and digitally. You slide the whole assembly into the grinder cradle, press start, and endure the whine of the motor. It dispenses what it thinks is 18 grams of coffee, though it is likely timing this based on previous results rather than live-weighing every bean.

After the grind, you pull the portafilter out, tamp right through the funnel using the surprisingly solid click-tamper, and lock it into the grouphead. It feels secure, with a reassuring resistance that cheap machines often lack.

The actual espresso output is where Ninja was an initial pleasant surprise. Out of the box, it aims for SCA-level standards, using roughly 18g of coffee to yield about 45g of liquid (a 1:2.5 ratio). You can tweak this to a tighter 1:2 or a looser 1:3 in the menu, but you cannot change the coffee dose itself. Honestly? I am good with that. It removes the variables that mess up most beginners. The shots are consistent, syrupy, and if you use good beans, better than what you get at most chain cafes. It isn’t a machine for wild pressure-profiling experiments, but for a solid morning quality shot? It delivers.

Barista Assist: The Good and The Bad

This entire process is overseen by Ninja’s “Barista Assist” technology, which is essentially a backseat driver for your coffee making. When it works, it is a happy inclusion. It monitors the flow rate and time of your shot. If your espresso gushed out in 15 seconds, the machine knows it was too fast. The next time you go to grind, the display will suggest, or even insist, that you move the grind dial finer by a specific number of clicks. For a beginner who doesn’t understand the relationship between grind size and flow rate, this is an invaluable tutorial. It removes the frustration of “why is my coffee sour?” by giving you a direct mechanical solution.

However, the system has a dark side for experienced users. We found it can sometimes “chase its tail.” If you have a shot that runs just slightly fast, the machine might suggest moving the grinder five steps finer. You do that, and suddenly you choke the machine, getting a 45-second dripper. The machine then panics and tells you to go four steps coarser. You end up oscillating back and forth, wasting coffee. We also found that the “recommendations” are likely calibrated for generic grocery store beans. When using fresh, high-quality specialty coffee, the machine’s logic doesn’t always align with reality. Sometimes you just have to ignore the flashing lights and trust your palate and what you see in the shot visually, which feels rebellious when a robot is telling you you are wrong.

Or better yet, you can dive into the advanced menus, and turn the Barista Assist features off. (there’s two settings to change, the manual has the full details).

Going Off Menu: Quad Shots and Filter Mode

The Luxe Café Premier really flexes its muscles when you move beyond standard espresso. Maybe you are heading out for a hike on the Juan de Fuca trail and need a thermos full of caffeine. That is where the “Quad Shot” mode comes in. You swap in the massive, deep “Luxe” basket, select Quad Shot, and the machine changes its entire personality. It uses a different pre-infusion and pump cadence to push water through that massive puck, delivering about 100ml of espresso in one go. The taste isn’t quite as balanced or sweet as the standard double shot, but it is totally drinkable and saves you the chore of pulling back-to-back shots while your hiking boots are waiting.

I have to admit, I have leaned on this feature more than a few times myself. I enjoy going for, ahem, “spirited drives” in a little two-seater sports car. I found the Quad Shot mode perfect for filling a sleek 350ml Kinto thermos that actually fits in the car’s tiny cupholders. Of course, because this US and Canadian model lacks a hot water spout, I still have to boil a separate kettle to top it up Americano style. It is a bit ridiculous to have a “robot barista” that can’t give you hot water, but it remains an easy, hassle-free way to fuel up for a half day of local tourism.

If you aren’t in the mood for espresso at all, the machine offers two hot filter-style modes: Classic and Rich. These mimic pour-over techniques using low-flow pulses. I mostly rolled with the “Rich” mode, which uses more coffee and adjusts the flow for a stronger cup. A pro-tip: whatever grind setting the machine suggests for these modes (usually 25), ignore it. Go finer, down to 21 or 22. The default is way too coarse and leaves you with a sour cup. Just be warned: the pucks in this mode are a wet, soupy mess to clean up because the machine doesn’t use a solenoid suction on this setting.

I will say this: the brewed coffee modes will have manual pourover purists lifting their noses. But that’s okay: these modes aren’t for them. These brewed coffee modes are meant to entice the Keurig users amongst us to move to something better in just about every way: better quality, better taste, lower operating costs, and way less waste. In that instance, these filter modes are a clear winner.

The Cold Truth: Iced vs. Cold Brew

Then there is the cold stuff. Ninja includes “Brew Over Ice” and a true “Cold Brew” mode. “Brew Over Ice” is basically their take on the Japanese Iced Coffee method (make sure to check out our How To!). It brews hot but concentrated, designed to melt the ice in your cup instantly. It keeps the acidity and bright flavors, but can skew bitter if you aren’t careful. For a 20oz drink, it only dispenses about 9oz (275ml) of hot coffee, expecting the ice to do the rest.

Personally, I am on Team “Cold Brew.” This mode uses reservoir-temperature water and slow pulses to extract coffee without heat. The result is smooth, low-acid, and naturally sweet. A CoffeeGeek hack that other reviewers missed: fill your water tank with ice water before running this mode. It drops the extraction temp even further and makes for a genuinely excellent cold cup.

Oh, did I mention how much I came to absolutely love the machine’s cold froth mode? I literally built new drinks around the fact that this machine produces an icey frothed milk. Even boozy drinks with Kahlua and Baileys. No other machine we’ve tested and used can produce this kind of ice cold, densely foamed milk. Add some sugar to the milk before spinning it up and it is like pourable whipped cream.

The Overall Good and Bad

After months of testing in the CoffeeGeek Lab, we have a clear picture of where this machine leads the class, and stumbles. It is easily the most feature-rich machine under $600 we have ever tested, but that ambition comes with some distinct quirks. We’ve covered most of this already, but here is the concise wrapup of our long-term findings.

The Bad

• The Sonic Assault

  There is no getting around it, this machine is loud. The initial phase of milk steaming produces a high-pitched screech that is genuinely unpleasant. It settles down, but early mornings require a closed kitchen door.

• Fragile Dosing Collar

  This is a major failure point. The plastic dosing funnel, which is mandatory for the machine to operate, feels brittle. We have seen widespread reports of the mounting tabs cracking or snapping off completely after a few months of daily use. Treat this part like glass, or be prepared to hunt for an aftermarket aluminum replacement.

• Water Consumption

  The Luxe Café is incredibly thirsty. Between the pre-infusions, the active heating management, and the aggressive auto-purging of the steam wand, you will be refilling the 2L tank constantly.

• The Americano Omission

  On the US and Canadian model (ES601), the lack of a dedicated hot water dispenser is a baffling miss. You are forced to use a kettle or run blank shots to dilute your espresso, which feels like a step backward for a “do-it-all” station.

• Messy Pucks

  When using the “Rich” or “Classic” filter coffee modes, the lack of a solenoid valve release means the coffee pucks are soupy and wet, requiring a rinse rather than a simple knock to clean.

The Good

• Genuine Innovation

  The “Cold Brew” mode is not a gimmick. Using low-pressure, cool-temp pulses creates a beverage that actually tastes like cold brew, distinct from iced coffee.

• Cold Froth Versatility

  This feature is entirely unique to the Luxe Café line. By adding a bit of sugar to the milk, you can create an instant “whipped cream” topping perfect for capping off cold brew drinks or even elevating your evening cocktails.

