Review: The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Is A Must-Have For Novice Home Baristas

Any home barista will tell you that you can't discount the power of a good espresso machine. While you can use the best quality espresso beans and master your milk frothing technique, your coffee routine is nothing without a reliable and high-quality espresso machine at your side. 

There are, of course, the tried-and-true classics of the espresso machine world — I'm talking the Brevilles, the DeLonghis, and single-serve brands like Nespresso. But there's one brand that's stepping onto the scene that you may associate with ice cream makers and vacuums more than coffee: Ninja. Besides its selection of kitchen appliances and home cleaning essentials, Ninja also carries a Luxe Café Premier series coffee machine. This machine isn't just an espresso maker; it also has a drip coffee maker and cold brew machine built into it. In order to decide if this three-in-one coffee machine extravaganza was worth buying, I put it to the test in my own home kitchen. After I set it up, I tried out several different beverage options before I shaped my opinion on its functionality, value, and ease of use.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Luxe Café Premier series machine's numerous features set it apart from other espresso makers. The machine uses Ninja's proprietary Barista Assist Technology to recommend a ground size for your brew, or you can go rogue and select one of its built-in conical burr grinder's 25 grind settings yourself. It also has a built-in scale that allows you to easily measure out the right amount of coffee for your beverage, as well as pressure and temperature detection to make sure that your drink brews exactly how you want it to. You can also select between four different froth settings, including steamed milk, frothed milk, and cold foam. Or, utilize the chilled espresso setting to pull a shot for your espresso martini or iced latte. 

I'd be remiss not to also touch on the other coffee functions of this machine, which include the previously mentioned cold brew and drip coffee options. Swap out the standard double basket for the larger luxe one, and you can easily make classic drip, cold brew, and over-ice coffee in a variety of sizes. 

This machine weighs about 26 pounds and is under 15 inches in height, so it will fit under most cabinets with ease. One understated benefit of the machine's design is that you can easily store all of your espresso tools in the pull-out drawer on the side. Every machine also comes with a one-year warranty, as well as technical support from the Ninja team. 

The Ninja website lists the Luxe Café Premier series machine at $499.99. It comes with all of the basic tools that you need to operate the machine, including the milk jug, tamper, and portafilter, as well as some cleaning extras like the hard water testing kit, descaling tablets, and more. It's also listed on Amazon at $499.95, with all of the same components and features. 

If you're a stranger to espresso machines, your eyes might go wide at the thought of spending close to $500 on a coffee machine. However, this model is actually cheaper than some of the other major espresso brands out there — and it does far more. For example, the model that I consider to be the "gold standard" of espresso makers, the Breville Barista Express, is priced at just under $750 on Amazon. It has a built-in grinder, frother, and espresso function, but it doesn't make cold brew or drip coffee. Meanwhile, smaller espresso machine models with less functionality, like the Vertuo Plus, will run you upwards of $200. The Ninja Luxe Café Premier series is middle-of-the-road in terms of price — but of course, the value and quality of the machine has to justify the purchase. 

I'm going to start out here by saying that it's very difficult to find a machine with the same functionality, components, and design as the Luxe Café Premier series (the brand even touts its "one of a kind-ness" on the packaging). The only brand that really comes close to it is De'Longhi, which carries an Eletta Explore model — for the very inexpensive price of $1,799.95 on Amazon. This machine makes cold brew, hot and cold milks, espressos, and more. It also comes with a built-in grinder, though this model has a mere 13 grind settings (compared to the 25 on the Ninja espresso machine). The Eletta Explore has a mostly automated system and comes with in-app connectivity that allows you to better personalize your beverage. 

Another model that might be worthy of comparison is the Philips 4400 Series, which is priced at just under $1,000. I personally had one of these models and appreciated how automated and easy to use it was. But a few months later, it had a technical malfunction and failed to make any type of coffee — rendering it useless. 

A highly automatized and computerized machine, like a Philips or a Ninja, is always going to come with the risk of malfunction. But some folks really do like the press-a-button-and-my-beverage-is-there nature of these machines, so it's a tradeoff that you'll have to consider when you decide which brand to go for.

The setup for this coffee machine was pretty painless, though there were many, many steps involved. I was impressed that Ninja included such an extensive how-to document that detailed every part of the set-up process in great and foolproof detail. It also broke down every one of the tools, including the tamper, basket, and portafilter, and how to use them. Even if you have never worked an espresso machine, I think you would be able to set up and operate this one — so long as you have the instructional guide in tow. 

After I unpackaged the machine, I had to do a water hardness test. If your brewed coffee tastes bad, it may have something to do with the water hardness, or the minerality of your water. If your water has too much calcium or magnesium in it, it may result in your coffee (specifically espresso) tasting a little off. Luckily, the Ninja adjusts for this based on your water. After I inputted the water hardness, I ran a cleaning cycle on the machine according to the very detailed instructions in the user guide. 

However, I encountered an issue when I went to make my first shot of espresso. When I tried installing the portafilter into the grinder, I kept getting the error message that the portafilter needed to be installed. I racked my brain and tried to find every which way to attach the funnel to the portafilter and then to the grinder — only to realize that the basket had gotten stuck on the underside of the group head when I was running the cleaning cycle. I'm glad the machine refused to run without the proper setup in place, as it could have caused a part to get damaged or rendered a cup full of coffee grounds useless.

The first product I made with the Luxe Café Premier series machine was an espresso. And boy oh boy, was it a journey. After the fiasco with the grinder not grinding because the double basket was missing, it was finally time to do a "test run" of the grind settings. Because this Ninja comes with Barista Assist Technology, it requires you to run a test batch on its default grind setting (12) before it actually calibrates to the right brew setting fit for your beverage. When I brewed the espresso as a size 12, I got maybe an eighth of a shot of espresso from the machine. I had thought that I did something wrong, and when I went to try again, I noticed that the recommended brew setting had changed to 20. 

