[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Easy to use after following the directions and scanning the QR codes for videos. Intimidating at first but a few brews in and I’m trying all kinds of different drinks. Setup and Use The pieces and parts were intimidating at first because you’re not sure what everything is and how to use it. My wife and I spent about 30 minutes cleaning the parts and reading through some of the instructions. I like the QR codes you can scan for instructional videos. There’s an instruction manual as well if that’s your preference. Each part has a place on the machine and there’s some included cleaning supplies in a small box that I stashed away for future use. After running a rinse, I was ready for the first use. There are included test strips to test your water hardness. You then use the results from the test to adjust the water hardness setting on your Café Premier Espresso machine. The Espresso function needs a few cycles of whatever bean you’re using to learn your bean, find the perfect grind for the perfect espresso. After making the adjustments, you can just drink the test brews or dump it and make a third “optimized” espresso. Modes and Results Like it says in the description, you can do Espresso, Coffee, and Cold Brew. We started off with the espresso, double shot. You simply load in the correct basket (it can sense which one is loaded in and provide the correct options). You put the filter attachment onto the portafilter that helps with keeping the coffee grounds from going everywhere. With your favorite coffee beans loaded, select the recommended ground size for your espresso and press grind. I was happy to hear the grinder isn’t obnoxiously loud like my previous stand-alone grinder. Remove the grinder filter and use the tamper to press the grounds. There’s a built-in spring to let you know when you’ve applied the perfect amount of pressure. Load the portafilter into the machine and turn the handle. It carries some resistance so twist hard. As long as it’s moving, you’re likely doing it right. Press start brewing and you’ll watch the espresso pour out of the portafilter into your cup. If you like drip coffee, it can do that too. Much of the process is the same except you use the larger filter basket and avoid the tamper after grinding. Select normal, rich, over ice, or cold brew, depending on your preference, and the cup size. It goes up to 18oz from 6oz. It’ll grind the appropriate amount of beans based on your cup size setting. Load it in like you would the espresso and press brew. If you’re brewing cold coffee, it may take a bit longer, but it doesn’t take long for hot to brew. Finally, if you want to make delicious drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, cold foams, there’s a frother and steam wand to help you do that. Simply remove the cup and pull out the wand. Use the included book with recipe recommendations to pour the amount of cream or milk needed for the drink. Place the cup back into the machine with the wand inserted into the milk. Select the froth level and start the process. Through the wand, steam will be injected into the milk to get it to the correct temperature and consistency while the whisk in the bottom does the frothing. It’ll let you know when it’s done, just remove the cup (the wand will extend out with it) and pour your desired amount. Simply use a damp cloth to clean the outside of the wand and push it back into place (without the cup). The automatic purge system will clean out the wand into the drip tray. Cleaning and Storage Cleaning is easy. There are built in cleaning functions like simply running a cycle with a empty cup underneath and the auto purge for the frother steam wand. Many of the parts are high quality stainless and dish washer safe. Refer to the manual for which parts can be washed. The espresso machine will also let you know when it’s time to run a clean cycle by flashing “clean” on the display. It uses water and a drip tray to flush out the system. I have yet to run a cleaning cycle, but there are instructions on how to do so in the manual. As far as where you keep all the accessories? Well, they have storage places for every item (outside of descaler and cleaning tablets). There’s a place for the filter baskets, cleaning disk, and brush on the right and you can store the tamper and grinder filter on the left. This way you don’t lose any parts, and everything is conveniently right there for use. Taste and Final Thoughts Taste is going to be subjective, depending on what kind of beans you use and the drinks you make. I find the espresso’s made from my medium roast beans to be very tasty and rich. I’m not huge on non-flavored lattes or cappuccinos. I prefer a touch of vanilla, caramel, or chocolate. Mochas are my favorite, and I can’t wait to find the perfect recipe. If you prefer a guided hand, there’s an included guided barista manual that will help you make all different types of flavored drinks. The recipes are easy to follow and being able to make your own espresso shots opens the door for a ton of different drink types I couldn’t make before. This is a large machine but compared to other espresso machine’s I’ve seen available for purchase; Ninja did a great job condensing all these functions into a compact design. A lot of the machine and its parts are stainless. It does a lot for the curb appeal for my kitchen which I can appreciate. I am a bit disappointed there’s no functionality for brewing teas. With the increased popularity of a different variety of tea, I would like to rid myself of my other brewer that does handle both the bean and the leaf. I may eventually try and get away with testing some teas in this machine, but I don’t want to do anything that may damage or ruin the integrity of the machine, so for now, I’ll be hanging on to my old combo unit. If you’re looking to expand your home barista arsenal to something more than flavored creamers in your drip coffee, and maybe save some money from hitting your local coffee shop every day, you should be interested in this product. If you’ve collected a few different devices and are looking to condense it all into one package, this will check that box too.

