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Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series ES601UK Review
Other machines can make better, or more, coffee, but nothing does everything the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series can.
In This Article
Verdict
An incredibly flexible machine, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series can make everything from espresso to cold brew and filter coffee. Its integrated grinder and Barista Assist Technology hold your hand through the process, making it possible for anyone to pour an excellent shot of espresso. Automatic milk frothing, for plant or dairy milk, further extends this machine’s capabilities.
Arguably, there are more expensive manual machines that pour better espresso, but there’s a steep learning curve with them and each batch of new beans typically sees wastage that Ninja avoids. If you love coffee and love having it in different styles, there’s nothing else this good.
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The problem I have as a coffee lover is the sheer amount of kit that I need based on my current preferences and types of beans.
If I’m drinking a Jamaican Blue Mountain, then I quite like a filter coffee; if I’m drinking a rich Peruvian, then a shot of espresso works; and, when it’s warmer, I like a cold brew. With the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series, I need just one machine, as this one does everything.
With smart Barista Assist Technology built-in, this coffee machine also takes the pain out of trying to get the right grind. For those who love variety, there’s nothing like it.
Design and features
Externally, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series looks much like any other manual espresso machine, with an integrated grinder and 250g bean hopper on top. In some ways, it is a manual espresso machine; however, look a little deeper and you can see all of the other features available, making this machine far more powerful and flexible, as well as the nice touches that I’ve come to expect from Ninja.
For starters, Ninja has thoughtfully made storage places for all of the accessories. With this model, there are three single-walled portafilters, for single-, double- and the Luxe quad-shots of espresso (with the latter also used for other styles of drinks).
When not in use, the filters and the cleaning disc (which is used with cleaning tablets), are tucked away into the storage space on the right-hand side of the coffee machine.
On the left-hand side, there’s space for the neat tamper and the funnel, which fits over the portafilter.
There’s a large 2-litre water tank at the back, which takes water filters. This lifts out, but could really do with a handle on top to make the job easier. That’s particularly true when refilled, as it’s a delicate act to smoothly drop the water tank into place.
Once turned on, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series’s real difference becomes obvious, sporting a control panel that shows the vast range of drinks that can be made: espresso, quad, americano, cold-pressed (great for espresso martinis), classic (filter), rich, over ice and cold brew.
Each coffee drink starts with the need to grind beans, using the integrated grinder, which has 25 grind settings. Normally, the biggest pain with using a coffee machine and grinder is getting the grind and tamp right; the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series makes this job easy with Barista Assist.
First up, once the handle is inserted into the grinder, the coffee machine automatically picks up the filter used, so it knows how much coffee to grind. Secondly, the screen shows the recommended grind level to use for each type of drink.
For each batch of beans, the starting recommendation is likely to be slightly wrong. However, after each shot of espresso, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series recalculates the recommended grind. That’s exceptionally clever, and I found that I only had to pull two shots of espresso to get the grind spot on.
Helping with the tamp is the spring-loaded tamper. Fit this over the portafilter, press down all the way and you’re good to go.
There are some drinks, such as the Classic coffee, that require a coarser grind and no tamping. In these cases, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series recommends a higher grind, such as 22.
Most grinders can only have their grind adjusted while running, which can mean a lot of wasted coffee if you have to go from espresso to filter coffee. The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series cleverly just gently moves the grinder as the grind is adjusted, so there’s only a tiny amount of wastage.
Next, to make life easier, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series automatically pours the right type of drink, based on the programme and detected filter. For example, it knows whether to pour a single or double espresso; make an Americano, and hot water is added before the espresso is added on top. You can also add hot water separately if you wish.
There are multiple drinks sizes available, labelled as S, M, L and XL, with ‘+’ signs showing half-steps between. These correspond to 175ml, 235ml, 295ml, 355ml, 415ml, 475ml and 530ml mug sizes, so make sure you get the right mug underneath.
Fortunately, the adjustable mug stand allows mugs of up to 20cm to be placed underneath, so you can even put a large travel cup under the spout.
Coffee programmes operate completely differently, based on the drink. Espresso, for example, pours straight through; for classic coffee, the machine uses the Luxe filter and then starts and stops its pour to infuse the grinds and give a result that’s similar to using a dedicated filter coffee machine.
There’s also milk frothing built in, with a steam wand and a special jug that has a whisk in it, similar to the one at the bottom of theNespresso Barista. In this way, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series froths milk using two methods, with a choice of foams (steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth and cold froth).
There are even marks on the jug to show the milk level for each type of drink, cortado, cappuccino and latte, plus a selection to choose between plant and dairy milk.
Neatly, once I’d finished frothing, the wand goes back into place and purges into the special purge hole at the bottom, which feeds into the drip tray. The wand just needs a wipe to remove excess milk.
