Ninja is not a new name in most households, and more so amongst coffee lovers. This USA-based manufacturer is pushing the boundaries in an attempt to bring the café experience home. They seem to have successfully done so with the Ninja coffee bar systems.
This brand is known for its incredible combination of different coffee brewing styles. Whether you are a fan of steam-powered espresso-style shots or you prefer drip-brew coffee with a bolder flavor, there is a Ninja coffee machine awaiting you.
Let’s take you through what we think are the best Ninja coffee makers for the money today.
🌟 CoffeeVerdict’s Top Pick: Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother (CM401)
Highlights:
- SCA-certified
- 6 brew sizes
- 4 brew sizes
- 50-ounce water tank
- Foldaway frother
- Permanent filter
Filling our number one slot, the CM401 is among the latest releases by Ninja, and it’s slowly becoming most families’ favorite.
This is an advanced maker measuring 12’’ by 8’’ by 15’’ and weighing 13.4 pounds. The fact that it is taller than it’s wide means that it will occupy minimal space on your tops, provided you have enough vertical space.
The CM401 uses grounded coffee and offers several brewing styles to match your coffee needs; classic brew, rich brew (stronger than classic), and specialty. The latter is a super-concentrated shot that’s very close to espresso thanks to its higher caffeine content and flavor.
Another interesting aspect of the Ninja CM401 is its 6 brew size options. Using the dial knob on its control interface, you can brew a small cup (9.5-oz), large cup (11.5-oz), 14-ounce travel mug, 18-ounce travel mug, half a carafe, or even a full carafe. It also has a foldable frother that turns hot or cold milk into a silky froth.
Note that the CM401 uses a glass carafe and has a heated plate. You could also get it with a thermal carafe by going for the CM407.
Pros 👍
✔ Has a permanent filter
✔ Offers multiple brew sizes
✔ Foldable frother for compact storage
✔ Allows different brew strength settings
✔ SCA-certified
Cons 👎
✘ Uses a non-heating frother
✘ Brewing process is loud at first
View Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother (CM401) on Amazon
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System (CP307)
Highlights:
- Brew coffee and tea
- Smart basket recognition
- 6 brew sizes
- 5 brew styles
- Fold-away frother
Yet another recently released model, the CP307 seems to introduce a new design concept to Sharkninja’s line of coffee makers. There’s more to go for on this model besides the design, though.
Cutting to the chase, what we like about this unit is the number of beverage options that you get. Let’s face it: coffee could be a universal drink, but there are those of us who prefer hot chocolate or tea. If some of your family members or friends fall into this group, a coffee machine that accommodates them may be hard to beat. You’ve just found it- the CP307.
Besides brewing coffee, this coffee maker can also entertain your tea-loving friends with anything from herbal to black tea, white tea, oolong, and green tea.
For cuppa lovers, this machine will treat you to 5 brew styles to satisfy your coffee needs; classic, rich, cold brew, over ice, and specialty. The specialty setting doesn’t make espresso per se- but it creates a nicely bodied base for cappuccinos and lattes.
Whether you opt for coffee or tea, the Ninja CP307 coffee maker allows 5 brew sizes; cup, xl cup, travel mug, half carafe, and full carafe. What’s even more interesting is that you can program it, so you wake up to hot tea or coffee.
Pros 👍
✔ Brews coffee and tea
✔ Has cold and hot brew options
✔ Attractive design
✔ Lots of brew sizes
Cons 👎
✘ Reports of brews being overly hot
✘ It’s bulky
View Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brewed System on Amazon
Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker (CE201)
Highlights:
- Brew styles- classic and rich
- 60-oz water reservoir
- 12-cup glass carafe
- Gold-tone filter
- 24-hour programmable
Another hit machine in most discussions of the best Ninja coffee maker reviews is the CE201. This model is not versatile enough to brew herbal and green tea like the CP307. However, it brings most of the other functions that Ninja coffee machines are known for at an unimaginable price tag.
Let’s clear the basics first. The CE201 is relatively compact than most of its siblings at 8.74 x 9.94 x 14.61 inches and 6.48 lbs. It will come with a 50-oz reservoir capable of serving you up to 12 cups before the next refill`. As with most machines today, this tank is removable so that you can take it to the sink for fast refilling.
For personal use, the CE201 also offers smaller batches of 1-4 cups. It also has a brew-pause function for those times when you need to grab a cup before the end of the brew cycle. Note that you can’t brew directly into a travel mug on this one.
Moving on to the other determining factor when buying a coffee machine, the Ninja CE201 offers only 2 brew styles; classic and rich. As such, we’d only recommend it to people who don’t mind not having a specialty and over ice settings.
A unique feature of the CE201 is that its 12-cup carafe has a flavor straw that ensures that your brew has a consistent body from the first cup to the last.
