Smeg BCC13: one-minute review

The Smeg BCC13 is a fully automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine with an automatic milk frother, which produces consistently well extracted coffee time after time.

The BCC13 is built to a very high standard, with thoughtful touches like an easy to access dump bucket for grounds; refill, cleaning, and descaling alerts; and smooth interior surfaces that are a piece of cake to keep clean. The machine warns you whenever refilling or cleaning is necessary, and a quick clean cycle of its milk and dispenser system takes just one minute from start to finish.

It has presets for nine different drinks, plus hot water for making tea, and you can tailor the length of lattes, cappuccinos, and americanos to suit the size of your cups. The most popular drinks are available with a single tap of the buttons on top of the machine, and less common options can be accessed by holding a button to access a secondary menu. It's not always immediately obvious which button relates to which drink, so you may find yourself relying on the quick start guide for the first week or so, but you'll soon get the hang of it.

This is the first coffee maker in the BCC series with an automatic milk frother, and it works extremely well. Just pour your milk into the robust container (which has an airtight lid so you can store it in the fridge), immerse one end of the rubber tube, and gently push it into place on the side of the dispenser. The BCC13 produces thick, creamy foam for cappuccinos and lattes, and the milk is heated enough to break down the lactose for a delicious, sweet foam without ever being scalded.

It doesn't work well with plant-based milks (even barista ones), but that's typical for a coffee maker with an automatic frother and Smeg does warn you that results won't be the same as they are with dairy. If you enjoy oat or soya in your lattes and cappuccinos, you might prefer to opt for one of Smeg's coffee makers with a manual steam wand, which give you total control. Our guide to the best espresso machines includes lots more options to check out.

Smeg BCC13: price and availability

• List price: $1,200 / £799.95 / AU$1,199
• Launch date: July 2024
• Availability: global

The Smeg BCC13 launched in July 2024, as a successor to the Bean to Cup BCC02. It has a list price of $1,200 / £799.95 / AU$1,199, and although it was only available in the UK initially, it can now be bought worldwide.

That's more than the BCC02, which retailed at around $1,000 / £680 / AU$970 depending on the retailer, but the price increase isn't huge considering the BCC13 has been upgraded with a fully automatic milk frother.

Bean-to-cup machines always carry a premium price tag, but the BCC13 certainly isn't the most expensive coffee maker of its type. The De'Longhi Dinamica Plus is an excellent machine, but at $1499.95 / £1199.99/ AU$1529 , it's beyond the budget of all but the most serious espresso lovers.

If you're on a tighter budget, I recommend considering a manual espresso machine like the Breville Bambino Plus, which retails at $499.95 / £399.95 / AU$649. There's more of a learning curve and you'll need a separate coffee grinder, but it's half the price and earned four and a half stars from our reviewer.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Smeg BCC13: specs

Smeg BCC13: design

• Sleek, modern look
• Thoughtful touches for easy cleaning
• Drink option buttons need a reference guide

The Smeg BCC13 looks almost identical to the BCC02, but instead of a steam wand permanently attached to the front, it has a removeable rubber hose for its automatic milk steaming system. It's a stylish machine, with a smooth black, white, or emerald green case and a brushed aluminum front. 

The dispenser on the front slides up and down with a smooth motion to accommodate different cup sizes, and has a port in the side for the milk hose. You can remove the milk pumping system by opening the front of the dispenser and pulling the unit out for cleaning.

Coffee beans are loaded into a hopper on the top (the BCC13 will warn you when it's empty) and there's a large water reservoir at the back, with a carry handle so you can easily take it to the tap or use a filter jug to refill it. The reservoir has a generous maximum capacity of 47.34oz / 1.4L, so it doesn't need refilling often, and the machine will automatically purge the water line when the reservoir is re-inserted,

A side door in the machine allows you to access the machine's brew group, which will sometimes need cleaning to remove buildup of coffee grounds. Just press the buttons on the side of the group unit, then gently pull to remove it. Once it's out, you can simply rinse it under a tap to get rid of buildup, then give it a dry with a tea towel before replacing it.

You'll receive a warning from the machine when the brew group needs cleaning, and a light will illuminate on top if you've accidentally left the panel off.