• Workflow Magic

  The “Queue Milk” feature is a legitimate game-changer for home workflow. Being able to stack the espresso and milk commands and walk away makes the morning routine significantly smoother.

• Shot Quality

  For a machine that controls the dose and ratio for you, the espresso is surprisingly consistently good. It hits that syrupy, balanced sweet spot more often than not, especially with the 1:2.5 ratio.

• Near Instant On

  The thermoblock system is efficient. The zero-wait time from power-on to brewing is a massive perk compared to traditional boilers.

CoffeeGeek Lab vs. The Internet

We also need to address some reliability issues reported online that we simply did not experience. A common complaint on Reddit is “Grinder Drift,” where the machine eventually forces the user to the finest setting (1) to get a good shot. In our testing of hundreds of shots, our grinder setting remained stable between 5 and 7.

Similarly, we never encountered the dreaded “Add Beans” error loop. We suspect this is because we perform a deep clean of the hopper and sensor area every few weeks. If you treat this machine like a precision tool and keep it clean, it seems to behave like one. If you treat it like a toaster, you might run into trouble.

Breville Barista Express (BES870XL)

This is the machine the Ninja is clearly aiming to dethrone, and why not: The Breville Barista Express (approx $999 CAD / $699 USD) is the world’s best selling espresso machine. The Barista Express feels more “premium” with its stainless steel skin, visible pressure gauge, and uses the standard 54mm accessory ecosystem, meaning you can easily buy upgraded baskets and tampers. It is quieter and feels more like a traditional, analog machine that rewards skill development.

However, the Ninja destroys it on features. The Ninja has Cold Brew, Cold Foam, and a more “hands-off” milk workflow with the “Queue Milk” function. The Breville requires you to manually steam the milk; you have to hold the pitcher and learn the technique yourself. The Breville’s grinder is also older technology with larger grind and timer steps between settings, whereas the Ninja’s guidance system actively helps you dial in.

If you want to learn espresso as a craft and enjoy the manual ritual, buy the Breville. If you want a drink with zero fuss, modern cold drink options, and more variety, the Ninja wins on value and versatility.

De’Longhi La Specialista Arte

Priced similarly to the Ninja, the De’Longhi La Specialista is a much more manual experience. It lacks the sophisticated “assist” features of the Ninja and certainly lacks the Cold Brew tech. The De’Longhi requires more user input for tamping and steaming. While it looks a bit more “classic” on the counter, the Ninja feels a generation ahead in terms of software and user guidance. The De’Longhi is for the person who wants to tinker; the Ninja is for the person who wants the result.

Gaggia Classic Evo Pro + Budget Grinder

For the same $550 spend, you could buy a Gaggia Classic and a hand grinder, or a cheap electric one. That setup will last you 20 years and is fully repairable. The Ninja is an appliance that might last 5-7 years with occasional maintenance. The Gaggia makes better espresso if you have the skills to temperature surf and mod it. The Ninja makes better espresso if you don’t have those skills. It is a trade-off of longevity vs. convenience. The Ninja also offers milk frothing that is arguably easier for a beginner than the Gaggia’s single-hole wand.

Ninja Luxe Café Pro (ES701)

The stiffest competition this machine faces comes directly from its own sibling. The “Pro” model typically costs about $150 more, and honestly, it fixes our biggest gripe with the Premier model because it finally includes hot water functionality. It can dispense hot water and even has an “Auto Americano” feature, though the implementation is a bit janky compared to a dedicated spout. It also adds an integrated “Smart Tamping System” lever on the left side.

While we usually prefer manual tools, the lever fits the target market for this machine perfectly as it simplifies the workflow even further for beginners. Throw in the fact that the Luxe Café Pro includes a single shot basket (missing on the Premier) alongside the double and quad, and the Pro is likely worth the extra cash if you are a daily Americano drinker or want a less involved (yet more accurate) tamping system.

Comparison Chart

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier (ES601) is the machine that forced me to eat my words. I started this review with a “don’t prejudge” note on my whiteboard, fully expecting a plastic toy that made pressurized, fake espresso. I was wrong. This is a legitimate brewing tool that successfully bridges the gap between a kitchen appliance and a hobbyist espresso setup.

It is not perfect. It is loud, it wastes water like a leaky faucet, and the lack of a hot water dispenser on this specific model is a frustrating omission. But we cannot argue with the results in the cup. The espresso is syrupy and properly extracted. The “Queue Milk” workflow is a morning lifesaver. The Cold Brew mode is a genuine innovation that actually works.

For $549, there is simply nothing else on the market that offers this level of technology and cup quality. That is why we are awarding it a very high score of 88.5 out of 100. This score secures the machine a CoffeeGeek Best in Class award for entry-level espresso systems. It redefines what an appliance in this category can be.

The “Pro” Dilemma

However, there is a plot twist. We have also been testing the Ninja Luxe Café Pro (ES701), and spoiler alert: it is going to score even higher. The Pro model fixes our biggest complaints by adding a hot water dispenser, an Americano mode, and a single-shot basket. It also includes an automated tamping lever that simplifies the workflow even further.

So here is the bottom line. If your budget is strictly capped at $550, buy the Premier (ES601). It is the absolute best bang for your buck in the coffee world right now. You will love it.

But, if you can stretch your budget by another $150 to reach the $699 price point for the Pro, wait for that machine. That extra cash buys you the “complete” experience that the Premier just barely misses.

• 9.0
  Design
  A busy but generally logical interface. The magnetic storage and hidden compartments are brilliant, elevating it beyond a typical appliance.
• 9.5
  Usability
  “Queue Milk” is magic. The workflow is incredibly smooth, and automated steps remove almost all frustration for those new to espresso.
• 9.0
  Features
  Cold Brew, Cold Foam, Auto-Purge, and varied espresso ratios. It packs more tech than machines costing three times as much. Would score 10 if it had hot water ability.
• 8.5
  Performance
  Solid 1:2.5 espresso ratios and genuine Cold Brew innovation. The milk texture is good, though the process remains loud.
• 10
  Value vs. Cost
  Unbeatable. You cannot find this feature set, build quality, and performance for $549 anywhere else. Period.
• 8.5
  Quality of Build
  Unexpectedly dense and heavy (9.5kg). The accessories (tamper, baskets) are premium quality, feeling far better than budget standard.
• 8.0
  Service / Warranty
  Standard warranty, but the wide availability of cheap spare parts (baskets, reservoirs) suggests a machine meant to be repaired.
• 9.5
  Included in the Box
  The “Starter Kit” is complete. Two baskets, a heavy tamper, cleaning kit, and specific milk jug. Nothing else to buy.
• 8.0
  Resale Value
  High demand and unique features likely mean this will hold value better than typical kitchen appliances.
• 8.5
  Overall
  The Ninja Luxe Café Premier is a category disruptor. It is not perfect as the noise and water usage are real issues, but it successfully democratizes specialty coffee features that were previously out of reach for this price point. It does exactly what it promises to do.

Where to Buy

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#fullReview #homeEspresso #luxeCafe #ninja #Premier

Café en México evoluciona con tradición y tecnología

El café mexicano fortaleció identidad cultural y nuevas tecnologías redefinieron la experiencia barista.

