The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine is a well-designed coffee machine that’s easy to use, with convenient settings and features
It comes with plenty of drink options and milk-frothing styles to experiment with. Our experts were pleased with the shot of coffee they received from this machine
The controls are intuitive, making it easy to use and removing the guesswork around grind settings, dosing, tamping and temperatures
Ninja is fast becoming a household name for kitchen appliances, offering a range of blenders, food processors, air fryers and multi-cookers. We’ve taken a look at many of their products, including the Ninja Slushi and Swirl by Creami, to see if they live up to the hype.
The brand has now entered the world of coffee making with their Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine. So, how does it compare to long-standing rival options from Breville, DeLonghi, Sunbeam and more? Our experts take a look.
The semi-automatic Ninja Luxe Premier Espresso Machine.
What is the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine?
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier is a semi-automatic espresso machine, designed for home barista enthusiasts who crave cafe-quality coffees at home with minimal fuss. It can deliver espresso, cold brew and drip coffee all from the one machine.
Our espresso machines expert Adrian Lini put the machine to the test in the CHOICE labs, assessing its ease of use, milk frothing ability and coffee temperature consistency as well as submitting coffee shots from the machine to our expert tasting panel. To see how it compares against other brands like Breville, Sunbeam, DeLonghi and more, take a look at our home espresso machine reviews.
What are the features of the Ninja espresso machine?
The Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine comes with a range of accessories, including a portafilter, milk jug with an integrated whisk, single and double baskets, a luxe basket, tamper, funnel, cleaning and descaling accessories, as well as water filters and testing kits.
It’s available in five colours, so you can choose which best suits your kitchen aesthetic – stainless steel, midnight black, oat milk, gunmetal or cyberspace.
You’ll also get some other interesting features with this machine including:
thermoblock heating system
dual froth system combining steaming and whisking
built-in accessory storage
built-in scale that detects which basket is being used before measuring the amount of grounds
A coffee machine should be able to produce a great shot of coffee and to highlight the importance of taste, our expert taste test accounts for 60% of our CHOICE Expert Rating (our overall score). The Ninja espresso machine produced coffee that impressed both our expert coffee taste testers and our in-house experts.
Expert espresso shot ratings
When our panel of three expert taste testers assessed a blind shot of coffee from the Ninja, they were impressed with what they received. One said it produced a “very aromatic shot with excellent flavour” while another said, “it was a high flavour, quality coffee that was enjoyable”.
All three experts made a comment about the fact that the shot it produced was smaller than expected, noting that it looked more like a ristretto than an espresso (an espresso is typically a 30–60mL shot while a ristretto is a shorter 15–25mL shot). One expert said, “this looked like a ristretto. Short shot but good quality”.
Our in-house expert Adrian was also impressed with the machine. He says, “when making a coffee, it fills cups evenly and switches off automatically.
“There’s also no vibration of the cups and it can accommodate taller cups up to 20cm easily with an adjustable cup platform.
“When using the inbuilt grinder, the machine can even detect what filter size is being used and make adjustments automatically, taking the guesswork out of coffee-making.”
CHOICE kitchen experts ratings: Flat white, cappuccino, long black and cold press
CHOICE kitchen experts, Fiona Mair and Chantelle Dart also had a play with the machine, making a range of coffees.
Fiona made a flat white, cappuccino, long black and cold press coffee and rated these as “good” to “very good”.
“The machine doesn’t have options for specific types of coffees like cappuccino or flat white like you see in other machines,” says Fiona.
“However, you can use the espresso, quad (two double shots of coffee) and long black options with the various froth types to get your favourite type of coffee. This might take some getting used to.”
She also used the hot water function to make tea, but the temperature only reached 70°C, which isn’t ideal as black tea requires a heat of around 90°C.
To see how it compares against other manual and semi-automatic machines we’ve tested, check out our espresso machine reviews.
Is the Ninja Luxe Premier Espresso Machine easy to use?
Adrian rated the Ninja as “good” for ease of use, saying it’s user-friendly, with features that support simple and straightforward operation.
Our testers noted there is no favourites setting and no ‘ready/temperature’ indicator.
The range of filter baskets (single, double and luxe) are easy to insert and remove, and the funnel helps to prevent spills and mess when grinding coffee into the portafilter.
The funnel also stays attached during tamping but needs to be handled carefully when you’re removing it from the portafilter to avoid loosening the basket. Orange dots on the portafilter and group head also help to indicate the correct positioning to lock the portafilter into place.