The drip tray slots onto the front of the machine, and you'll receive a warning when it's starting to get full. It has a generous capacity so it doesn't need emptying too often, despite the machine's automatic purging function, and like all parts of the BCC12, it feels robust and durable.

Used grounds are dropped into a convenient waste caddy at the bottom of the machine, which you'll find by removing the drip tray and sliding out a drawer. The caddy holds up to seven pucks of used espresso, and again, the BCC13 will warn you when it needs emptying. The caddy simply lifts out, and you can wash it using dish soap and water.

A set of five buttons on the top of the machine let you choose the type of drink you'd like to make. When they are illuminated white, you can pick from espresso, coffee, hot water for tea, cappuccino, and latte macchiato. Pressing the slightly larger button underneath them will switch the lights to orange, and let you choose
espresso light (a less extracted shot), long coffee, americano, espresso macchiato, or foamed milk.

It's obvious what some of the buttons will do from the icons alone, but until you've used the machine for a few days, you'll probably need to consult the quick start guides included in the packaging to remind you what each ones does.

The final button, on the right, starts the machine's quick clean cycle. It will flash after you use the BCC13's milk frothing system, prompting you to fill the cleaning container with water, insert the end of the hose, and press the button for three seconds to purge the system. Dirty water will be flushed out, leaving the machine ready to use again next time.

You can carry on making drinks without performing the cycle, but I timed it, and the process only takes one minute from start to finish.

The machine is supplied with a sturdy milk container with a maximum capacity of  500ml / 16oz, which has a rubberized lid so you can store it hygienically in the fridge when it's not in use. It's easy to clean by hand with dish soap and warm water.

• Design score: 5/5

Smeg BCC13: performance

The appeal of a premium bean-to-cup coffee maker is consistency, and the Smeg BCC13 excels, creating perfect shots of espresso with thick, rich crema every time. You can tinker with the grind size if you like, but I found the default settings produced a well extracted espresso with no adjustment. The entire process of brewing an espresso took 1:04 minutes from pressing the button to completion, and the BCC13 reached a maximum volume of 67dB (though most of the brewing process was much quieter).

I carried out our regular test of an espresso by placing a teaspoonful of demerara sugar on top. It sat for a few seconds before sinking through the crema, which is a sign of a good shot.

The inclusion of a hot water setting is a welcome addition that we don't see with all fully automatic espresso machines, and means you don't need a kettle for brewing tea. The foamed milk feature is also thoughtful, providing a babyccino on demand (just dust on some cocoa when it's done).

The built-in milk frother is very consistent, producing thick and creamy foam for cappuccinos and lattes. Milk was never overheated either; the BCC13 warms it enough to break down the lactose for a sweet taste, without scalding it. As with the well extracted coffee, the results are the same time after time, with no manual alterations necessary.

Depending on the size of your cups, you may want to adjust the volume of lattes, cappuccinos, and americanos by changing the amount of milk or water dispensed. You can do this by holding down one of the drink selection buttons until you hear a tone, then pressing the button again once the machine has dispensed the right amount. The BCC13 will save this preset for future use.

If you want to stop dispensing the current drink early, you can do so by tapping the drink selection key. This won't affect the presets.

The only real downside is that the Smeg BCC13 can't handle plant milks particularly well. Smeg's documentation advises that although you can steam non-dairy alternatives using its machines, you'll get better results with cow milk, and that certainly proved to be the case. A cappuccino made using barista oat milk had barely any foam on top (as shown in the picture below), and the machine overheated the milk rather than incorporating air. Smeg does warn you about this, and it's standard for a machine with an auto milk frother, so the BCC13 doesn't lose marks for it.

If you want to use oat, soy, almond, or coconut milk to make drinks then you may be better served by the Smeg BCC02, which has a manual steam wand so you can adjust the pressure and use your own technique to get the right texture. Alternatively, you could opt for the BCC01 espresso machine, which has no steam feature at all, and pick up a standalone milk frother like the Dreo BaristaMaker, which has presets for plant milks.

Fully automatic coffee makers are wonderfully convenient when you just want to make a drink with the minimum of fuss, but the moving parts mean they tend to be more of a hassle to clean than a manual machine. Thankfully the BCC13 keeps that to a minimum by prompting you to carry out regular cleanup tasks so things never get too messy.