Por Deyanira Vázquez | Reportera                                        

El café en México representó un legado cultural, social y económico que trascendió generaciones. Desde las montañas de Chiapas hasta las fincas de Veracruz y Oaxaca, la bebida marcó identidad en distintas regiones del país.

Considerado la bebida más consumida en el mundo después del agua, el café adquirió valor simbólico. En México fue sinónimo de hospitalidad, sobremesa y parte esencial de celebraciones familiares.

En las fiestas y reuniones, el café cerró cenas abundantes y acompañó postres tradicionales. Su consumo pasó de lo cotidiano a lo sofisticado, integrando nuevas formas de preparación.

La cultura del café

En la actualidad, la cultura del café en México alcanzó un nivel de refinamiento notable. Se habló de orígenes, procesos de tueste, notas de cata y métodos de extracción.

Equiparado con el vino, el café se convirtió en ritual de estilo de vida y no solo en bebida. Este cambio transformó la manera de consumirlo en las principales ciudades del país.

La tecnología tuvo un papel central al trasladar la experiencia de una barra de especialidad al hogar. El interés por equipos innovadores creció entre consumidores de todas las generaciones.

Innovación en el mercado

En el mercado nacional aparecieron opciones para recrear la experiencia barista en casa. Entre ellas figuró Luxe Café, un sistema con diseño inteligente que integró tres máquinas en una.

El equipo ofreció espresso, café filtrado y cold brew con calibración automática. Su tecnología Barista Assist Technology™ ajustó parámetros para obtener resultados óptimos en cada preparación.

Con molinillo integrado de 25 niveles de molienda, el sistema garantizó precisión en cada taza. El dispositivo permitió explorar desde espressos intensos hasta extracciones delicadas.

Experiencia barista en casa

El sistema incorporó dosificación por peso gracias a su báscula integrada. Este mecanismo ofreció exactitud profesional y reprodujo la experiencia de una cafetería en el hogar.

Los consumidores experimentaron sensaciones cercanas a las de un barista especializado. La posibilidad de calibrar cada preparación amplió la cultura de consumo de café.

La evolución del café mexicano no se limitó al grano heredado por generaciones. También abarcó la sofisticación tecnológica que transformó la manera de beberlo.

Identidad y modernidad

El café, al igual que la cocina mexicana, permaneció en constante evolución. Entre tradición y tecnología, se consolidó como símbolo de identidad y modernidad.

Con propuestas como Luxe Café, se recordó que un buen café fue también un lujo cotidiano. La bebida despertó no solo las mañanas, sino también nuevos sabores y sentidos.

El café en México se reafirmó como patrimonio cultural y motor de innovación tecnológica. Su valor trascendió la taza, convirtiéndose en expresión de estilo de vida. –sn–

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#NoticiasMX #PeriodismoParaTi #atenciónInmediata #barista #baristaEnCasa #café #caféChiapas #caféDeEspecialidad #caféMéxico #caféOaxaca #caféTecnológico #caféVeracruz #Cdmx #consolidándoseComoSímboloDeModernidadYEstiloDeVida_ #consumoDeCaféMéxico #ElCaféEnMéxicoReforzóIdentidadCulturalYSocial #GobiernoFederal #Información #InformaciónMéxico #laBebidaPasóDeTradiciónASofisticación #LuxeCafé #México #mientrasTecnologíasComoLuxeCaféTransformaronLaExperienciaDeConsumoDesdeChiapas #Morena #noticia #noticias #NoticiasMéxico #NoticiasSociedad #SN #Sociedad #SociedadNoticias #SociedadNoticiasCom #sociedadNoticias #SociedadNoticiasCom #VeracruzYOaxaca

Ninja Introduces the Luxe Café Pro Espresso Machine

Last year, Ninja shook up the home espresso world with the launch of the Ninja Café Luxe Premier. It offered a surprising mix of good build quality, solid espresso, and enough features to make some of the more established brands shift uncomfortably in their (previously) comfy zones. All for a price that made Breville and Delonghi execs spill their macchiatos.

Now Ninja is back with new additions to the Luxe Café lineup. A new budget entry machine – the Luxe Café Essential – was introduced in the Canadian market last winter, and the subject of today’s article –  the Luxe Café Pro – is being rolled out this month in North America at a $699 price point. But before we get to the new kid on the block, let’s rewind a bit.

Last fall, at a European coffee trade show, some details quietly slipped out about two new machines. The ES601 – the original Luxe Café Premier – was positioned as the mid-range option. A more basic model, the ES501, would drop about $75 off the price tag by trimming some features. That one quietly landed in Canada not too long ago. On the other end of the spectrum, there was talk of the ES701, the Luxe Café Pro. This one would cost around $150 more than the Premier, and promised to bring a more tricks to the game.

Two of our writers went full caffeine-fuelled sleuth mode and dug up everything they could. They even tracked down the original source of the blurry “spy shots” from the trade show. What they pieced together was intriguing. The Pro would offer hot water on demand for Americanos, tea, or just warming your mug. It would also feature Ninja’s take on Breville’s semi-automated tamping lever, and a third filter basket for single shots, alongside the usual double and quad basket (which Ninja calls the “Luxe” basket)..

Our contact at Ninja Europe didn’t share much, but hinted at a smarter barista assist system and more options for brew volumes and presets would be found in the new ES701 top of the line machine.

We spilled the deets on CoffeeGeek’s social media channels, always stressing what we learned was half speculation, half sleuthing, and offering the caveat that anything and everything could change about the new machine. Now, speculation time is over. We’ve got one of the first Luxe Café Pro machines in North America. Here’s what it offers.

Hot Water Access

Our biggest complaint about the original Luxe Café Premier was the lack of any kind of hot water delivery system. On top of it being a good feature for preheating cups, and having hot water on demand for teas and other hot beverages, it’s a necessity for espresso based drinks like the americano and the misto. 

So good news, the Café Luxe Pro has a dedicated hot water tap that feeds right into the cup tray area. The machine also has a new dedicated americano button for a drink recipe. I haven’t figured out yet if you can program the volume of hot water for that drink, but it’s on the list. All I’ve determined so far is it is a 2:1 ratio of hot water to espresso, depending on the espresso shot volume you select (three espresso / grind coffee ratios are available – 4:1, 2.5:1, and 2:1). 

More Baskets, More Recipes… and Less Recipes

The Pro model comes with a third filter basket: a single basket. This is on top of the uniquely designed double and Luxe (or quad) shot baskets the Premier model initially shipped with. This also opens up more drink recipes and brew choices on the drinks menu. These include ristretto, espresso, americano and lungo, and a whole slew of hot and cold coffee brew choices.

One thing I found interesting: Ninja have decreased the amount of brew sizes available for the coffee brew side of the machine, removing the 20oz brew size. It now will do between a 6oz (180ml) and a 18oz size (525ml) brew of coffee, I won’t miss it.

Interestingly too, the “Quad Shot” option for a huge espresso is also missing on this machine, as far as I can tell. It was a weird outlier on the original Luxe Café Premier.