Pros 👍
✔ Best for budget
✔ Has brew-pause functions
✔ Programmable
✔ 1-4-cup brew batches for personal use
Cons 👎
✘ Offers 2 brew styles only
✘ Lacks travel-mug brew-size options
✘ No ‘Clean’ light alert
Ninja CF020 Coffee Brewer (Best for Beginners)
Highlights:
- 3 brew styles
- 4 brew sizes
- 43oz glass carafe
- Auto IQ 1-touch tech.
- Thermal flavor extraction
The Ninja CF020 was among Sharkninja’s very first offerings when they ventured into the coffee maker market. Not to despite it yet, this is still one of the top-rated coffee machines several years since its inception.
The real design stars of this model are the Auto IQ one-touch intelligence and thermal flavor extraction technologies. The former automatically determines the amount of water that you need for a specific brew-size, so you don’t have to go through the hassle of measuring. The latter calibrates the water temperature, bloom, and level of saturation to offer the best coffee shots from your grounds.
This Ninja coffee bar carafe system allows classic and rich coffee styles. There is a cold brew setting too to treat you to sweeter and smoother coffee that hasn’t been exposed to high temperatures.
The other feature that we find so convenient is the ability to brew for a 9.5-cup, 14oz-travel mug, 19oz-half carafe, and 39oz-full carafe.
Lastly, when brewing a full carafe, a drip-stop function comes in handy if you must pour one cup of Joe mid-cycle.
Pros 👍
✔ Positive reports on brew quality
✔ Relatively low price tag
✔ Convenient brew-size options
✔ Fully automatic
Cons 👎
✘ Smallest brew-size is 9.5-ounces
✘ Coffee isn’t hot enough for some
View Ninja CF020 Coffee Brewer on Amazon
Ninja Coffee Bar Brewer with Glass Carafe (CF081)
Highlights:
- 43oz carafe
- Gold-tone filter
- Includes milk frother
- Has over-ice and specialty
- 4 brew sizes
Reviewing the CF081 coffee machine, one previous buyer reports that it’s hard to differentiate between Starbucks coffee and what the CF081 makes. That’s another way of saying that this little coffee machine hits all the right buttons as far as great coffee goes.
Similar to the CF020 above, the CF081 uses Ninja’s most coveted Auto IQ one-touch intelligence and Thermal flavor extraction technologies to pull perfectly bodied coffee beverages.
The key highlight of the CF081 and what gives it the upper hand is its specialty brew option in addition to classic, rich, and over ice brew coffee styles.
This Ninja bar coffee maker offers 4 brew-size options; cup, travel mug, half carafe, and a full carafe. Its 43-oz removable water reservoir is slightly on the smaller size compared to its competitors. To make up for that, though, you’ll get a seemingly good quality glass frother to use with your specialty brews.
If you are just starting on different coffee styles, the package will also come with a 40-recipe cookbook to give you a hang of it.
This coffee maker is also sold as model number CF086 that comes with a double-walled stainless steel carafe. There is an option to get it with an insulated tumbler and glass carafe in the package sold as the CF080Z.
Pros 👍
✔ Variety of brewing styles
✔ Different brew-size options
✔ Easy to operate & clean
✔ Comes with a frother
Cons 👎
✘ Gold-tone filter lets fine grounds through
✘ Overly sensitive ‘Clean’ alert sensor
✘ Small reservoir
View Ninja CF081 Coffee Brewer on Amazon
Ninja CF097 Coffee Maker (with Thermal Carafe)
Highlights:
- 6 brew sizes
- Thermal carafe
- 5 brew styles
- Fully programmable
- Inbuilt frother
The Ninja coffee bar CF097 is another rock-solid recommendation for homeowners who want a model that will complement their other stainless steel kitchen appliances. This coffee maker has a comparatively more stylish, gorgeous, and durable framework than most Ninja machines that use plastic shells.
It is an all-inclusive coffee system with a complex yet very easy to use control panel that offers an array of Java styles. If you want something more than a regular cup of black coffee, you can use the rich, specialty, and café forte settings to experiment with different café-styled frappes, cappuccinos, and lattes.
On this note, this Ninja coffee bar system has a nice frothing whisk to aerate hot and cold milk into a smooth consistency.
A unique addition of the CF097 is its 10-cup double-walled thermal carafe. While it calls for hand-washing, this carafe has received a lot of praise regarding its ability to retain the right temperature range for both hot and cold coffee brews.
Previous buyers also appreciate that it is fully programmable, and it can brew into a large travel mug. Other noteworthy features include 24-hour programmability, pre-heating function, and a drip-stop button.
The CF097 is also available in a slightly cheaper version named CF091. This model offers all the features and functions of the CF097 only that it uses a glass carafe. Also, the cheaper coffee maker has a little bit more plastics in its construction that slightly lowers its durability rating.