You will be promoted to purge the dispenser and tubing each time you use the milk frother, which is sensible and prevents buildup of bacteria. When the quick clean button flashes, fill the square cleaning container with plain water, place it under the dispenser, and insert the end of the milk tube. Hold the button for three seconds and the machine will flush its whole dispensing system with hot water and steam, and pump the resulting waste into a reservoir in the cleaning container. It's impressive just how much it cleans out each time. 

A few stray coffee grounds inevitably end up falling inside the machine as it works, but not too many, and they're easy to clean up. The bottom of the BCC13 is easy to access with the drawer pulled out, and its smooth interior surface means you can use a brush or a piece of kitchen towel to wipe it out in a few seconds. The whole machine is made and finished to a very high standard, and there's nowhere for stray grounds to get trapped.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Smeg BCC13?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Smeg BCC13: also consider

If you're not sure about the Smeg BCC13, here are a couple of other options to think about:

How I tested the Smeg BCC13

I had the Smeg BCC13 on loan for two weeks, during which time I used it to make all sorts of drinks using high quality medium roasted Brazilian espresso beans, and compared them to the same drinks made using a manual Gaggia Classic machine.

I tested the BCC13's automatic milk frother using both chilled whole dairy milk and barista-style oat milk, and compared the results with those created by foaming milk with a manual steam wand.

I measured the volume of the machine throughout the brewing process using a decibel meter app on my phone, and used my phone's timer to see how long it took to brew a drink and complete a quick cleaning cycle.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed August 2024

Dreo BaristaMaker: two-minute review

The Dreo BaristaMaker is a milk frother designed to create thick microfoam for coffee drinks, without the need to wield a steam wand. It's a good option if your coffee maker lacks a steamer, you'd prefer not to use it, or you have limited mobility – although the resulting froth isn't quite as silky.

Unlike some milk frothers, the BaristaMaker has two interchangeable heads: a typical whisk, and a two-part head designed to bring liquid into the center of the jug and break up large bubbles. This creates the type of fine foam necessary for latte art – and it works pretty well, although I found that the bubbles were still larger than those made by preparing milk the old-fashioned way.

The BaristaMaker takes longer to foam your milk, too, requiring three and a half minutes to complete its multi-stage frothing process. You can use this time to weigh out your coffee beans, grind them, and pull your espresso shot. A countdown on the front of the machine means you can be ready to top your drink the minute it's done its thing.

The BaristaMaker has separate modes for different types of milk, including four non-dairy options, which takes the trial and error out of handling liquids with different fat and protein contents. In general, I found the default settings good for preparing plant milks for cappuccinos, but a bit too thick for latte art.

The Dreo BaristaMaker isn't the cheapest milk frother around, but its added modes for preparing cold drinks mean it isn't a single-purpose machine; this make it easier to justify the cost. During testing, it whipped up a particularly thick and creamy protein shake with minimum effort.

The key advantage of the BaristaMaker is its convenience. While it offers some options for customization (two speeds and various temperature settings, for example), the process is largely automated. It can't perfectly replicate the results of stretching milk with a steam wand, but it requires none of the skill and practice that traditional frothing demands. Just set your milk type and foam preference, pour in the milk, and press start. 

Dreo BaristaMaker: price and availability

• List price: $99 / £119.99 (about AU$150)
• Shipping date: October 2024
• Availability: US, Singapore and Malaysia via Kickstarter; global thereafter

At the time of writing, the Dreo BaristaMaker is coming to the end of a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, where backers can pledge $80 (about £60 / AU$120) to receive a milk frother, with delivery estimated by October 2024.

This Kickstarter offer is only available in the US, Singapore, and Malaysia; but Dreo does sell its products internationally, so the BaristaMaker will soon go on general sale for $99 / £119.99 (about AU$150) in many more territories.

That's a mid-range price for a milk frother, sitting in between the premium Smeg MFF11 at $290 / £179.95 / AU$299, and the budget-friendly Instant Milk Frother Station at $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$129, both of which offer similar features but lack foaming programs specifically for plant-based milks.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Dreo BaristaMaker: specs

Dreo Baristamaker: design

• Smart design resembling an oversized milk pitcher
• Two tips for milk frothing
• Well-designed jug with fine spout for latte art

The Dreo BaristaMaker is made up of three key parts: the base, which contains the heating element and motor; the jug that sits on top; and the tips, which do the actual frothing. The jug and the base are stainless steel, and when fully assembled, the BaristaMaker resembles a smart-looking oversized milk pitcher.