Because the Ninja Luxe Café Premier and Pro can “read” what filter basket you have in the portafilter when grinding, this also means the machine will dose the appropriate amount of ground coffee out to the single basket for shorter, “nespresso” style shots. It’s a good move by Ninja, because this machine is a very decent choice as an upgrade and replacement to nespresso systems.

Barista Assist Tamping

Breville pioneered this convenience – a machine with a semi-automatic method of levelling and tamping coffee – with their Impress technology in their Barista lineup, but I do have to say they aren’t the first to actually have this kind of ratcheted system for pulling a lever to clamp down and tamp coffee in a portafilter. These kinds of semi-automatic tamping systems were coming out of Italy as standalone devices for years. 

With the Luxe Café Pro, Ninja has incorporated a very similar system into their machine. Where they are different is that Ninja has a built in scale to ensure the right dose of coffee was ground out, before the lever-controlled tamping system does its job. This means less missfires or “press to grind a bit extra” like you have to do on the Breville Impress machines.

In my earliest testing, there isn’t any kind of tactile “click” or set position for the lever when pulling it down to tamp: the harder you push down, the harder it tamps. I have slight worries a home user may break this because they’ve pushed down too hard. You have to press the lever twice for the machine to be happy: each press down, once released, activates a bar of green at the top of the display. After the second press down and release, the “tamp” sign turns off.

Better Steam System

The Luxe Café Pro comes with an improved steaming system that has additional options, and the inclusion of an insulated wand that doesn’t get as hot as the one on the Luxe Café Premier does. I should note, it still does warm up and will get hot, but it’s more on the “no-burn” side of wand technology. 

They’ve also added an additional foaming option for the automated milk frothing ability bringing the choices up to five: extra thick foam joins steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth, and cold foam. The system still does the best cold foam in the industry, and this is because it uses a whisk to quickly froth up icy cold milk. For hot foamed milk, it uses a combination of air through the steam wand and the whisk to froth things up nicely. Steamed milk bypasses the whisk and introduces minimal air into the wand.

The steam pitcher is quite a bit bigger than the one that came with the Luxe Café Premier. Both fit in the Pro’s steam pitcher cradle area, but this is a curious change. My speculation is the wider steam pitcher works better with Ninja’s magnetically controlled frothing whisk to better froth up the milk. I’ll be testing this.

Unconfirmed: Better Barista Brain

I have not been able to confirm this, but I have been told Ninja’s engineers have heard all the feedback from the original machine, and slightly tweaked the machine’s barista guidance systems on things like grind fineness, shot volumes, temperatures, expected shot timings, and more. I’ll try to get something more solid for our formal review process.

Other Notable Elements

I’ve covered a lot of the changes already (larger steam pitcher, americano water ratio, lever arm, no tactile feedback on how hard you’re pressing to tamp, machine counts your lever presses, etc), but there’s also a few other things I’ve noticed about the Luxe Café Pro in my initial testing.

• The grinding range is quite different than the original Premier. On that machine, I had to sit in the 2-4 area of the grinder to get a good espresso shot. On the Pro, 14-17 range. Makes me wonder how coarse the grind is for the brewed coffee methods.
• The display now partially dims when brewing espresso or coffee: specifically, the grind settings and other elements not directly related to what’s happening at that moment. Very nice. 
• There’s also what appears to be a dim “barista light” in the shot pull area. Will cover this more in the First Look.
• Using the dedicated hot water button is a slow process, as the machine powers up the thermoblock a bit to get really hot water, which you can set to 3 different temperatures. A good/ bad thing. Good in that, if you want piping hot water for tea, this machine delivers: slowly. 
• The fit and finish is superb; if anything, the build quality is even better than the original. I loved the tactile touch of the buttons (which are textured), and the almost “audio tuner” like dampened smoothness of the center control and brew dial.

Here’s some other details and things we noticed in the initial use and walkthrough.

We also posted a quick video walkthrough of the display panel and its functions and drink choices, over on Instagram.

A post shared by CoffeeGeek (@coffeegeek)

What They Missed

I feel there’s two big ‘misses’ with the Pro version of this machine: it doesn’t come with a knock box, and it doesn’t come with a water filter system.

Ninja doesn’t need to include a tamper or the dosing collar like the Premier model has (because of the semi automatic dosing and tamping system built in), so I feel they should have considered including a knock box instead. Ninja does sell a nice one, retails for around $35, and it would have been nice for this to be included in the box. 

I’m also shocked Ninja didn’t include a water filter system. Not only is it a future income stream for them, but it’s an absolute necessity with espresso machines. If you do buy one, make sure to get a good water filter system. We use the BWT Aqualizer system at CoffeeGeek, and it’s fantastic.

Other than that, this is a pretty amazing machine for $699. Heck, I feel the original Ninja Luxe Café Premiere would be an amazing machine at $699, and this one is better in most ways.

Who the Ninja Luxe Café is For

The Ninja Café Luxe Pro is what you might call a “bridge” machine. It’s built for people who are new to making espresso at home and want something approachable without diving straight into the deep end. It handles the basics well, makes a wide range of hot and cold espresso drinks, and keeps things consistent. For beginners or anyone stepping away from capsules and pods, that’s a solid starting point.

There are some useful customisation options too, like brew temperature, dose, and volume. That opens the door a bit for people who want to start tweaking their process and learning more. You’re not locked into full automation either. You can skip the built-in tamping, use your own tools, and take more control if you want to experiment. You can even steam manually with the machine if you want, bypassing the auto whisk system.

It’s also worth considering for anyone getting tired of how much pod systems cost over time. I haven’t crunched the exact numbers for this machine, but based on our $500 super automatic vs nespresso comparison, it’s likely you’ll break even on the cost within a year or so if you’re coming from something like a $199 Nespresso. And yes, you’ll get better coffee out of it: noticeably better.

That said, this is not a machine for purists. If you’re serious about full manual control and chasing down perfect shots, this isn’t going to satisfy you in the long run. There are better options around the same price, especially if you catch a Breville Infuser and a Baratza Encore ESP on sale. That combo gives you more freedom and long-term potential.

Still, for what it is, the Ninja Café Luxe Pro does its job and does it well, if our experience with the original Premier model is any indicator. Out of the box, with minimal barista skills, you will be getting excellent coffee and espresso based drinks. There’s enough tweaking available to flex your barista muscles a bit and get even more out of the machine. We’ve got it on the test bench now and will be posting our more official First Look soon.

#espressoMachine #luxeCafe #luxeCafePro #ninja

Ninja Luxe Cafe Espresso Machine

Out of the Box

Ninja is of course a company born of the infomercial.

Shark is the parent company, and they got their start pushing vacuums on late night TV. Ninja is similar. So their product box for the Luxe Cafe Premier model has a very “As seen on TV” vibe to it all. Lots of details, lots of splashy, colourful graphics, lots of product details. You can learn pretty much most of the machine’s functions (and there are many) just from reading the box.

We cover this at CoffeeGeek because it’s crucial: there’s too much styrofoam in the Ninja Luxe Café’s packaging. It would be great to see the company switch to more eco-friendly materials. If Breville can ship the Oracle Jet and Rancilio can package their machines using all paper-based protection, Ninja can do the same with the Luxe Café. Make an environmental statement, Ninja, and be a leader!