Pros 👍
✔ Allows different brewing sizes
✔ Has an inbuilt frother
✔ Convenient ‘clean cycle’ feature
✔ Great for café-style beverages
Cons 👎
✘ Has no auto-shutoff
✘ Cases of ultra-sensitive clean sensors
View Ninja CF091 Coffee Maker on Amazon
Ninja Single-Serve Coffee Maker (CF111)
Highlights:
- Single Serve
- Advanced thermal flavor extraction
- Auto IQ One
- 4 brew sizes
- 5 coffee styles
At a glance, the first thing that you are going to notice about the Ninja coffee bar cf111 is that it’s a little bit narrower than the rest. The CF111 is 14’’ tall, 8.5’’ wide, and 8.5’’ deep. This is a comparably smaller footprint, so to speak, but you still need to consider how much space you have on your under-cabinet area.
The unique bit about this model is that it brews into a cup, an XL cup, a travel mug, and a multi-serve mug. It does not accommodate a carafe.
Compared to most typical single-serve coffee machines, the Ninja coffee bar CF111 does not use pods. Depending on how you look at it, this could be a strength or a drawback. The flip side of it is the freedom to brew your choice of good quality, freshly ground coffee. On the downside, not everyone wants the hassle of measuring coffee for a single cup.
If you are comfortable with its design, this Ninja coffee bar single-serve system brings 5 brew styles, including specialty and café forte in an easy-to-use control panel. It also has a pre-heat function that helps in cutting down the brewing time, and a fold-away frother for your coffeehouse-style drinks. Worthy of mention, you might also come across this coffee maker sold as the Ninja CF112. It’s the same product only that this package comes with a tumbler.
Pros 👍
✔ Versatile brewing options
✔ Has drip-stop function
✔ Uses coffee grounds
✔ Relatively compact
Cons 👎
✘ Does not accept pods
✘ Small reservoir
✘ Frother does not heat milk
View Ninja Single-Serve Coffee Maker (CF111) on Amazon
Verdict – Which Ninja Coffee Maker is The Best?
Considering the versatility that Sharkninja endows its coffee makers with across the price range, choosing a clear winner will be a matter of personal preference. All in all, the CM401 won our hearts to become our top pick in these reviews. Besides its clean look, we feel that it offers everything that most coffee lovers would ask for at a relatively fair price.
Why should you consider Ninja coffee makers?
Ninja coffee bar models are the current trend in the coffee brewing systems arena, and there are a couple of reasons why you might want to get one:
Versatility
The best Ninja coffee makers offer almost all the different styles of coffee that make you patronize your favorite local coffee bar: classic, rich, iced, and specialty. Several models also offer café forte too. Let’s give you a glimpse of what to expect with each of these brew settings:
- Classic: this is the standard drip or single-serve coffee that comes in mind when a coffee maker is mentioned. Sharkninja’s blend of technologies brings it out as a mild and smooth brew with nicely balanced flavors.
- Rich– the difference between rich and classic brews in Ninja coffee makers is the intensity of the beverage. Rich has twice the intensity of the classic and, therefore, tends to interest people who prefer a bolder flavor more.
- Iced brew– the ice/cold brew setting calibrates the brewing system to double the strength of your desired brew, so it doesn’t get watered down by the ice in your cup or carafe.
- Specialty– another trendy selection on these coffee machines, specialty is essentially an espresso-like concentrate. Ninja avoids calling it espresso since its makers don’t have the minimum 9-bar pressure required to make espresso. All in all, this beverage creates an incredible base for lattes and cappuccinos.
- Café Forte– café forte means strong coffee, and that’s what you get with this setting. This option is found in older models and brings out the complex elements of your preferred coffee grounds. This setting creates a truly fully-bodied drink that most coffee lovers like drinking black.
Value for money
Besides the different brew options, the other reason why you might want to consider a Ninja coffee brewer is the value that you get for your money in terms of features. Any Ninja that you opt to go with is very likely to offer a lot more features compared to other similarly priced competitors. More features mean greater convenience and ease of use.
What’s the difference between Ninja coffee maker?
Sharkninja has a respectably wide array of coffee machines with as many features as similarities. The easiest way to differentiate them is by grouping them as either new or old.
The old models are what are commonly known as coffee bars. These are the products with a CF on their name. They were regarded as coffee bars since they had the most versatile brew options compared to competitor machines when they first hit the market.
Today, Amazon lists the coffee bars as “Amazon renewed” or used. Note that despite being seemingly outdated, these models are still top-rated, mainly because of their noticeably reduced prices.