It measures 4.93in/12.5cm diameter and 9.21in/23.4cm tall with the jug on top, weighing  2.56lb/1.16kg. Without the jug, it stands 6.38in/16.2cm tall and weighs 1.88lb/855g. That's about the same as the premium Smeg MFF11 milk frother, although the Smeg machine has a larger capacity for stirring.

The BaristaMaker has a small, bright LED display on the front, with four buttons for selecting your preferred milk and foam options at the sides, and a start/stop button underneath.

The machine comes with two tips that fit onto a prong in the center of the jug. The disc tip resembles the end of a typical battery-operated milk frother, and is used for preparing cold drinks. The impeller tip has two components: a plastic blade that's designed to draw milk towards the center of the jug; and a fine screen designed to break up large bubbles, turning them into fine foam.

The jug itself has no moving parts; instead, the tips are spun by magnets that rotate in the base of the machine. If you've selected one of the hot options, the milk is warmed by a heating element directly underneath the jug.

The jug has a fine spout for pouring latte art, and markings inside to show the appropriate amount of milk for different types of foam. I'd have preferred to see the actual volume marked inside as well, but that's quite a minor quibble. It's dishwasher-safe, but I found it easy to clean by hand due to the lack of moving parts inside.

• Design score: 4/5

Dreo Baristamaker: performance

• Simple to use
• Frothing takes three and a half minutes
• Foam not as fine as created by steaming
• Plant-based milk creates particularly thick foam

The Dreo BaristaMaker makes foaming dairy and non-dairy milk simple, if not fast. First, you use the simple controls on the front to select the type of drink you want to prepare, and the milk you're using. The BaristaMaker has settings for foaming dairy milk, half-and-half, soya, oat, almond, and coconut milk, and beverage options for flat white, cappuccino, latte, hot thick foam, cold thick foam, and stirring. You can also tweak the speed and temperature if you like, with two options available for each; but the default settings should serve you well.

Once you've picked your milk and froth settings, tap the start/stop button and the device will show you whether to insert the impeller or frother tip, With that done, pour in your milk to the appropriate level marked inside the jug. You'll need to pour at least 5.1oz/150ml for foaming, and the milk and jug should both be cold when you start, as they would be if you were using a steam wand.

When that's done, just press the start button and the BaristaMaker will begin foaming or stirring accordingly – a process that takes three and a half minutes. You can stop it sooner if you like, but the foam settings have several stages, and halting the process early means you won't get the best results. It takes a lot longer than preparing milk with a steam wand, but you have plenty of time to grind your beans and prepare your espresso while it's working.

I tested the BaristaMaker with every milk type except half-and-half, which isn't available in the UK. I found that full-fat dairy milk generally foamed best, producing the smoothest microfoam that was best suited to latte art.

However, the foam texture was noticeably more open and less smooth than when steamed using a wand. The image below shows the difference in texture between steamed milk (using the wand on a Gaggia Classic) and milk frothed using the Dreo BaristaMaker. The milk prepared with the Dreo machine had a less silky texture and larger bubbles, despite tapping the jug to break the biggest ones and swirling to distribute the foam.

Despite the broad presets, the BaristaMaker can't fully account for the many compositions of different types and brands of plant-based milks, so oat won't necessarily turn out with the same texture as almond, for example; but the results were usually workable and the machine's hot settings never overheated the milk.

Dreo suggests that you can try adding a scoop of protein powder if your non-dairy milk isn't foaming properly, but this wasn't a problem I experienced. In fact, soya and almond milk foamed a little too well on the latte setting, with almond turning out too stiff to pour art.

One of the BaristaMaker's big advantages over a steam wand is its ability to froth cold milk, which makes it great for preparing shakes and other powder-based drinks. I used the cold foam setting to prepare a strawberry protein shake with soya milk, and the resulting drink was thick, creamy, and very good.

The frothing process still took three and a half minutes, and a personal blender such as the Nutribullet Flip could do the same thing in 30 seconds, but the extra functionality makes the BaristaMaker easier to recommend than a device that only fills one niche.