Overall, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series looks and works in a similar way to a manual coffee machine, only with many of the benefits of a bean-to-cup machine.
Coffee quality
For the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series, I had to run more tests than normal, as it does so much more. I started with a double shot of espresso, following the grind suggestion. Using my Fairtrade Peruvian Beans, I managed to get a nice, rich shot of espresso. Deep black and with a golden, oily crema on top, which stayed for a few minutes, the result was good.
I did find that the espresso was too hot, though, at over 80°C. I set the coffee machine to a lower temperature, and the espresso was 73°C. That’s still a bit too hot, and closer to 65°C is where it should be.
The taste was good, with a rich shot of espresso, and the beans’ characteristic acidity and hint of bitterness coming through.
That’s a great result from a machine at this price, and I’ve only seen better when spending a lot more on the kit, such as with theWPM KD-310VPSand a Lelit William PL72 grinder. Both machines cost a lot more than the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series, and need a lot more manual work to get them working. What you get with Ninja’s machine is very good results, faster operation and very little faff.
I then poured a classic coffee using the same beans, which delivered a different taste profile entirely. Filter coffee is smoother, less intense in taste and delivers a more subtle experience. I’d say that the filter coffee here is as good as from a standard machine, although with something like theMelitta AromaFresh II Therm Proyou can get a pot of coffee in one go; with the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series, pouring multiple drinks is relatively slow.
What the filter option highlights is the slight limitation of the hopper, which can only take one kind of coffee. I’d ideally like a swappable hopper, so that I could change my beans based on the type of drink that I’m making. I typically drink island coffees using a filter machine, as I typically give them a lighter roast and find that the subtlety of flavour and their low bitterness work best this way.
Next, I made cold brew coffee. Cleverly, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series rinses through with cold water to take the heat out, and then it pours using cold water only, over a cup of ice.
Normal cold brew coffee has to sit for over a day, but the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series make a cup in minutes. Traditional cold brew is a touch smoother and a bit richer, but this fast method is impressive.
Again the taste profile is different, with less bitterness, but giving a true, rich coffee taste; I find that standard iced coffee, made by pouring hot coffee over ice, can just taste like a cold cup of old coffee, which isn’t great. Having proper cold brew is a clear step up.
Milk frothing
Milk frothing is handled automatically using a combination of a whisk and a steam wand. There’s a choice of three foam levels for hot milk, and a cold foam option, too. I started with hot dairy milk, making a flat white, using the thin froth option. The resulting drink was great, with tightly packed microfoam, and a smooth, silky texture to it.
It’s hard to get a lot better than this with a manually operated steam wand and coffee machine.
I then moved on to plant milk, which can be difficult to froth properly. Choosing barista-style oat milk, I frothed it to the maximum level to make a cappuccino. The resulting coffee was the best that I’ve achieved with plant milk: a nice, tightly packed foamy top that maintained its shape and bubbles for a long time.
Maintenance
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series is pretty easy to clean up. After making coffee, the shower head should be wiped with a damp cloth, as should the steam wand. The jug needs to be washed by hand, and the drip tray should be removed and cleaned regularly: there’s a full indicator that bobs up, plus the machine says when it’s time to empty it.
Other than that, the descaling programme needs to be run when suggested (this depends on the water hardness level you set), and the coffee system should be cleaned with a tablet and the cleaning disc when prompted.
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Should you buy it?
You want flexibility and ease
Pretty much any style of drink is available from this coffee machine, and it’s easy to use, too.
You want the best espresso possible
High-end coffee machines and grinders can produce better espresso if you’re willing to pay for them.
Final Thoughts
There are manual espresso machines that can make better shots of coffee; there are filter machines that make more coffee, faster; there’s no machine that can do everything the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series can.
For those that want variety, or want the taste of manual espresso without the faff of handling a manual grinder and tamper, this is an exceptional coffee machine. It makes great espresso, it froths automatically well, and then it can make everything from cold brew to filter coffee, holding your hand all the way with Barista Assist. In terms of flexibility, nothing else on my list of thebest coffee machinescomes close.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every coffee machine we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy.
Used as our main coffee machine for the review period
Tested for at least a week
We roast our own beans for regular coffee machines, so we can fairly compare each machine; pod machines are tested with a variety of compatible capsules
Depending on capabilities, we test each machine’s ability to make espresso and cappuccino
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FAQs
No, once the hopper is full, you need to use up the beans before switching.
This technology monitors the flow rate of coffee and then automatically suggests the grind to use.
Full specs
Starting life on the consumer PC press back in 1998, David has been at the forefront of technology for the past 20 years. He has edited Computer Shopper and Expert Reviews, and once wrote a book on ho…
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
