Coffee is big business, and as technology improves, home coffee makers are increasingly popular. They save you time and money and are increasingly essential as more of us work from home.
However, there are so many different styles of coffee; there's drip, espresso, latte, filter, cold brew, and many more – and no one wants to buy a separate machine for each one. Some people opt to invest in one of the best espresso machines, which is great, but these can get expensive.
Enter the Ninja DualBrew Pro. This coffee maker means that you can make both drip coffee as well as use K-Cups. That's saying nothing of the milk frother, iced coffee function, or the independent water line to make tea.
I tested every function of this coffee maker in my own home to see how it stacks up against the best single-serve coffee makers. I found a versatile appliance that will let you make a wide range of drinks for a fair price, although you'll need to clear a lot of room first.
Specfications
Unboxing
The Ninja DualBrew Pro comes in a large box, and you’ll find a user manual and quickstart guide inside. This coffee maker is great for many types of brew types and brew styles, and it even has a display that will adapt depending on the brew type and keep you posted on the progress of your brew. Overall, the Ninja DualBrew Pro is relatively compact, and it even has a retractable arm for the frothing tool and room to store the Ninja smart scoop on the machine itself. The only loose item is the Ninja pod adapter, which can be stored separately when not being used. However, it's a very tall appliance.
For coffee grounds, you can brew 8 to 55 ounces, and pods are designed for 6 to 12 ounce brews. Hot water can be from 2 to 60 ounces. To prime the brewing process, fill the water vessel with water and run the 55-ounce brew cycle in the carriage. The water vessel is detachable, so it’s easier to refill at the sink and reattach. The brew basket is used when brewing pods or grounds, and there is a Ninja pod adapter that is locked in place over the brew basket when brewing pods.
What's it like to use?
To use the Ninja DualBrew Pro, start by choosing your brewing method, preferred size, and brewing style. Brew styles can be rich, classic, over ice, or a specialty brew, Classic brew styles are more balanced, whereas rich brews tend to have stronger flavors. The over ice brew style is more concentrated and is designed to be made over ice without being watered down. The specialty brew is made for coffee drinks like lattes, macchiatos, and other coffee shop drinks, and this only brews 4 ounces. When it comes to making drip coffee or coffee from a pod, Ninja DualBrew heats up the water to a consistent temperature and evenly saturates the coffee ground so they’re all used equally.
You can place a travel mug or carafe on the warming plate, or pull down the cup platform and set a mug on it. Once you’re ready, press the Start Brew button to start brewing, and you can track progress using the illuminating progress bar. The Ninja DualBrew will beep several times when your coffee is ready.
Test 1: Coffee pods
If you want to make coffee quickly and without having to measure out your grounds, brewing coffee pods is a great option. If you’re using the pod mode, install the Ninja pod adapter in the brewer over the brew basket and ensure that the indicator on the left side is aligned with “Lock.” This can be a little tedious to add and replace if you alternate between brewing pods and coffee grounds, but the ability to do both methods from one machine makes it worth it.
Once you’ve added the adapter, which will be detected automatically by the coffee maker, take your Ninja-compatible K-Cup place it in the top vessel, and choose your ounce amount, which can be 6 to 12 ounces. Firmly press down the handle to pierce your pod, choose your quantity, and then press the round button to start brewing. There is a drip stop that can be used to stop the brewing process, and this can be closed or reopened at any point during the brewing process.
Test 2: Coffee Grounds
This machine doesn’t come with a coffee grinder, so you’ll need to grind your own coffee beans or buy grounds. If you’re brewing coffee grounds, use the included Ninja Smart Cup to measure coffee grounds and follow the guidance for the number of scoops for each brew size, which can be found on the handle of the Smart Scoop.
This was my preferred method because it uses less waste than pods, and I was able to add more grounds if I wanted a stronger brew. I found that the Ninja DualBrew Pro did an effective job of saturating the coffee grounds so my brew was rich and balanced every time.
Test 3 - Frothing Milk
If you like to enjoy your coffee with frothed milk or creamer, you can also use the frothing tool to foam up half a cup of milk, a milk alternative, or creamer. To do so, swing the arm of the frother and install the frother whisk by twisting up and to the right. Ensuring that the frothing whisk is submerged just below the surface, and press and hold the frothing button for 30 to 45 seconds. Then remove the frother by twisting up and to the left and clean at the sink or dishwasher.
Overall, I found that the frother made cold almond milk creamer pretty bubbly and sweeter but not foamy, so this machine isn’t replacing my reliance on Nespresso Aeroccino3 Milk Frother, available at Amazon for cold foam. However, this frother was much more effective with oat milk. The milk frother also won’t heat up the milk, so you’ll need to do that on your own first.