After removing the paperwork, you’ll find a chromed metal cup tray, and the Luxe Café Starter Kit nestled in styrofoam. Once those are removed, the machine itself is revealed, wrapped in plastic.

The Starter Kit box contains the Luxe Cafe unique portafilter (more on that later) with the standard double basket, the oversized Luxe basket (both baskets are thankfully unpressurized), a very unique click pillar tamper, the dosing collar, and a box with starter cleaner supplies, the blind filter insert (for backflushing), and a brush. Missing, gratefully, is a double scoop.

With the machine out, you’ll find a box under the grouphead containing the unique milk frothing pitcher, which has a magnetically held, removable frothing whisk in the bottom.

There’s quite a bit of tape securing parts of the machine, which need to be removed. The machine’s overall appearance is appealing, with real brushed steel plates on the front, top, and sides, complemented by high-quality dark grey-brown plastic for the rest.

Let’s now look at the machine in more detail.

Machine, Top to Bottom

There’s a lot to cover with the Ninja Luxe Cafe, but I’ll let our photos speak for themselves, aside from the detail we get into with the control panel.

At the top, you’ll find the bean hopper for the grinder, a cup warmer, and the lid for the removable reservoir. The grinder hopper low-profile design is a nice touch, making it more under-counter friendly. The cup warmer is large and features a brushed stainless steel ridged plate.

The reservoir holds 2 litres of water and has a low water sensor (something missing from the Breville Barista Express). However, it lacks a built-in water filter, which is surprising since all espresso machines should have one, and it would be a long-term profit opportunity for Ninja.

Moving down the front of the machine, you’ll find the Luxe Cafe’s rather imposing control panel, which has many lights and indicators. While there’s no OLED, there are LEDs and plenty of light-up features. It may seem confusing at first, but it becomes intuitive after a few weeks. The upper portion is glossy black glass, while the lower section features brushed steel with buttons and knobs.

The control panel is divided into three areas. The left side controls the grinder and includes options for setting espresso temperature (three choices) and a descale button. It also shows your grinder setting and recommends one based on your drink. It reminds you to tamp the coffee for espresso and the larger (16-18oz) brewed coffee drinks, after grinding.

The middle section handles drink selections and displays the brewing status. A rotating knob allows you to choose drinks like espresso, quad shot, cold pressed espresso, and various hot and cold coffee brewing methods. The machine suggests which filter basket to use and allows coffee brewing size selection from 6 to 18 fl. oz via a button push. A long press on this size button accesses the advanced menu, which is covered in the manual.

The right side is dedicated to milk frothing, with four options: no froth, low, high, and cold froth. “No froth” is also used for manual steaming (the spinning whisk mode is disabled), while cold froth uses no steam at all – only the magnetically spun whisk. You’ll also find controls for milk type selection (dairy or plant based), foam type, a clean button, and a purge button for quick steam wand purging before use.

Continuing down the machine, you reach the main “business” area: the grinder doser, grouphead brewing area, and steaming platform.

The grinder only works with Ninja’s dosing collar; if you insert the portafilter into the grinder cradle without it, the machine won’t operate and alerts you on the display. The doser cradle includes a built-in scale, an entirely unique feature for home espresso machines as of this writing.

The grinder and burr assembly resemble the Barista Express, though there are differences. It features a removable conical top burr but cannot be micro-adjusted like Breville grinders. The grinder is fast, and the removable hopper holds up to 12 oz of coffee (350g). It features a bean shut-off system that works well for its purpose.

Another unique element of the Luxe Cafe is the grouphead and portafilter. The 54mm portafilter, possibly chromed brass (waiting on confirmation for this), is extremely deep with two spouts cast into its design. Why it has two spouts is a mystery, because you cannot fit two espresso (or larger) cups on the elevated or base drip trays. The handle is weighted, featuring a metal Ninja logo at the end cap. While it shares the triple bayonet design of Breville’s 54mm portafilters, they aren’t compatible due to the recessed grouphead designed for the deeper portafilter.

Ninja’s filter baskets are also incompatible with standard 54mm Breville baskets or aftermarket baskets made for Breville machines. The Luxe Café baskets feature rubber insets, fitting only one way into the portafilter. The machine includes two baskets: a standard double basket for up to 18g of coffee and an extra deep “Luxe” basket, holding up to 45g. Thankfully, nether are pressurized.

And there’s still more unique design choices to explore on the Luxe Café: its dual cup tray designs. A removable “mini” tray fits into the main drip tray. This allows the machine to accommodate large 18-20oz insulated cups by removing the mini tray and placing the cup directly on the counter. Since the Luxe Cafe uses a 3-way solenoid valve to release pressurized water after a shot, the main drip tray catches this purge water even when the mini tray is removed.

The second removable cup tray, made of thick metal, can be slotted into one of three positions, allowing you to move your espresso cup closer to the two spouts (again, why does this machine have dual spouts?)

On the right side of the business area is the milk station with a cradle for the Ninja Luxe Cafe pitcher. It includes a temperature sensor, a purge hole directing steam wand water to the drip tray, and a hidden magnetic stirrer to spin the frothing whisk inside Ninja’s steam pitcher at different speeds.

The pitcher has markings for milk levels, and the frothing whisk is easily removable due to its magnetic attachment.

On the left of the machine is the grind adjustment dial and slots for the tamper and dosing collar.

More innovation can be found in the grinder adjustment settings: as long as the portafilter and doser collar are in the grinder cradle, each click finer you set on the grinder activates the motor for milliseconds, to purge some grinds and prevent damage to the burr carrier. This is kind of brilliant.

You can also further purge the grinder of any left over grinds by pressing and holding the front mounted grinder button.

The tamper is a pillar design, and has a click effect with about 30lb of pressure applied. It is designed to work with the dosing collar, and using both ensures a very level pack on the ground coffee.

On the right side of the machine is a door that opens to a storage area for filter baskets, the blind filter insert, and the cleaning brush. You can also view the water reservoir level visually on the right side of the machine.

At the bottom is the drip tray system, primarily designed to collect purge water from the machine and steam wand. It has a pop-up indicator when full. The drip tray includes a plastic cover to keep coffee grounds out of the purge water and a steel top grate with part of the steam pitcher platform attached.

The mini central drip tray is separate from the main drip tray, with each being self-contained.

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier model is a bit smaller in real life than it looks in photographs. It sits just 37cm tall (14.5”), and will have no problem sitting under most kitchen cabinets. It is 34cm wide (13.25”) but you need a bit more clearance on the side for the tamper and dosing collar storage. Back to front it is just 33cm (over a foot at 13”). The machine weighs 12.5kg (around 25lb). It runs at a full 1650W when doing everything, but my initial tests with a Kill-a-Watt meter show it manages that power well and is pretty efficient, drawing low power most of the time. The cord is 1m long, which to me is a perfect length for most kitchens, but some might find it too short.

Lastly, the warranty is one year, though there are options to extend that.

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First Use

Before pulling a single shot, there are a few ground rules the Ninja Luxe Café Premier imposes on you. First, it simply won’t let you grind into the portafilter unless you attach the dosing collar stored on the side of the machine. The display will nag you until you comply. Second, you have very little “play” regarding your dose. The machine is programmed to grind approximately 17.5g to 18g of coffee for every double shot, and you cannot easily change this variable.

