If you’re shopping for a coffee maker in this year’s Black Friday sales, the Ninja Luxe Café is likely to catch your eye. It’s one of the best coffee makers we’ve tested here at TechRadar, but with several versions available at different prices, which one should you choose?
The two main versions you’ll see in the Black Friday sales are the Ninja Luxe Café Premier and the Ninja Luxe Café Pro. Both have received steep price cuts (and you’ll find all the best offers below), but why does one cost more than the other, and is it worth paying more? Read on for the full low-down on both machines, but today’s best Black Friday deals.
Ninja Luxe Café Premier vs Ninja Luxe Café Pro: price
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro is more expensive than the Ninja Luxe Café Premier. The Premier has a list price of $549.99 / £549.99 (about AU$850), while the Pro is listed at $699.99 / £699.99 (about AU$1,100). However, there are steep price cuts on both machines for Black Friday, details of which you’ll find below.
Note that although Ninja does operate in Australia, neither of the Luxe Café coffee machines is available to buy there at the time of writing.
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Ninja Luxe Café Premier vs Ninja Luxe Café Pro: specs
|
Attribute |
Ninja Luxe Café Premier |
Ninja Luxe Café Pro |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$549.99 / £549.99 (about AU$850) |
$699.99 / £699.99 (about AU$1,100) |
|
Size (H x W x L) |
14.6 x 13.2 x 13.5in / 37.2 x 33.6 x 34.4cm |
14.8 x 13.3 x 14in / 37.7 x 33.7 x 35.5cm |
|
Weight |
37.5lbs / 17kg |
38lbs / 17.25kg |
|
Settings |
15+ |
29 |
|
Espresso |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Filter coffee |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Cold brew |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Grinder |
Yes |
Yes |
|
AutoMilq system |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Built-in tamper |
No |
Yes |
Ninja Luxe Café Premier vs Ninja Luxe Café Pro: design
The most obvious difference between these two coffee makers is the large handle on the side of the Ninja Luxe Café Pro, which is absent from the Luxe Café Premier.
The Pro edition is also slightly larger and heavier than the Premier, but the difference is minimal. The Ninja Luxe Café Pro is about half an inch taller and deeper, and a quarter of an inch wider. It’s also 8oz heavier, which isn’t enough to make a practical difference. If you choose the Ninja Luxe Café Pro, just make sure there’s enough space to the left of the machine for you to reach the tamping lever.
Ninja Luxe Café Premier vs Ninja Luxe Café Pro: features
When it comes to features, the biggest difference between these two coffee makers is that the Ninja Luxe Café Pro has a lever-operated tamping system that compresses your ground coffee evenly without the risk of spilling freshly ground coffee.
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro also offers more drink presets than the original version of the coffee maker. The Ninja Luxe Café Premier offers four espresso styles, four coffee styles, seven drink sizes, and four milk froth presets, whereas the Ninja Luxe Café Pro gives you 13 espresso styles, four coffee styles, seven drink sizes, and five froth presets.
The number of drink presets probably won’t be enough to sway your decision one way or the other, but it’s interesting to note that the upgraded tamper isn’t the only difference.
Otherwise, both machines have a smart dosing system with a scale to help you grind the right amount of coffee into the filter basket, assistance with choosing the best grind size, and an automatic milk texturizing system (which can also be used manually).
You can also use both machines to brew filter coffee and to make refreshing cold brew (which is much faster than infusing in the fridge overnight).