Test 4: Hot water
You can boil hot water to two different temperatures, which can be used for things like oatmeal, hot chocolate, or tea. To switch to hot water mode, turn the dial to the water droplet icon. Then, water will be dispensed next to the coffee outlet.
Test 5: Keeping coffee warm
The warming plate turns on and stays on for two hours if you’re brewing at least ¼ of a carafe on classic or rich brew, and will be off automatically otherwise. The warming plate can also be turned on manually for up to four hours using the “Keep Warm” button at the front of the coffee maker, and you’ll know the warming plate is on when the triangular icon at the base of brew is illuminated.
When I prepared my coffee in an open vessel like a mug but forgot to turn on the warming plate, I often needed to warm it up again after 15 to 20 minutes. However, coffee tended to stay hot when prepared in the closed carafe or travel mug, or when I turned on the warming plate before preparing my coffee.
Taste Test
The taste of the coffee from the Ninja DualBrew Pro varies depending on the brew style, but it doesn’t get watered down. Coffee made on the specialty method is designed for espresso-based drinks and is well-balanced when combined with dairy or creamer.
However, this method didn’t stand up as a replacement for my espresso machine because it didn’t have a robust enough flavor, though the brew was stronger than a classic brew overall. The classic brew style tastes rich without being overpowering, and the over-ice option prepares a stronger brew so it doesn’t get watered down when prepared over ice.
Overall, the Ninja DualBrew Pro brews a consistent cup of coffee every time, and you can turn off the brew at any point if you choose the wrong size.
Cleaning And Maintenance
If you’re brewing pods, you can remove the used pod from the Ninja pod adapter and then remove the adapter from the brewer.
The Ninja DualBrew Pro is made with modular parts that can be easily removed, so it’s easy to remove Ninja pod adapter, frothing tool, and water reservoir for cleaning. They're all dishwasher safe, saving you from washing them by hand.
How does it rate online?
People love the Ninja DualBrew. If you look online you'll find nothing but praise for the versatility offered by the Ninja. The people who seemed to enjoy theirs the most were those who switched between the different brewing methods. This tended to be large households with lots of different coffee drinkers: everyone could enjoy their coffee how they liked it.
Flavor-wise, people seemed satisfied, especially since you can adjust settings and try out different pods. They all said that it was easy to use, and quick to brew, and lots of people appreciated that the warming plate can keep coffee hot for up to four hours.
However, a tiny handful of users on Amazon felt that the filter isn't quite perfect. They could see residual grounds in the bottom of their coffee cup, whilst others felt that the espresso could be a little bolder.
How Does It Compare?
The fairest comparison is with the De'Longhi All In One Combination Coffee Maker, another combination coffee maker. It ultimately comes down to styles of coffee. The All In One makes espresso, drip coffee, and lattes; the DualBrew makes drip coffee, single-serve, lattes and teas. If you're devoted to K-cups or Nespresso, the DualBrew is the clear winner, but if you want proper homemade espresso, you have to go with the All In One. However, you should also bear in mind that the DualBrew is usually $100 cheaper, depending on sales.
While we love that you can steam milk in the DualBrew, it's an extra step that takes practice and effort. A machine like the Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic can make milky coffees like lattes and cappuccinos automatically without you having to take any extra steps.
It's also pretty tall on a countertop, so you might be better off with a more compact coffee pod machine like the Nespresso Vertuo Next if you have low cabinetry.
Should you buy the Ninja DualBrew Coffee Maker?
The Ninja DualBrew Pro retails for $230, and it’s a great coffee maker for people who want the flexibility and convenience to brew with grounds or pods all-in-one coffee maker. From the frothing tool and display with the illuminating progress bar to the removable water vessel, even the small details are well considered. For the average coffee maker at home, this is a great option.
How we test
At Homes & Gardens, our testing process is rigorous across all coffee makers. We have a standard series of coffees that we ask every coffee machine to make: espresso, Americano, and cappuccino. Espresso shows us how well the machine extracts the fundamental flavors of your coffee, an Americano shows us how well it can balance and dilute the espresso: there’s real skill in keeping coffee hot, but not burning it. Cappuccinos can be tricky to test because not every machine has milk-frothing functions. If they do though, we look for smooth, silky milk (on both dairy and non-dairy options), which adds sweetness to the normally more punchy and acidic espressos.
Machines like the Ninja work on different brewing styles, so we make sure to test those out too. Essentially, every function that a model offers, we make sure to test. Once we've scored the flavors, time, and temperature of each cup of coffee, we'll tale a step back and evaluate whether the machine is good value for money. We compare it to other models on the market, look at other reviews, and make notes on how we found using it longer-term too.
If you want to find out more, you can find all the details on our dedicated page for how we test coffee makers.
