Ninja's first coffee machine has finally landed in the UK and here at Ideal Home, we could not be more excited. The Ninja Luxe Café, which at first glance seems an exceptionally versatile bean-to-cup coffee machine, will be available to buy from the Ninja website imminently. If you're interested, you can sign up now to receive updates.
This machine has been available in the US for some time, with rave reviews from consumers across the pond. The selling point of the Luxe Café is its versatility; it's capable of providing you with espresso, filter coffee and cold brew at home, and features automatic milk frothing, so that you can be guided through the process of making a perfect at-home latte.
As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I've been impatiently waiting for the release of this model, which many in the US think is one of the best coffee machines, for some time. Here are my inital thoughts as I take a first look at everything it can do.
This machine is kitted out with Barista Assist Technology, designed to help you through all the brewing process steps, and is equipped with a huge range of grind sizes and settings, and therefore perfect for beginners and coffee experts alike.
Ninja's first ever espresso machine launches in the UK
On first glances, the Ninja Luxe Café looks a lot like one of the top-rated coffee machines we've ever tried, the Sage Barista Express Impress. There are a fair amount of similarities, including an integrated grinder, and an intuitive system to help you pull your espresso, from adjusting the grind size to tamping.
And there's more, with a Dual Froth System for longer drinks. Using the integrated, automatic milk frother, the machine whisks and heats the milk of your choice (plant-based or not) to match the drink type you've selected. It can craft cold or hot microfoam, so an array of drinks types should be possible.
One very interesting feature of this Ninja machine I've noticed is the extra-large portafilter, which is far larger than any other I've seen before, including on the Sage machine I have at home. It's supersized so that you can brew double or quad shots at home, which is a lot of coffee. But hey, you might appreciate it on those days you really need a wake up call.
The thing I think is most exciting about this machine is how intuitive it sounds to use, though that should hardly be a surprise given how geared the best Ninja air fryers are to user friendliness.
Lots of people tend to opt for pod coffee machines at home, as learning the ropes with an espresso machine can seem confusing and expensive. But if you persevere, the results with an espresso machine are much better, and this machine might just be about to make the process a little more accessible. Ninja claims the Barista Assist Technology with this machine can offer customised grind size recommendations, and make adjustments on temperature and pressure according to the type of brew you want.
I'm looking forward to seeing if this machine lives up to the hype during our testing process, where we'll look at the user friendliness and the all-important quality of the coffee it can brew. As with all Ninja products, we've got high hopes!