The assisted, spring-loaded tamper works effectively to provide even pressure time after time, ensuring coffee grounds are compact and evenly distributed to provide consistent coffee extraction.
The integrated grinder adjusts the recommended grind settings based on the beans that are being used and may take 2–3 brews before the optimal grind setting is achieved. This might take some getting used to, as factors like new beans, adding beans or ageing beans can impact the grind.
The assisted, spring-loaded tamper works effectively to provide even pressure, ensuring coffee grounds are compact and evenly distributed to provide consistent coffee extraction
Removing and refilling the water tank and drip trays is simple, with clear water-level markings, an “add water” indicator and a float to show when the drip tray needs emptying. The bean hopper is easy to fill and remove, and grinder settings are clearly displayed with an adjustable grind dial.
The controls are generally well-labelled and programming functions are intuitive, although the instructions provided in the box only include a quick guide with basic diagrams – you’ll need to access the full manual online.
Adrian noted that it doesn’t have a “favourites” setting, a feature which is useful in households with multiple users. “The option to save your preferred setting without having to reset each time is a convenience that this machine is lacking,” he says.
There is also no ready/temperature indicator, so you should wait a few minutes to ensure the machine is ready and heated optimally before using.
Is it easy to froth milk?
The Ninja Luxe Premier Espresso Machine uses what Ninja calls a “Dual Froth System” using both steaming (via the steam wand) and whisking (via the inbuilt whisk that sits on the base of the jug) together to create the ideal texture of milk froth.
Ninja’s ‘dual froth system’ uses steaming and whisking to froth milk.
There are four milk froth settings to choose from to create different kinds of drinks, with settings for steamed milk, microfoam, thick froth and cold foam. You can even choose between manually frothing the milk or using an automatic hands-free mode whereby the milk jug sits in a designated mound with a built-in temperature sensor.
Adrian tested both the automatic and manual milk frothing modes and rated their ability as only OK. He says, “in automatic mode, the froth is quite hot and a little hard to pour, and in manual mode it struggles to make a lot of foam”.
There are four milk froth settings to choose from to cater for different kinds of drinks, with settings for steamed milk, microfoam, thick froth and cold foam
The stainless steel jug is large, and clearly marked inside and out with volume guides and drink types (cortado, cappuccino, latte), along with min/max fill levels. The whisk attachment is also easy to insert and remove.
Hot milk cannot be frothed at the same time as the coffee shot is being poured, but a queueing feature allows the jug to be placed and the machine to start frothing automatically once extraction is complete. If you’re opting for cold foam, this can be made at the same time as the coffee shot is being extracted.
Is it easy to clean?
The machine’s exterior is mostly plastic, making it easy to wipe clean, although some stainless steel sections require extra attention and some cracks and crevices around the controls can trap dirt and grime.
Adrian says light cleaning after each use is ideal. “Wipe down the milk wand, wash out the group head and rinse out the drip tray. These parts are easy to remove and rinse under a tap, however, the drip tray is made up of four pieces.”
The funnel, whisk, cleaning disc, water reservoir, bean hopper and drip tray can all be cleaned in the dishwasher.
The machine also has a clean cycle which takes around six minutes and uses a cleaning disc and tablet. A light on the machine will illuminate to indicate when cleaning is required. It will also prompt you when it’s time for descaling which simply involves flushing the machine with the Ninja descale powder that’s provided.
The unit is quite large and takes up a fair bit of bench space, but Adrian says “the clever use of integrated storage for additional accessories helps to alleviate clutter and provides quick and convenient access to these items when needed”.
Is the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine worth buying?
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Espresso Machine is a high-performing coffee machine that’s easy to use once you familiarise yourself with its settings.
Adrian says, “the automated features add a layer of convenience while also allowing for manual adjustments like changing the brew temperature, froth temperature and grind size”.
“Most importantly, it brews a great shot of coffee,” he adds.
Fiona and Chantelle were also pleased with the coffee produced by the machine and enjoyed experimenting with different drink options and milk frothing styles, saying “with a range of coffee options, it’s flexible enough to please any coffee connoisseur”.
However, Fiona was somewhat disappointed by the build quality. “The mostly plastic build and lightweight parts make it feel less premium, and at $800, you’d expect something that feels more durable,” she says.
If you’re in the market for a new coffee machine, the Ninja is worth taking a look at. It’s well-designed and convenient to use with lots of helpful prompts, plenty of coffee options and most importantly, it can produce a great shot of coffee.
If you’re a CHOICE member, check out our comprehensive test review of the Ninja Luxe model and see how it compares to other machines.
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Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney. LinkedIn
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney. LinkedIn
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