During testing, these features worked great and consistently delivered tasty results.
The machine was also surprisingly easy to master, even if it was a little overwhelming initially.
But the real question is, does the Ninja Luxe Cafe actually deliver on its claim?
The Ninja Luxe Café looks and feels much more expensive than its is
And Im happy to report that, for the most part, it does.
Though bulky, its sleek stainless steel body with black accents fit right into my kitchen.
However, the four different coffee parameters were a bit gimmicky and unnecessary.
The machine has storage for accessories like the funnel and extra basket for quad shots
A cold brew and classic coffee wouldve been fine.
A cold foam setting is also available but didnt work with either of my milks.
Even experienced at-home baristas will appreciate the excellent results this machine delivers.
The automatic milk frother produced creamy microfoam with no skill needed, but worked better with dairy than plant-based substitutes
And its hard to beat the bonus of brewing tasty classic coffee and cold brew too.
It can be purchased directly from the manufacturer’s website, or from third-party retailers including Best Buy andAmazon.
Thats just a little bit bigger than the most recent semi-automatic espresso machine Ive been using, theCasabrews 5700Pro.
The Ninja Luxe Café calibrates itself. so you don’t need to spend time experimenting to get the perfect espresso pull
At least Ninjas offering is extremely versatile, making the most of that extra space it takes up.
Even the packaging for the tools oozed elegance.
It was far nicer than I expected considering the reasonable price tag.
The machine comes with a tamper and funnel
It truly looks and feels like something that should be twice that price.
Each component was sturdy and built to last.
The hardness of your water is even taken into account, helping to perfect the extraction.
The machine will warn you if there are no beans, or the portafilter isn’t inserted
If youve never used an at home espresso machine before, its a little overwhelming initially.
A few instructional videos and an instruction book were helpful in navigating the Luxe Cafe.
After it was put together, I played around with the design features.
A progress bar on the front of the machine shows how far along it is with grinding, brewing, or milk frothing
Ninja thought of almost everything.
The accessory storage was probably my favorite, as its a rarity on espresso machines.
It drives me crazy to have components lying around waiting to be lost.
The machine comes with two baskets: double and Luxe, the latter of which is for quad shots
Thats not dissimilar to other coffee makers.
Still, it holds a good amount of water.
I refilled it only a couple of times per week after making about three beverages a day.
Besides rinsing the portafilter, emptying the drip tray, and wiping down the machine, there isn’t much hands-on cleaning required
Its honestly pretty foolproof.
Finally, above the frother are the milk frothing configs.
The jug even has size markings inside and outside, so you get the proper milk levels.
The automatic milk frother works very well, but there’s no way to steam your milk manually if you prefer
The steam wand automatically purges after frothing, though a ‘purge’ button is available.
This side of the display also indicates when the water reservoir needs to be filled.
At the base of the Ninja Luxe Cafe is the main drip tray and a separate center drip tray.
The versatile Ninja Luxe Café is a little larger than the semi-automatic Casabrews 5700Pro, but much more affordable
It felt unnecessarily complicated being two components.
However, having a separate center drip tray makes it possible to use larger travel mugs.
I had to empty it every few days of use.
You’ll occasionally need to fill the water reservoir with a decaling solution, or insert the cleaning disc and tablet into the portafilter
It truly seems that Ninja thought of everything when crafting the Luxe Cafe, except for a water line.
I love having a hot water option to make an americano, tea, or other warm beverage.
Integrating one into the steam wand or elsewhere wouldve brought the machine near perfection level in terms of design.
Instead, I relied on a kettle, something I never had to do with my usual espresso machine.
As for the accessories, the portafilter also doubles as a brewer for the coffee controls on the machine.
It comes with two baskets: double and Luxe.
When using the coffee tweaks or brewing a quad shot, the Luxe basket must be installed.
Unfortunately, it costs extra for the knock box to remove the grinds.
Luckily, the grinds come out relatively easy with just a few whacks against the garbage can.
Beyond the portafilter, many of the other accessories deal with maintenance.
Admittedly, the whole system is a little overwhelming initially, especially the large display and various controls.
Seven different types of brews are available with Ninja Luxe Cafe.
I tested out every setting to see how each stacked up.
I started with the double espresso shot, my most used setting over the testing period.
Installing the double basket on the portafilter required a little muscle while the funnel easily latches on top.
Inserting the portafilter into the grinder will automatically adjust the brew setting options based on the installed basket.
With the double basket, only a double or cold-pressed extraction was available.
Turning the large main knob lets you snag the setting.
I adjusted accordingly and started the grind.
After grinding, it was time to brew.
I used the tamper with the funnel still attached to level the freshly ground coffee.
This usually happened when the basket was extremely full, or I inserted the tamper too fast.
Less than a minute later, a beep indicated that my double-shot espresso was ready.
The crema then reformed after; a tell-tale sign of great pull.
Its taste was equally wonderful, rich, and smooth with a slight acidity.
Of course, results will also vary based on the throw in of coffee beans used.
I stuck with quality beans from Stumptown and Groundwork during my testing.
The Ninja Luxe Cafe automatically adjusts the amount of beans it grinds based on the brew size and weight.
Its honestly hard to beat the convenience of not needing to measure out anything ever.
Each tasted great and had a temperature of around 160F.
The same goes for the ‘over-ice’ and ‘cold brew’.
TheNinja DualBrew ProI reviewed in 2023 had similar setting options and results.
It all just seems sort of gimmicky on an otherwise awesome machine.
I tested all the froth presets with both 2% milk and oat milk.
With 2% milk, the frothing tweaks worked just as expected (for the most part).
Unfortunately, the oat milk struggled to form much of a microfoam, even on the thick froth setting.
But these results arent uncommon for plant-based milks, so I dont fully fault the machine.
I also failed to create a cold foam, as heavy cream is required for that setting.
My biggest issue with the milk frother is you cant control the steam wand yourself.
When it comes to maintenance, the Luxe Cafe attempts to keep things as simple as possible.
Its all very manageable.
Overall, the Ninja Luxe Cafe delivered on its promises of uncomplicating espresso.
Should you buy the Ninja Luxe Cafe?
It also comes with four presets for hands-free frothing, letting you create coffeehouse-style beverages at home.
Youll consistently enjoy rich espresso with a lovely golden crema and strong coffee.
Its best for individual cups.
You want a hot water lineThe Ninja Luxe Cafe lacks a dedicated hot water line.
That means, youll have to look elsewhere when making tea, americanos, and other hot drinks.
It wouldve been nice to have the option included on the steam wand like other espresso machines.
Youre looking for a compact coffee makerLike many bean-to-cup machines, this is big, bulky, and heavy.
If youre tight on counter space, finding a smaller, more portable option may better suit your needs.
The downside is that it’s twice the price.
It also offers 15 bars of pressure compared to nine for the Ninja Luxe Cafe.
During testing, I noted flavors, consistency, temperature, time to brew, and noise levels.