In our First Look, we speculated that the grinder wasn’t actually “Grind by Weight” as marketed, but rather a smart timer system. After extensive testing, we are confident this is an Adaptive Time Based Dosing system. The scale measures the finished weight of the coffee to judge the next dose. If a dose comes up light, the machine adjusts the timer for the next grind to run longer. It works well enough once dialed in, but don’t expect it to catch a sudden change in bean density instantly. We cover the pros and cons of this system in the Extended Use section below.

Back to the operation: the machine is delightfully fast. It requires almost no preheating time to brew its first shot of the day. There is no 15-minute wait and no need to run blank shots to warm up the grouphead. The machine runs its own active preheating routine immediately after you grind coffee. It is not an “instant on, instant work” system like the Thermojet-equipped Breville Bambino Plus or Oracle Jet, but it is faster than the cold-start performance of many more expensive thermoblock machines we’ve tested. The machine does have a roughly 30 to 45 second “preheating” mode to go through once you set up your first shot of the day and have ground your coffee. Follow up shot pulls happen much quicker.

Before diving into the initial critical tasting, I seasoned the grinder with about 3kg of stale coffee gifted by a local roaster. The Ninja handled the volume like a champ, though it did get confused when I was just grinding and dumping without brewing. I had to power cycle the machine occasionally to reset its internal logic, which expects a brew cycle to follow every grind.

Once seasoned, I loaded up our excellent standard lab coffee, Social Coffee’s People’s Daily Bump blend. The machine suggested a grind setting of “12”. Based on experience, I ignored this and set it to “8”. I kept all other parameters at factory stock.

The first shot ran fast, and the “Barista Assist” feature immediately chimed in, suggesting I go finer. I adjusted down to “5”, purged the grinder, and pulled again. The result was a 1:2.5 ratio shot that was tasty, fine, and solid. It was a 3-star shot out of 5; not bad at all, though perhaps a tad sour.

I dialed the grinder down to “4” and increased the brew temperature via the front panel. The next shot was significantly better. Good volume, great crema, and no sour notes. I would rate it a 3.5 to 3.75 star shot. Repeated pulls yielded near-identical results, proving the machine’s consistency.

Dialed the Luxe Café grinder down to 4, and set the brewing temperature higher via the front panel button. Purged the grinder, and set up the next shot. Better. Really good. Possibly a 3.5 to 3.75 star shot. Good volume, good looking, no sour notes. Impressive.

Repeated the process. Got a near identical shot. Repeated again. Ditto. This was looking very good. I shot some rough video of the process.

(video coming soon)

Right out of the gate, the Ninja Luxe Café produces a better shot of espresso than a cold-start thermojet-equipped Breville machine. Yep, I said it.

Because you don’t have to go through the same pre-heat kerfuffle you do with the Breville thermojets. Don’t get me wrong, the instant on, instant steam ability of those machines is fantastic. The amount of blank shots and preheating you have to do with them? Not so much. You don’t have to preheat the Luxe Café. It does it automatically. You can hear it during the start up time after you grind coffee.

When it comes to Breville’s older espresso machines – the Barista Express and the Infuser (beloved here on CoffeeGeek), things are closer. I’ll cover this more in the comparisons below, but in the hands of a well seasoned home barista, the Express (and Infuser) should deliver better coffee, almost every time.

That said, the Ninja Luxe Café produces a very good shot of espresso, and more importantly, it does so consistently with minimal “crafted input” from the home barista. This kind of thing will appeal to many folks.

There is one thing, mentioned in the unboxing, that still perplexes me about this machine: there’s no hot water tap, or hot water function out of the steam wand. Ninja prides themselves on their swiss-army knife approach to appliances, so this seems like a major miss. Hot water would turn this machine into a complete hot and cold beverages system for your home, giving hot water for tea use, for americanos, and for just preheating and rinsing cups. I am boggled by their decision to omit it.

In our Full Review, we’ll talk more about this entire drink building process with the Luxe Café and dive more into the details on the “barista assist” decisions the machine makes for you, good and bad.

Drink Options on the

Ninja is known for packing in features on their small appliances, and the Luxe Café is no different. After testing it for two months, this machine’s varied drink options are all presented with acceptable to excellent results. Let’s break it down:

Espresso

Luxe Café semi-automates espresso brewing to SCA-level standards (it is not SCA approved, but Ninja’s engineers have clearly done their homework). Out of the box, it will use roughly 18g of coffee to deliver 45g of espresso in the cup.

You can adjust the brewing temperature, and shot ratio (1:2, 1:2.5, or 1:3), but not the grind volume. The machine sticks to 18g of coffee, and honestly, I’m good with all of that. 18g is what most people use these days to brew coffee. A 1:2 ratio is also what many advanced home baristas like their machines to pull (that means if you’re using 18g of coffee, you get 36g of espresso liquid out). The machine can also deliver CoffeeGeek’s preferred ratio (1:2.5), so I’m happy the machine lets you do that as well.

This isn’t a machine for wild espresso experiments; it’s built to deliver a solid double shot with just the right amount of finesse control available to the operator if they want to do some tweaking..

For most coffee lovers, these tweaks are more than enough. The bottom line is, the Luxe Café is super consistent in its output, shot after shot, and that’s a big win. Use excellent water and good, freshly roasted coffee, and you’ll often get better espresso than most cafes can deliver these days.

The Quad Shot

I haven’t played around with this feature much yet, but I’m here for it. When I’m heading out to Vancouver Island’s epic shorelines for a walkabout with my partner and our pups, I usually prep a thermos with a few doubles of espresso and some hot water for a giant to-go americano. It’s a bit of a hassle though, brewing back-to-back shots, dumping the portafilter, wiping it down, and grinding again.

With the Luxe Café, that’s history. Just pop in the deep filter basket, select Quad Shot, and the machine does its thing, giving you 100ml of espresso in one go. It uses a different brewing process than a double shot, with a different preinfusion, and a different pulsing “timbre” to the pump action. The brew time is longer too, natch.

The downside? No hot water option, so you’d need a kettle for your americano. But if you’re craving a XXL cappuccino for your walk, the Luxe Café has that on lock with the automated frothing system capable of doing up to 20oz of milk.

As for the taste, it’s decent. Not as balanced or sweet as the double shot the Luxe Café produces, but totally drinkable.

Hot Brewed Coffee Modes

The Ninja Luxe Café has two hot coffee brew modes: Classic and Rich, with brew sizes from 6oz to 20oz (in 2oz jumps). You can’t control the weight of the machine’s preset choices for coffee grounds, or the water temperatures directly. You do control the grind level, and “Rich” uses more coffee and adjusts the flow for a stronger brew.

Both modes use Ninja’s deep “Luxe” filter basket, and no need to tamp unless you’re making an 18 or 20oz brew, which really packs in the grounds. They both leave a messy spent puck in the filter basket that needs a bit of cleaning

I’ve mostly been rolling with the Rich mode, and honestly, from a cold start, you can get a really solid cup of coffee in under 5 minutes. It’s not quite handmade, pourover coffee levels of cup quality, but better than any “single cup brew mode” I’ve tried in a variety of big brand auto drip coffee makers.

