The short version
| Ninja Luxe Café Premier | Breville Barista Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.00 | ✓ $499.95 |
| Grinder | ✓ Built in, and it weighs each dose | Built in, measures by time |
| Milk | ✓ Froths it for you, hot or cold | You steam it by hand |
| Also makes | ✓ Drip coffee and cold brew | Espresso only |
| Water tank | 2 L (68 oz) | 2 L (68 oz) |
| Works with standard Breville parts | No | ✓ Yes, 54 mm |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
A check mark shows which one comes out ahead on that line.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it Our pick
You want café-style lattes and cappuccinos most mornings, and you don’t want to learn how to dial in espresso. You like that one machine also makes drip coffee and cold brew.
Skip it
You want to learn espresso by hand, or you want to upgrade parts later. Get the Barista Express instead. Skip it too if a loud grinder in the morning would bother your house.
Your first latte
Ninja Luxe Café
- Fill the water tank and pour beans into the top.
- Turn it on. Ninja says it’s ready in under 30 seconds. CoffeeGeek saw 30 to 45 seconds.
- Choose your drink. It grinds the right amount of coffee by weight.
- Pull the lever. It packs the coffee down for you. Lock the handle in and press brew.
- Pour milk into the jug, pick a foam setting, and let it froth on its own.
- Pour the milk over the espresso. Empty the drip tray often.
The milk is the easy part. It comes with a milk jug that has a magnetic whisk inside. CoffeeGeek.
What reviewers measured
“the dose usually sits at 17.8g, give or take .15g, across 10 measurements.”
CoffeeGeek on the Ninja Luxe Café, September 2024 · read the review
“For a machine that controls the dose and ratio for you, the espresso is surprisingly consistently good.”
CoffeeGeek on the Ninja Luxe Café, January 2026 · read the review
“In our testing of hundreds of shots, our grinder setting remained stable between 5 and 7.”
CoffeeGeek on the Ninja Luxe Café, January 2026 · read the review
“There is no getting around it, this machine is loud.”
CoffeeGeek on the Ninja Luxe Café, January 2026 · read the review
What can go wrong
- The plastic funnel that guides the coffee can crack, and the machine won’t grind without it. CoffeeGeek calls the reports widespread. (owner report)
- Shot size can swing a lot. One reviewer who owns one saw 42 grams one shot and 50 or more the next. (owner report)
- It rinses itself often, so the drip tray fills and the tank empties faster than you’d think. (owner report)
- A few owners say the milk frother stopped working within weeks. (owner report)
Its handle, baskets and funnel are Ninja’s own, so a broken part comes from Ninja, not from the big shelf of Breville-size parts.
Questions people ask
Can the Ninja Luxe Café make cold foam and cold brew?
Yes. It has a cold foam setting, and it also makes cold brew. source
What is the difference between the Premier, the Pro and the Essential?
The Premier (ES601) makes espresso, drip coffee and cold brew, with 4 milk froth presets. The Pro (ES701) adds a hot water spout and a fifth froth preset. source
What comes in the box?
Portafilter, milk jug, two baskets, assisted tamper, funnel, cleaning brush and disc, descaling powder, hard water test kit. source
Is the Ninja Luxe Café worth it?
Yes, if you want great lattes and cappuccinos with almost nothing to learn. It does the grinding, weighing and milk for you. If you want to learn to make espresso by hand, the Breville Barista Express teaches you more and takes standard 54 mm parts.
Does the Ninja Luxe Café need a separate grinder?
No. The grinder is built in, and the machine weighs the coffee it grinds.
Do Breville accessories fit the Ninja Luxe Café?
No. CoffeeGeek: “While it shares the triple bayonet design of Breville's 54mm portafilters, they aren't compatible due to the recessed grouphead designed for the deeper portafilter.” source. Ninja doesn’t publish a tamper size either. See tamper sizes for other machines.
Every spec
Show every spec, with sources
Each figure links to where it came from, usually the maker. “Maker doesn’t say” means we couldn’t find it in the maker’s specs or another source we can link.
Compare it
- Want to learn espresso by hand? Ninja Luxe Café vs Barista Express.
- Want to spend less? The best espresso machines under $500.
- Thinking about a Breville without a grinder? The Breville Bambino.
How we picked
We read each maker’s manual, the reviews where testers used these machines, and owner forums, and we link every fact. Brands don’t pay us to be picked. How we check.
Coffee for the Ninja
See the best espresso beans for a Breville and the best ground coffee for an espresso machine for what to put in it.