Wanted to love this machine due to its advertised simplicity and ability to do regular “drip” coffee. But unfortunately this machine was not for me. No matter if I followed the recommendation from the machine or tried changing the grind size or brew temp it always tasted burnt. The burnt taste followed from espresso setting and in the “drip” coffee setting as well. Have tried various beans and cleared the grinder before putting the new beans. Though it is really simple to use personally some tuning is needed to the software to get recommended settings to not have the espresso or coffee tasting burnt. Ended up returning the product though still waiting for the refund.

Amazing machine. It’s extremely easy to use which is the main reason I love it. The reason for 3 stars is due to the portafilter funnel. Unfortunately the plastic has chipped in 2 places & I’ve only had it for a few weeks now. For the price of the machine I would expect the parts to be super high quality. But again, other than that issue, machine is amazing.

Exactly as expected. Like it because you have choices between expresso and drip coffee. Also like the my previous ninja coffee I can pick the size I need. Got me a De'longhi Magnifica Evo before this one and would definitely prefer this one as to make frappe in my ninja slushi and need at least 2 cups of coffee something would take long time with the De'longhi. Very happy with my purchase. I can also foam heavy cream some was impossible with the Magnifica Evo.

I have a vacation house on Cape Cod Mass. I enjoy my morning cappuccino when we are home from my Breville Barista machine. I didn’t want to spend what I spent for the Breville. When I saw the Ninja luxe I was very happy with its price point. I ordered it for the vacation house. I love it. It functions exactly as promised. Its very easy to use and it involves almost zero clean up. Great machine

I am enjoying this machine and have comments. It was well packaged and mostly recyclable except for 2 large styrofoam blocks. Unpacking and set up was easy. The espresso machine is attractive. Initial preparation prior to first use was simple. The water reservoir is substantial and easy to fill without removing it from the machine. Removing the bean hopper is straightforward. This machine has unique features such as weighing the portafilter, funnel and beans prior to starting the grind (setting suggested depending on the selected brew). So far I have made drip coffee and cappuccinos multiple times and have been pleased with the results. I’ve been experimenting with 3 different coffees. I appreciate the additional settings such as the ability to reduce the amount of grind for drip coffee. Another useful feature is froth queuing…which starts the frothing immediately after the espresso brew has finished…clever. As this is fairly new to me I can’t yet comment on the cleaning functions. Overall this is a very good purchase.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Ninja Luxe Cafe guides me to making elevated coffee and espresso drinks. It looks complicated, but there are QR codes and videos to accompany the included printed material, and the displays also guide one along from grinding to brewing. The first step in setup is testing the water hardness with included test strips. Each time you fill the bean hopper (with a UV-protective cover), the machine likes to be calibrated for best results. The portafilters, dosing funnel, spring-assisted tamper, and cleaning brush all stow into designated places on the sides. One feature I especially like is that the frothing unit’s steam wand has a purge function that sends fresh steam through it to clean out any residual milk. That purged water collects in the base of the unit. There is a little float button in the corner that pops up when the water in the base needs to be emptied. The machine will suggest which grind setting is best for the drink you want to make, and then you just rotate the grinder dial unto the setting matches the recommendation. The grinder weighs the portafilter and knows precisely how much coffee to grind for the drink you want. We have been enjoying both espresso drinks and rich classic drip coffees. The frothing unit can produce several types of velvety froth. Ninja has done its best to make the machine accessible for the average person. There are QR codes and stickers showing classic beverage instructions. Fabrication is excellent quality. Lots of stainless steel, and any plastics are of high quality. The water reservoir is thoughtfully designed, with volume markings, ergonomically designed hand grips that also serve as mounting notches, and a fairly high capacity so that you’re not having to refill it after just a couple of uses. It is also surprisingly easy to clean. I don’t have a knock box but have been using a plastic citrus peeler to dislodge the used ‘puck’ from the portafilter after each use. The machine looks good, feels good, and produces really lovely beverages. My aunt really looks forward to afternoon salted caramel cappuccino time!

Love the Ninja luxe. Anything you make it comes out perfect.We all stopped going to well known coffee houses And to be honest,This actually makes better coffee drinks. The only thing is they don’t offer the testing tabs,The cleaning tablets nor the descale powder to purchase if needed.I prefer to use the products that are used for this brand.I am sure I’m not the only one who will feel this way, considering it’s of importance for Ninja Luxe to work properly

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The ninja luxe Cafe premier series espresso maker is beyond easy to use. They have great tutorials and easy to follow instructions to get you on your way to making the perfect espresso drink! This machine is a beauty too! It's more compact than I thought as well and looks great on the countertop. All of the extras and cleaning tools fit conveniently into the machine as well making it's foot print even smaller. I'm definitely ditching the coffee shop for this one.

I bought this less than 60 days ago. The funnel broke in like 1 month, plus the funnel alarm constantly comes on. It takes about 20 try’s to get it to work. Additionally, the gravity feed for the bean hopper needs constant assistance or it stops feeding. They need to take this poorly engineered machine back to formula and try again. I am on the replacement funnel list for the second time, first one sold out in minutes due to the extreme amount of people that already need a replacement funnel. I now own a large metal boat anchor…extremely disappointed