One note though on grind settings: whatever the Luxe Café suggests you set for the grinder, go at least 3 or more clicks finer. It always suggests 25 for these modes, and I roll it at 21 or 22. 25 is just too coarse. 21 gets the particle sizes down below 900um in my brief measurements.

The Luxe Café mimics pour-over techniques, with pauses and a low-flow pump to optimize extraction, and it pays off with a rich, tasty cup every time. I’ve measured the TDS and it consistently hits the SCA approved sweet spot of 1.35-1.40% extractions; more importantly, it just tastes good, and is very acceptable for such a hands-off brewing mode.

Cold Coffee Modes

The Ninja Luxe Café has two cold brew modes: one is like the Japanese Iced Coffee Method we champion a lot on CoffeeGeek, and the other mimics slow drip cold brew. The first keeps most of the coffee’s flavors and acidity, but can be a little bitter. The second chills out on the acidity and delivers a sweeter, smoother taste, missing some of the coffee’s more delicate flavours and aromas.

“Brew Over Ice” is the Luxe Café’s take on Japanese iced coffee. It uses hot water but tweaks the game: more coffee per ounce, longer brew and steep times, and it cuts back on the final liquid output so you get concentrated coffee that mixes with your ice. For a 20oz brew, the Luxe Café will dish out about 9oz of coffee, assuming the ice will melt and bring you up to the finished 20oz brew..

Cold Brew skips the heat and uses reservoir temperature water, with the pump doing slow pulses for a mellow extraction. Like the Brew Over Ice option you’ll end up with about half the liquid you select – like 8oz for a 16oz brew – and the rest is filled by ice.

Between the two, I’m on Team Cold Brew. It’s smooth, low on acidity, and rarely needs sugar, unlike Brew Over Ice, which sometimes needs a little kick of external sweetness. And I have a pro-tip for you, that other reviews of this machine and its cold brew mode have missed: fill the reservoir with ice-cold water for an even colder extraction.

Milk System on the

Ninja’s milk frothing system is pretty unique, but still gives you the option to go fully manual with the steam wand. You can get pro-level microfoam for latte art—but only if you go manual. The automated frother system Ninja designed doesn’t quite nail it.

The Luxe Café’s milk system has three parts: the wand, the base, and the pitcher. The wand works like a traditional steam wand, though it’s pretty basic and doesn’t have the fancy internal features you’d find on some Breville Barista MilQ systems. It’s not super flexible either—just moves straight out for manual frothing.

Now, the base is where things get interesting. Like Breville’s setups, it has a temp sensor for milk, but it also includes a magnetic stirrer, kind of like what you’d see in a science lab. This spins a whisk in the pitcher to create foam at two different speeds, depending on if you chose low foam or max foam on the front panel. There’s also a “no foam” mode, which disables the stirrer completely. (this mode also is the one you use for manual frothing).

The frothing pitcher has a removable whisk that spins to foam your milk. Creates foam in most milk and plant based “milks”. The downside? It creates that airy, fast-dissipating foam you’d expect from any whisk stick frother.

One big flex of the Ninja Luxe Café is its ability to froth cold milk for iced coffee and espresso drinks. The built in whisk does a solid job here, making dense, pourable ice cold foam that holds up well. Add some sugar, and you’ve got a whipped cream-like topping. No other machine available today can touch this feature.

And yeah, if you prefer to steam the old-school way, the steam wand works great. It has decent power, and you can totally get “pro calibre” microfoam for latte art with some practice.

All in all, the Luxe Café offers some choices here. If milk frothing isn’t your thing, Ninja’s got your back with automatic settings. If you love iced drinks, it’s the only machine available today that froths cold milk like a boss. And if you’re trying to level up your barista game, and practice to become the next latte art champ of upstate New York, the manual steam wand can provide you the tool for that.

Competing Products

You’re probably wondering: Is the Ninja Luxe Café a better machine than the Breville Barista Express, the best-selling espresso machine on the planet? Ninja certainly seems to think so, given their direct marketing comparison.

In short, no. The Barista Express can deliver better espresso shots and superior milk texture from its steaming system. You get to control elements that improve espresso, including brewing temperatures, dose, a more refined puck prep, shot volumes, and preinfusion levels. Plus, it has a hot water option, something the Luxe Café lacks.

But the real answer is a bit more nuanced than that. The Barista Express is designed for a hands-on, traditional espresso experience, which means the quality of your completed drink depends a lot on your skill. If you make mistakes – like incorrect dosing, grind size, or bad puck prep – the machine won’t compensate, and the result will be subpar.

The Luxe Café, however, takes a different approach. It’s more user-friendly, controlling aspects like coffee dose, temperature range, and shot volume for you. Ninja’s engineers have set it up to deliver consistently good results, provided you use fresh coffee and filtered water. It’s hard to mess up on this machine, whereas the Barista Express gives you plenty of ways to go wrong.

If your goal is to develop serious barista skills, the Barista Express might be the better option. But if you want consistently good espresso with minimal effort and a variety of drink options, the Luxe Café is the better fit.

A fairer comparison might be between the Luxe Café and Breville’s assisted machines, including the Barista Touch Impress, Barista Touch, or Barista Express Impress. Or even the Oracle Touch or Oracle Jet machines. The thing is, price is a big factor in these comparisons. The Barista Touch Impress, for example, does almost everything the Ninja machine does (and has more features like various automated drink builds) but costs about three times as much as the Luxe Café. Is it 3 times the value? Most likely not.

We’ll dive deeper into these comparisons in the full review.

Conclusion

The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier espresso machine is a new venture and territory for Shark Ninja, and the first of three Luxe Cafe models planned (the other two, the Essential, and Pro models, will be coming later this year and next). They sure ticked a lot of boxes in the correct category with the Premier machine’s launch.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism online about this machine, mainly because “well, it’s from Ninja” Some believe their machines and products only last a year or two. Even the Hoff, in his video, implied this. But Ninja are very serious about this product and its potential to build and improve the company’s rep.

For instance, they list and sell a lot of parts for the Luxe Cafe Premier. All at excellent prices. Heck, even the full and complete drip assembly is only $50. You can buy spare baskets, portafilters, dosing cradles, even steam tips. (I’d recommend buying a spare dosing cradle and baskets). That means the company wants this product to last more than a year or two.

The Luxe Cafe Premier is packed with unique features and abilities. From the ice cold froth ability, to the grinder with built in scale, to the super deep 40+g basket, to the well designed tamper and dosing collar combo, there’s a lot going on with this machine.

I especially like that the Ninja Engineers really paid attention to modern, specialty coffee wants and desires for espresso and brewed coffee with their barista assist choices. Settling on a 1:2.5 dose ratio for espresso is exactly the standard we preach here at CoffeeGeek. The more common 1:2 ratio is also available.

This is a First Look, but we have enough time with the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier to put it into consideration for Espresso Machine of the Year, and it is definitely a worthy addition to our Best Budget Espresso Machines Guide.

We’ve covered a lot in this First Look, and going forward, we’ll be doing more direct temperature, timing, and grind quality tests, more direct comparisons with other machines, and organizing a focus group to scope out the machine fully from various consumers’ standpoints. But for now, this is an excellent addition to the world of specialty coffee and espresso, and a machine you should consider, especially if you’re looking for an all-rounder, first serious espresso machine to buy.