The newer models include CE, CP, and CM. While they are no longer dubbed coffee bars, they haven’t lost the versatility aspect. Actually, these models use Ninja’s recent coffee-brewing technologies, and, therefore, have the upper hand in terms of convenience and capabilities.
How does the Ninja coffee maker work?
These machines employ the same coffee brewing concept that typical coffee makers use. Water from the reservoir is heated in a heat exchanger and pushed upwards into the brewing chamber to saturate the coffee grounds.
In a bid to stay at the top of the game, pretty much any Ninja coffee brewer will use at least one of these 2 Sharkninja’s coffee-brewing technologies;
- Ninja coffee bar auto IQ One-Touch Intelligence
This is a terminology that you’ll come across severally when comparing different Ninja coffee makers. This technology means that the machine is a capable barista by itself. So, all you need is to load your coffee grounds and fill the reservoir. After selecting your desired brew style and cup-size, the machine will automatically determine just how much water is required for your selected coffee style. This eliminates most of the hassles that come with guessing how much water a particular beverage needs and fiddling around with the water tank.
- Thermal flavor extraction technology
This technology is what sets Ninja coffee makers apart from the crowd.
Thermal flavor extraction technology first ensures that the water is heated to the optimum brewing temperatures. It then goes ahead to control the bloom and the level of saturation and infusion to create the best coffee possible from your coffee blend.
How to Clean Ninja Coffee Bar
Regular cleaning is a vital aspect of any coffee machine. A clean Ninja coffee maker maintains the integrity of your coffee brews besides giving you several years of service. The good news is that pretty much all coffee machines from this brand have a ‘Clean’ LED light to alert you on when cleaning is necessary. Also, most of these models have an automatic cleaning procedure to guide you.
What you’ll need;
- Cleaning solution- this can either be a Ninja descaling solution or a white vinegar and water solution.
- Soapy water
- A sponge
- A cloth
Instructions
Cleaning the inside
- Preparing the cleaning solution
- If you are using a coffee maker descaling solution, be sure to follow your brand’s guidelines. If you are using white vinegar and water, put 16 ounces of vinegar in the water reservoir and top it up to the max line using water.
- Clean cycle- with a carafe in place, select the ‘‘carafe’’ brew size on the control interface and then press the Clean button. This cycle runs the descaling solution all around the tube system to break down calcium deposits. It could take 5-8 minutes.
- Flush cycle- if your machine has this function, then the display will read ‘flush’ after the cleaning cycle. Empty the carafe and fill the water reservoir with clean water before pressing the ‘clean’ button again. For machines that don’t have the flush cycle, fill the tank with water, and press the ‘clean’ button. This should take another 5-8 minutes and will help in removing the vinegar smell in the system.
Cleaning the outside
- Clean the removable parts, including the reusable coffee filter, carafe, water reservoir, and drip tray using soapy water and a lint-free cloth. You can also rinse them in hot water.
- If your machine has a warming plate, use a spongy sponge to clean it gently.
- The shell should be wiped down using a cloth.
Essential Considerations when Buying a Ninja Coffee Maker
How much coffee do you need?
Of course, you want a machine that meets your coffee needs. This brand has several single-serve machines as well as others that brew into cups, mugs, and carafes. A machine with a large carafe will make an excellent choice for a family of coffee lovers and when entertaining friends.
Preferred coffee styles
Ninja coffee machines are generally versatile, but they are not the same. For instance, not all of them have a frother, and only the newer models offer the ‘over ice’ function. So, if these matter to you, ensure that your target coffee maker has them.
Available countertop space
Don’t forget to double-check whether the coffee maker will fit where you intend to place it. Most of these models tend to occupy more vertical space than horizontal space. So, ensure that you factor in the height of your kitchen cabinets as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Ninja single-serve coffee machines are pod-free and, therefore, use grounded coffee.
The specialty function of these coffee makers brews an espresso-like concentrate. However, Ninja is careful not to call it espresso as it does not use the minimum 9-bar pressure that real espresso shots are brewed at. This concentrate is great for lattes and cappuccinos, though.
Café forte brew type is found on older Ninja coffee machines and it means strong coffee. It is much stronger than the Rich brew.
CoffeeVerdict Tips
- If you use hard water, the built-in 8-minute cleaning and flushing cycles may not be enough to descale the waterways. If your machine’s Clean light isn’t going off even after cleaning severally, this could be the issue. When cleaning the machine, consider running a half cycle of the descaling solution and let it sit for 2 hours before allowing the cycle run to end.
- Descale the machine at least once a month or as regularly as possible for great-tasting coffee.
- Always clean the permanent basket after every use and keep it dry to prevent mold growth.
- Brew your grounds utmost 15 minutes after grinding to prevent the loss of aroma and flavors.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s manual for safety purposes, and to ensure that you are getting all the benefits of a particular maker.