This machine may just be smarter than I am — and at this point, I'm not questioning it. The shot that I brewed with the 20 setting was really tasty, yet a bit over-extracted for my liking. So, when I went to see what my brew settings had adjusted to, I was happy to see that the recommended number reached a happy minimum of 17. That being said, the coffee I got that brewed on a 20 was still excellent for an at-home coffee machine; if I was served it in an expensive coffee shop, I certainly wouldn't complain about it. 

The other important thing that was worthy of note with this machine is that attaching the portafilter and basket to the group head requires seemingly superhuman strength. When I did it, I really did think that I was going to break it because of how hard I had to push to align the pieces and set the portafilter into place. It's not necessarily a bad thing — it's just something to be aware of if you decide you want to purchase this machine yourself. 

I'm going to venture to say here that the latte feature is the best part of the Luxe Café Premier series machine. My gripe with most espresso machines, including the Wirsch model that has gotten me through most of my young adult life, is that you have to stand there, jug perfectly tilted, so that you can steam your milk. If you happen to move even one inch the wrong way, it will prevent your milk from properly steaming and cause the most horrible noise — like screaming babies and nails on a chalkboard combined. 

But with the Ninja? You literally just have to fill the jug with the amount of milk you desire (based on the lines on the outside of the cup), shove the wand in, and walk away. Yes, you heard me right. There's no standing near this machine nor patiently twisting and turning the jug required. This machine does it all for you — and it does it all very well. The milk that this machine prepared was on-par with what I would expect from an expensive coffee shop. It was creamy and perfectly frothed to fit the description of a latte. Not to mention, you can easily change one of the settings on this machine to froth up plant-based milks, add more foam, and more. 

The latte functionality of this machine is practically built for beginners and folks who never really mastered the art of steaming and/or frothing milk. My latte was absolutely delicious, and I will be practicing my latte art from here on out. Oh, and did I mention this machine auto-purges the steam after every froth? It's a fantastic feature that not many other machines offer. 

Making cold brew with the Luxe Café Premier series machine was my final test of this experiment. While normal cold brew requires several hours (if not a day) to steep, Ninja uses a cold extraction technology that guarantees the perfect cup in minutes. 

The process for making the cold brew is quite simple. Use the luxe basket, adjust the grind setting (the machine suggested 23 for this one), and brew a cup over ice. The brewing process for this cup takes significantly longer than the other beverages. A 12-ounce cup took this machine about five minutes in total, but it was still super hands-off. When I tasted the brew, I found it to be middle ground (pun intended) — it didn't have the same depth of flavor of a classic cold brew, but it also didn't have the outright acidity of a normal iced coffee. It was pleasant to sip on, and I would certainly pick this option over the over-ice option on the machine — though, I don't think it's a carbon copy of a cold brew coffee that's been allowed to steep for hours and hours. 

I also tested this recipe with cold foam using the machine's built-in cold foam setting. I used 2% milk and was easily able to mix it up in the jug. The process was as hands-off as making the steamed milk for the latte. The cold foam the machine made had the same consistency as what you'd get from a chain like Starbucks. While I don't consider myself to be a cold foam lover, I do think this option is just an added perk to this machine. 

I'm going to start out by saying that you're probably not going to be buying this machine if you're just going to use it for drip coffee. There are so many other decent drip coffee makers that are out there and cost less than $100. But all the power to you if you have an espresso machine that can also make drip coffee, which is where the Luxe Café Premier series comes in. 

There are two options for drip coffee: classic and rich — the latter of which makes a stronger cup. I chose the classic option for simplicity's sake (and because I wasn't planning on trying it with any milk). I swapped out the double basket for the luxe basket, which is used for the non-espresso drinks. Then, I ramped up the grind size to 25 and started making my coffee. 

The flavor here is exactly what you would expect from a drip coffee. It's acidic (certainly because I used the espresso-grade Lavazza beans that I used throughout this review) — but not unpleasantly so. I didn't find it to be over- or under-extracted, which is the low bar set for a drip coffee. The only pain point I could see with this machine is if you wanted to switch out the beans between uses. While there's nothing wrong with using espresso beans for regular coffee, you will have to settle for a flavor that's a little darker and more robust if you use the same espresso-roasted beans for both beverages. But again, if you're buying this machine, you're probably making more than just drip coffee with it.

For many people, a coffee or an espresso machine is not a want-to-have item — it's a must-have. I fall into this camp, so I made my decision on whether or not I would buy the Luxe Café Premier series machine myself based on three factors: ease of use, efficacy, and value. 

The ease of use on this machine, compared to more expensive models on the market, is incredible. Ninja clearly and purposefully made a list of all of the steps that you need to take to set your machine up and use it properly. The only issue I found was the double basket sticking to the group head — which I can write off as being a fluke and not something that will happen to any consumer. And you can always contact Ninja's support team for troubleshooting help (as I almost had to do during my espresso taste test). 

The beverages that I made with machines are all things that I would be paying anywhere from $5 to $10 at a coffee shop. Not only was the espresso that this machine brewed well-rounded and robust, but it was also ridiculously flavorful (once the Barista Assist Technology had recalibrated, of course). I also consider the hands-off steaming to be a very big win for this machine, as properly steaming milk requires a lot of time, effort, and skill. Could you get a drip coffee maker that would make the same quality coffee as this machine for a quarter of the price? Yeah, probably. But this machine really serves its purpose well as a three-in-one model and would be an asset in any home barista's kitchen, regardless of their experience level.