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#automaticEspresso #espressoMachine #luxeCafe #LuxeCafePremier #ninja

I recently noticed our Senior Editor shared a post on Threads about Breville’s focus on automating their espresso machines over the past five years. He mentioned that the last two traditional models released by the company were the Infuser (2014) and the Barista Express (2013). I also noted the recent coverage and excitement for the new Luxe Cafe machine from Ninja, which has a lot of “barista assist” features. It seems like a super machine, but a few of the details caused a pause in my home barista mind.

As a longtime owner of the Breville Dual Boiler (which was introduced in 2011), both of these caught my attention. I love the hands-on experience my machine offers every time I use it, and I find no appeal in the automated steaming, tamping, and dosing features that Breville’s newer machines now include. So, I proposed writing this article, and Mark was more than happy to let me take it on.

What’s a Traditional Espresso Machine

I do hope this isn’t a controversial take, but here’s what I think of as a traditional, artisan craft espresso machine in 2024:

• A normal portafilter with proper single and double baskets (no crema raiders)
• Manually controlled steam system, with a steam arm that can fully articulate and a steam dial knob
• Volumetric, programmable shot buttons that can be manually controlled (or manual on/off shot buttons)
• Hot water either via a dedicated water tap, or through the steam arm
• PID temperature controls, giving easy access to setting temperatures and offsets
• A cup tray that properly warms up to keep cups warm for your drinks
• A grouphead that properly heats up, eliminating the need to run blank after blank shots to heat all the bits that touch your brewing water (this is a knock against Breville’s thermojet)
• A pressure gauge to show you your active pressures and help diagnose shot problems
• Good reservoir size, and good drip tray size.

Offer that kind of machine, and a manufacturer is in effect offering a capable tool that lets us home baristas build and hone our coffee making skills. The better we are, the better the shots will be. No hand holding from the machine: it provides the rock solid basic toolset, and we supply the rest.

Of course, there is the argument that some companies are doing this. Lelit (which is now owned by Breville), produces traditional machines, but all their machines under $1,000 range have been on the market for years, and are based on 10-15 year old technology and designs. They don’t have the polish and finnese of a Breville machine. Same goes for a lot of the other traditional Italian made machines. New “traditional” machines with more modern features and interfaces are being introduced, but they often have a high premium price point.

What I want is a new traditional machine, with 2024 technology, from a big modern manufacturer like Breville. And highkey here: priced around the same price as the Infuser or Express.

If I could go on with a bit of a wish list, my dream traditional home espresso machine would have the following:

• Entire machine is engineered to provide good recovery times between shots, relatively quick warm up times (10 minutes or less), and steady temperatures during the shot
• Ability to control and set the machine’s overpressure valve, to set your own max brewing pressure (this is a new demand, but something I think all new machines should offer)
• Relatively quick transition between steaming and brewing temperatures (this is where thermoblocks excel; perhaps a machine with a brew boiler and steam thermoblock?)
• Has a shot timer built in
• Has programmable, controllable preinfusion modes.
• Has a built in clock, and the ability to program in turn-on times in the morning (so the machine is fired up when I wake up). 

It’s worth noting that none of the items above include wishes like “help me automate steaming” or “dose and tamp the coffee for me.”

Don’t get me wrong—those features are fantastic and ideal for many people who want cafe-quality drinks without having to think too much about the process. For peeps who prefer simply moving a portafilter from the grinder to the group head and letting the machine handle the rest, these automations are perfect.

But they aren’t for me.

The Hand Crafted Art of Espresso

The Breville Dual Boiler sitting on my kitchen counter is my ideal machine, and it’s been a trusty companion for years. The shot counter shows I’ve pulled 5,700 shots so far. I’ve done most of the maintenance myself — replacing o-rings, fixing leaks (thank you, YouTube!), descaling it three times, replacing the grouphead ring, cycling through baskets, and even upgrading to a naked portafilter.

The Dual Boiler checks almost all the boxes on my wish list: pressure gauge, shot timer, programmable shot buttons, solid steam pressure with a bit of control, a large reservoir, and the ability to steam and brew simultaneously. The cup tray gets toasty, and the grouphead heats up fully, thanks to its own heated PID controller.

In Breville’s lineup, there are really only two machines that match the Dual Boiler as traditional options: the Infuser and the Barista Express. And when you think about it, those two are basically the same, with the Express just having a built-in grinder. Both have been around for over a decade.

Recently, Breville introduced the Bambino, Bambino Plus, Barista Pro, and the Barista Express Impress. Some might call these traditional machines, but I don’t see them that way because they have the thermojet system (and the Express Impress and Bambino Plus automate certain barista skill things).

I appreciate a lot about Breville’s thermojet system, but the lack of grouphead heating would drive me crazy. Having to run 2 or 3 blank shots just to get the machine warmed up seems to defeat the purpose of “instant on.” It complicates the process instead of simplifying it. Although, I’ll admit, the quick switch to steaming is a nice perk.

Then there’s the new Luxe Cafe from Ninja. I was very surprised to find out you couldn’t manually control the shots of espresso on that machine: it is a fully automated process, and the only thing you can change, before pulling the shot, is the ratio (2:1, 2.5:1, or 3:1). You can’t change the dose volume either: the machine has that preset, and you just have to trust them. That puts the machine’s espresso production into a very tight, very predetermined box. No developing barista skills there.

A traditional espresso machine that handles the basics — good temperature control, strong steam power, stable temperatures, a properly heated brew group, regulated pressure, and quick recovery times — gives you a solid foundation to build your skills on. Grinding, dosing, distributing, and tamping are skills. Steaming milk to create perfect microfoam is a skill. Analyzing a shot pull, watching the timer, pressure gauge, and shot development, and making adjustments to improve it — those are all skills.

That’s what I want in a home espresso machine: something reliable that lets me hone my barista skills. The automated “barista assist” machines Breville has been focusing on for the past seven years don’t offer that environment for skill-building.

I don’t fault Breville or any other manufacturer for making espresso machines that simplify the process for coffee lovers. I think Ninja entering the premium market with a machine that can brew a good “textbook” shot of espresso right out of the gate without any real input from the home user will introduce great coffee to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t put in the effort.

But, talking about Breville specifically, I wish they’d pay a bit more attention to the traditional espresso machine market. Their only “traditional” models are over a decade old, and one of them (the Infuser) isn’t even on their website anymore. (ed.note: We asked Breville about this, and they said the Infuser isn’t discontinued, but is now an “Amazon-only SKU” and has been removed from their website.)

As we approach 2025, it’s time for Breville to consider updating the Barista Express, preferably without moving it to their thermojet system—or at least solve the cold grouphead and cup tray issue if they do. And maybe it’s time to introduce a new, state-of-the-art traditional espresso machine designed for hands-on home baristas who want a reliable tool to perfect their espresso skills.

What do you think? Are you happy companies like Breville are putting all their focus on barista assist technologies and automating things like grinding, dosing, tamping, and milk steaming? Or do you want them to also introduce new traditional machines that let you practice the art of the home barista? I’d love to hear from you: leave a comment below!

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/technology/a-renewed-focus-on-traditional-espresso-machines/

#baristaAssist #Breville #dualBoiler #espressoMachine #luxeCafe #traditional