The BaristaMaker is much quieter than a steam wand, reaching a maximum of 39dB during frothing (about the same as a calm library), which could be helpful if you're an early riser or need to avoid disturbing young children.

• Performance score: 3/5

Dreo BaristaMaker: should you buy it

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Dreo BaristaMaker: also consider

If you're not sure about the Dreo BaristaMaker, here are a couple of other options to think about

How I tested the Dreo BaristaMaker

I tested the Dreo BaristaMaker using full-fat and semi-skimmed dairy milk, as well as soya, almond, oat, and coconut milks. I frothed each type using the BaristaMaker's flat white, latte, cappuccino, and hot and cold frothing settings, with the appropriate milk option selected. The only type of milk I didn't froth was half-and-half, which isn't available in the UK where I tested the machine.

I used the different frothed milks to pour latte art onto a double-shot espresso, and compared the results to milk foamed using the steam wand on a Gaggia Classic espresso machine. I used the BaristaMaker's cold foam and stir settings to prepare a protein shake using whey protein powder, with soya and almond milk, and compared this to the same drink prepared using a shaker cup.

My review unit was supplied with a US plug, so I used a step-down transformer to power it.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed August 2024

Ninja Luxe Café: two-minute review

The Ninja Luxe Café is a three-in-one bean-to-cup coffee machine that makes espresso, drip coffee, and cold brew. With its grind size suggestions based on the type of drink, a weight-based dosage system, and an automatic milk frother, much of the guesswork when it comes to perfecting your brew is taken out of the equation It’s perfect for novices who are just beginning to dip their toes in the espresso world. But the real question is, does the Ninja Luxe Café actually deliver on its claim? And I’m happy to report that, for the most part, it does. 

Ninja has been in the small kitchen gadget game for a while now, with a range of pod and drip coffee machines including the Ninja DualBrew Pro, but the Luxe Café is its first foray into bean-to-cup espresso machines - a field that's currently dominated by brands like Breville and De’Longhi. In fact, the Luxe Café goes head to head with one of Breville’s most popular semi-automatic espresso machines, the Breville the Barista Express - and in my opinion, it comes out ahead thanks to the lower price tag, foolproof espresso system, and ability to also brew drip coffee. 

As soon as I took the Ninja Luxe Café out of its packaging, it looked and felt like a far more expensive machine. Though bulky, its sleek stainless steel body with black accents fit right into my kitchen. Given all that’s happening on this coffee maker, with its wealth of features and massive display, it’s a little intimidating at first but surprisingly easy to master.

The range of tools (like a funnel that does a decent job at keeping grinds in the filter and Luxe basket for quad shots and coffee brews) are nice inclusions, and Ninja has added a space to store these tools and more when not in use. Talk about convenience. However, it’s missing a hot water line for americanos, tea, and other beverages, I wish one could’ve been incorporated in some way. 

The Ninja Luxe Café looks the part of a quality bean-to-cup machine, and luckily, it performs just as great. The grind size suggestions and weight-based dosage system were a huge boon, ensuring I had the perfect espresso pull every time with a lovely golden crema and strong, smooth taste.  On the coffee side, the hot coffee and cold brew turned out great with minimal effort, as I never needed to measure out the proper amount of ground coffee or determine the proper grind size. However, the four different coffee settings were a bit gimmicky and unnecessary. A cold brew and classic coffee would’ve been fine. 

When I wanted to make a latte, cappuccino, or flat white, the automatic milk frother settings almost always worked with my 2% milk, creating a lovely microfoam with no skill needed. Unfortunately, the frother didn’t perform as well with oat milk, not a major surprise, as this is the case with many plant-based milks. A cold foam setting is also available but didn’t work with either of my milks. I missed the manual option for steaming milk with a steam wand, as I love extra hot drinks and practicing my steaming technique. 

Overall, if you’re a beginner who wants a quality, great value espresso machine that makes it easy to pull the perfect shot, the Ninja Luxe Café is for you. Even experienced at-home baristas will appreciate the excellent results this machine delivers. And it’s hard to beat the bonus of brewing tasty classic coffee and cold brew too. 

Ninja Luxe Café review: price and availability

• List price: $499.99 (about £400 / AU$750)
• Launch date: June 2024
• Availability: US

The Ninja Luxe Café’s launch price was $499.99 (about £400 / AU$750), and at the time of writing it is only available in the US. It can be purchased directly from the manufacturer's website, or from third-party retailers including Best Buy and Amazon. This bean-to-cup machine was only recently released, don’t expect to find any major discounts for at least a few months. 

