TL;DR
The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus is a compact espresso machine priced at 5,999 kr. It delivers consistent espresso and automatic milk frothing with a built-in scale and 60 grinder settings. However, its small 1.3-liter water tank requires frequent refilling, the drip tray fills quickly, and the machine slides when locking the portafilter. It suits people wanting espresso drinks in small kitchens.
Does an espresso machine with a built-in grinder have to take up half the kitchen counter? The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus claims otherwise. It features a grinder with 60 grind settings, a built-in scale, automatic milk frothing, hot water, and even filter coffee—all in a machine that is 30 percent smaller than Ninja’s larger Luxe Café Pro.
We have previously tested the larger Ninja Luxe Café Premier. The question is what you gain and what you have to give up when the same concept is shrunk into a smaller format. Does the coffee maintain the same quality, and will it really fit in any kitchen? Let’s find out!
Design and format
The first thing I thought when the machine was in place was that it looks really good. It has the same distinct design language as the rest of the Luxe Café series, with a dial, buttons, and a display with a progress indicator on the front, but in a format that ensures it doesn’t dominate the kitchen. No touchscreen and no app—the machine isn’t connected at all.
26 × 31 × 34 centimeters and 8.8 kilograms. It fits in most kitchens, which is unusual for a machine with a built-in grinder, and it’s the primary reason to choose this specific model. The Premier-modellen we tested earlier weighs nearly 14 kilograms, so the difference is significant.
On top of the machine, there is storage for the tamper and the funnel. Clever, as they otherwise easily end up lying around on the counter. The downside is that some coffee grounds tend to follow them up and collect there, creating another surface that needs wiping down.
Grinder, scale, and Barista Assist
The grinder has 60 settings, providing plenty of room to fine-tune based on the beans. This is where Barista Assist comes in. The machine monitors how fast the water flows through the coffee during the first few brews and then recommends a grind size on the display. It doesn’t adjust the grinder itself; instead, you turn the dial to the suggested number.
However, don’t expect it to be perfect immediately. The first few cups with new beans can be quite far off, and it takes a couple of brews before Barista Assist has dialed in correctly. This applies every time you switch beans, not just the first time the machine is started. Once it has found the right setting, it maintains it, and you don’t have to think about it again until the next bag.
What truly elevates the machine is the built-in scale, which is very unusual in this price range. Most espresso machines with grinders dose by time, meaning the grinder runs for a certain number of seconds. The problem is that different beans, roasts, and grind sizes produce different amounts of coffee in the same amount of time. Here, the machine weighs the coffee while it grinds instead, and stops when the correct amount is in the filter basket. The result is that every cup starts from the same baseline, and when the taste changes, you know it’s due to the grind size or the beans, not because two grams too little happened to end up in the basket. For anyone who doesn’t want to deal with a separate scale on the counter, this is worth its weight in gold.
The machine also detects whether a single or double filter basket is in the portafilter and adjusts the quantity accordingly. The tamper is spring-loaded and guided by the funnel, so the coffee is compressed flat and evenly every time. It’s one of those details that allows a beginner to produce a good espresso without prior knowledge.
Espresso and Cafè Crema
The coffee is very good. The espresso has a full body, pleasant acidity, and a thick crema that lasts a long time. What impresses the most is the consistency. Cup after cup tastes virtually the same, which is exactly what you want from a machine intended to handle most of the work for you.
There are many modes and settings to play with, but the mode I’ve returned to the most is Cafè Crema. This is a coffee style popular in Switzerland and Germany, and it sits somewhere between espresso and drip coffee. The coffee is ground slightly coarser than for espresso, and more water is allowed to flow through the coffee, resulting in a larger cup of around 150 milliliters. The difference from an Americano is that the water passes through the coffee instead of being added afterward. This produces a smoother, rounder cup with crema on top, but with more body and depth than standard drip coffee. For me, it’s the perfect mid-morning cup.
Milk frothing
The steam wand can be operated fully automatically. You lower it into the milk pitcher, select the foam type, and the machine handles the rest. A temperature sensor shuts it off when the milk is ready, so you don’t have to stand there feeling the pitcher. There are four presets, from steamed milk to flat white, through thin foam for latte and up to thick foam for cappuccino.