Sitting right at a mid-range price point in the wider market, the Ninja Luxe Café’s versatility, solid performance, ease of use, and stunning build quality punch far above its weight. I would’ve expected this machine to cost far more, and it’s sure to give the ever-popular Breville The Barista Express a run for its money, especially since Breville’s offering costs $200 more and does less.  

• Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Ninja Luxe Café review: specs

Ninja Luxe Café review: design

• Stunning, sturdy build
• Massive display
• Helpful storage features
• Lacks hot water line

Besides one glaring omission, I have almost no notes on the design of the Ninja Luxe Café. Like any bean-to-cup machine, it’s definitely not compact and takes up a good chunk of counter space and just fits under my kitchen cabinets, measuring 12.99 x 13.39 x 14.57in / 330 x 340 x 370mm (L x W x H). That’s just a little bit bigger than the most recent semi-automatic espresso machine I’ve been using, the Casabrews 5700Pro. At least Ninja’s offering is extremely versatile, making the most of that extra space it takes up. Weighing 25.73lb / 11.67kg, it’s also quite heavy, so I tried to move it around as little as possible. 

As soon as I removed the Ninja Luxe Café from the box, I was struck by its sleekness, offering a stainless steel finish with black accents. Even the packaging for the tools oozed elegance. It was far nicer than I expected considering the reasonable price tag. It truly looks and feels like something that should be twice that price. Each component was sturdy and built to last. 

Setting up this bean-to-cup machine was on par with others I tested, taking me just over 20 minutes to have my first shot of espresso ready to go. However, the Luxe Café is unique, as it calibrates itself, so you don’t need to experiment with different grind sizes for a great espresso pull. The hardness of your water is even taken into account, helping to perfect the extraction. If you’ve never used an at home espresso machine before, it’s a little overwhelming initially. A few instructional videos and an instruction book were helpful in navigating the Luxe Café.

After it was put together, I played around with the design features. Ninja thought of almost everything. The accessory storage was probably my favorite, as it’s a rarity on espresso machines. It drives me crazy to have components lying around waiting to be lost. A handy little door on the side of the machine opens up, letting you store a few cleaning tools, along with the double and Luxe baskets for the portafilter. The opposite side of the machine houses the tamper and funnel – which helps prevent grinds from getting everywhere while grinding – for ultra-easy access. 

On top of the machine sits the removable bean hopper/grinder with a UV-protective lid to keep the beans fresher longer with an easy-to-use dial for adjusting grind size on the side, while around the back is a removable 70oz water reservoir.  The water reservoir doesn’t appear to have any major filter, or the option to add one – a slight disappointment – and isn’t the easiest to reach given the location at the back of the machine under my cabinets. That’s not dissimilar to other coffee makers.  Still, it holds a good amount of water. I refilled it only a couple of times per week after making about three beverages a day. 

All the action happens at the front of the machine, and its most striking feature is the massive display running almost its entire width. The display lacks touch control, but a wealth of buttons and a couple of knobs made navigating relatively simple after familiarizing myself with the system. 

Above the grinder, the display informs you of the current and recommended grind sizes based on the type of brew. Red warnings will even light up if the funnel, hopper, or portafiler aren’t installed or the coffee beans are out. It’s honestly pretty foolproof. 

The center of the display right above the group head, which securely holds the portafilter during brewing, is where the type of brew is selected. On the espresso side, double, quad, and cold-press options are available, and the coffee side features a classic, rich, over-ice, and cold brew setting, along with various size options. Also at the center is the progress bar – a handy little tool that informs how far along in grinding, brewing, or milk frothing you are. Similar to the red warnings on the grinding side of the display, a rinse notification will display when the group head needs a quick clean. 

Finally, above the frother are the milk frothing settings. Unlike many semi-automatic brewers, this one lets you select foam levels and milk type: dairy or plant-based. I only had to add the milk to the jug with an integrated whisk and place it in its designated location with the steam wand inserted. The jug even has size markings inside and outside, so you get the proper milk levels. The steam wand automatically purges after frothing, though a 'purge' button is available. This side of the display also indicates when the water reservoir needs to be filled.

At the base of the Ninja Luxe Café is the main drip tray and a separate center drip tray. It felt unnecessarily complicated being two components. However, having a separate center drip tray makes it possible to use larger travel mugs. On the side of the main drip tray is a tiny indicator, letting you know when it’s full and needs emptying. I had to empty it every few days of use. Beyond the removable center drip tray, another sturdy adjustable cup tray can be set at different levels, depending on the vessel – a handy addition that prevents splashing. 

It truly seems that Ninja thought of everything when crafting the Luxe Café, except for a water line. I love having a hot water option to make an americano, tea, or other warm beverage. Integrating one into the steam wand or elsewhere would’ve brought the machine near perfection level in terms of design. Instead, I relied on a kettle, something I never had to do with my usual espresso machine. 

As for the accessories, the portafilter also doubles as a brewer for the coffee settings on the machine. It comes with two baskets: double and Luxe. When using the coffee settings or brewing a quad shot, the Luxe basket must be installed. Like most portafilters, it’s a bit of a struggle to swap baskets, but that ensures they remain securely in place when dumping grinds. Unfortunately, it costs extra for the knock box to remove the grinds. Luckily, the grinds come out relatively easy with just a few whacks against the garbage can. 

Beyond the portafilter, many of the other accessories deal with maintenance. A descaling powder, a cleaning disc, a cleaning brush, and a couple of cleaning tablets ensure the machine remains in tip-top shape. 

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Ninja Luxe Café review: performance

• Handy grind size suggestions and automatic weight-based dosage
• Consistently great espresso pulls and coffee brews
• Quick and easy to use 

The Ninja Luxe Café is far easier to master than other semi-automatic espresso machines; even novices should figure it out quickly. That’s, in large part, thanks to the machine’s ability to automatically suggest grind sizes based on the type of drink brewed, the weight-based dosage system for the perfect amount of grinds depending on the drink, and the hands-free frother to dial in the ideal amount of microfoam. 

Admittedly, the whole system is a little overwhelming initially, especially the large display and various controls. But, after a couple of brews, I had it down to a science and had to do far less experimenting with grind size than usual to pull the perfect espresso shot, wasting less pricey coffee beans and time.  Regular coffee always requires less effort for a solid brew, and this machine delivered a great classic cup of joe on the first try.

Seven different types of brews are available with Ninja Luxe Café. On the espresso side is a double, quad, and cold-pressed extraction, while coffee can be brewed classic, rich, over-ice, and cold brew. I tested out every setting to see how each stacked up. 

I started with the double espresso shot, my most used setting over the testing period. Installing the double basket on the portafilter required a little muscle while the funnel easily latches on top. Inserting the portafilter into the grinder will automatically adjust the brew setting options based on the installed basket.  With the double basket, only a double or cold-pressed extraction was available. Turning the large main knob lets you select the setting. If the funnel isn’t on when the portafilter is inserted into the grinder, a warning will pop up – I forgot to use it many times.

The machine then tells you the ideal grind size for the espresso pull, and you can adjust to the suggested grind size using a knob on the side of the machine. I adjusted accordingly and started the grind. The progress bar at the center of the display let me know how far along in the process I was. 

After grinding, it was time to brew. I used the tamper with the funnel still attached to level the freshly ground coffee. It did a successful job of keeping the grinds in the basket most of the time, but on several occasions, a good deal of grinds managed to escape. This usually happened when the basket was extremely full, or I inserted the tamper too fast. 

Placing the portafilter securely into the group head takes some effort, and I usually had to hold the body of the coffee maker to prevent the whole setup from moving. From there, I moved the handy little adjustable cup tray to fit my mug and pressed the large center knob to begin the brew, watching the progress bar begin to flash. Less than a minute later, a beep indicated that my double-shot espresso was ready. The whole process is quiet too, averaging about 60dB, so you don’t need to worry about waking others in the household for an early morning caffeine fix. 

The espresso shot had a thick golden crema that could briefly hold a small sprinkling of granulated sugar before falling through. The crema then reformed after; a tell-tale sign of great pull. Its taste was equally wonderful, rich, and smooth with a slight acidity. 

Without fail, each espresso pull after my initial yielded similar results, including the quad shot and cold-pressed extraction. However, the cold-pressed extraction only reached about 80°F compared to the 120°F for the other two espresso shot settings. It also took slightly longer to brew at 2.5 minutes but was perfect for my iced lattes and prevented ice melt. Of course, results will also vary based on the type of coffee beans used. I stuck with quality beans from Stumptown and Groundwork during my testing. 

Brewing coffee follows a similar process, although the larger Luxe basket will always be installed and there’s no need to use the tamper. The grind sizes for all the coffee brews were significantly larger than the espresso, and there are various brew size options from six oz to 18 oz. The Ninja Luxe Café automatically adjusts the amount of beans it grinds based on the brew size and weight. It’s honestly hard to beat the convenience of not needing to measure out anything ever. 

The coffee brews took longer than the espresso pulls, at around three to six minutes, depending on the setting and size. The results were consistently flavorful with just a slight bitterness, never watered down which was one of my fears. However, if you asked me to differentiate between the 'rich' and 'classic' settings, I wouldn’t be able to. Each tasted great and had a temperature of around 160°F.  The same goes for the 'over-ice' and 'cold brew'. Both settings brewed the coffee at a lower temperature around 100°F, but I couldn’t tell you the difference between the two. The Ninja DualBrew Pro I reviewed in 2023 had similar setting options and results. It all just seems sort of gimmicky on an otherwise awesome machine.

Beyond brewing espresso and coffee, the Ninja Luxe Café offers a hands-free milk frother for those coffeehouse-style drinks at home. It’s sometimes a struggle to get the perfect microfoam from a steam wand, and this takes all the guesswork away. The milk jug has an integrated whisk, and when combined with a steam wand on the machine, frothing was easier than ever. I could even choose between four presets: steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth, and cold foam. 

I tested all the froth presets with both 2% milk and oat milk. With 2% milk, the frothing settings worked just as expected (for the most part). The steamed milk yielded little foam just warming the milk, the thin froth had a nice bit of microfoam ideal for latte art and flat whites, while the thick froth had a nice fluffy foam on top that lasted the entire time I drank my cappuccino. Unfortunately, the oat milk struggled to form much of a microfoam, even on the thick froth setting. But these results aren’t uncommon for plant-based milks, so I don’t fully fault the machine.  I also failed to create a cold foam, as heavy cream is required for that setting. 

My biggest issue with the milk frother is you can’t control the steam wand yourself. I’m a big fan of extra hot beverages during the colder months, and with the Ninja Luxe Café, it isn’t possible to heat the milk a little longer for extra warmth or even test the waters of frothing milk with a steam wand unassisted. Sure, it’s nice to have everything pretty automatic, but sometimes, especially for the more experienced, the option for a little more freedom would’ve been a welcome addition.

When it comes to maintenance, the Luxe Café attempts to keep things as simple as possible. Besides rinsing the portafilter, emptying the drip tray, and wiping down the machine, there isn’t much hands-on cleaning that needs to be done. Even after several weeks of use, the machine looked is good as new besides a few splashes of coffee on the front panel and grinds in the drip tray. 

Occasionally, the coffee maker's internals will need a thorough cleaning, but the most you will have to do is either fill the water reservoir with a descaling solution or insert the cleaning disc and tablet into the portafilter, and press a few buttons after. It’s all very manageable. 

Overall, the Ninja Luxe Café delivered on its promises of uncomplicating espresso. It consistently created quality espresso and made things simpler by intuitively dosing and providing the correct grind level for the perfect pull, something you’d be hard-pressed to find on other semi-automatic espresso machines at this price point. The milk frother made it possible to create some near-coffeehouse-level lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites at home, which in the long run could end up saving you a ton of money. Plus, it's a nice bonus to get delicious regular and iced coffee brews from the same machine — a feature you don’t see in most mid-range bean-to-cup offerings. 

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

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How I tested the Ninja Luxe Café

I used the Ninja Luxe Café for several weeks at home, making two to three coffee drinks per day using high quality Stumtown and Groundwork coffee beans. During testing, I noted flavors, consistency, temperature, time to brew, and noise levels. Beyond drinking the espresso and coffee black, I tried the different milk frother presets with both dairy and plant-based milk, observing the foam levels and differences between settings. In the end, I tested almost every setting on the bean-to-cup machine and observed how it held up to usage.