The results are very good. The cappuccino foam is firm and rich, and the latte milk is smooth and hot, without requiring any technical skill. If you prefer to handle it yourself, you can froth manually, and the steam wand has enough power to do it well.
When you fold the wand back, it emits a short burst of steam to clear the nozzle, and then you just wipe it down. Simple and effective.
Filter coffee and iced coffee
The machine is a 2-in-1, and in addition to espresso, it also makes filter coffee. There’s nothing wrong with the taste, but the size is limited. You can choose between 175 and 235 milliliters, and that’s it.
Iced coffee is also available, but it feels mostly like a gimmick. The machine doesn’t brew cold; instead, it makes a stronger hot coffee that is poured directly over ice. This results in a fresh and quite acidic cup, but it’s nowhere near the smooth, chocolatey flavor you get from real cold brew. Furthermore, the milk pitcher lacks the whisk needed for cold milk foam, so an ice-cold latte with foam on top isn’t possible. The larger Luxe Café models can handle both cold brew and cold foam, so this is where you notice that some sacrifices were made.
Hot water with three temperature settings, however, is a good feature, whether for tea or an Americano.
The small format comes at a price
The fact that the machine is so compact is its greatest strength, but it also has some downsides. The most obvious one is that it gets crowded within the machine itself. Space around the steam wand is limited, and the fold-down shelf for smaller cups must be flipped out of the way when frothing. This is logical when fitting everything into such a small footprint, but it means you have to plan the order in which you do things.
The relatively low weight is nice when the machine needs to be moved, but it also means the machine tends to slide along when you lock the portafilter in place. I have several times pushed the entire machine sideways and had to hold it steady with my other hand.
Also, it’s thirsty. Very thirsty. The water tank holds 1.3 liters, which isn’t much, and the machine uses a fair amount of water. It rinses frequently—both before and after brewing and when the steam wand is folded back—and all that water ends up in the drip tray. This means you’ll be refilling the tank often and emptying the drip tray almost as frequently. If there are several coffee drinkers in the household, this becomes a recurring chore.
Conclusion
The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus gets a lot of things right. It’s stylish, truly compact, and produces coffee of high and, above all, consistent quality. The built-in scale and Barista Assist remove most of the hassle of finding the right setting—even if a few cups are needed every time you switch beans—the milk frothing is excellent, and Cafè Crema has become a personal favorite.
The drawbacks are mostly consequences of the small format. It’s cramped around the steam wand, the machine slides easily when tightening the portafilter, and the small water tank combined with high consumption means constant refilling and emptying. Filter coffee has limited setting options, and iced coffee is mostly just a fun extra feature.
The recommended price is 5,999 kronor, but at the time of writing, Ninja is selling it for 4,999 kronor on their own website. For a machine with a grinder, scale, and automatic milk frothing, this is reasonable, especially considering what a separate grinder and scale would cost. For those who want high-quality espresso and milk-based drinks at home without sacrificing half their kitchen counter, it’s an easy choice. If you’re more interested in filter coffee or cold brew, you should look elsewhere.
Ninja sent a review unit for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with our readers and consumers in focus.
How we rate products at SensesReview Highlights: Q&A
How large is the machine and will it fit in smaller kitchens?
The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus measures 26 × 31 × 34 centimeters and weighs 8.8 kilograms, making it 30 percent smaller than Ninja's larger Luxe Café Pro.
How does the built-in grinder and dosing system work?
The grinder offers 60 settings and uses an integrated scale to weigh coffee doses rather than using a timer. Barista Assist monitors water flow and recommends grind size adjustments on the display.
Can the steam wand froth milk automatically?
Yes, the steam wand has four automated presets ranging from steamed milk to thick cappuccino foam, and a built-in temperature sensor automatically shuts off steaming when the milk is ready.
Does it make cold brew or cold foam?
No, it brews strong hot coffee over ice rather than making true cold brew, and the included milk pitcher lacks the whisk required to prepare cold milk foam.
What are the main drawbacks of the compact size?
The machine easily slides when locking in the portafilter, offers tight working space around the steam wand, and requires frequent water refills and drip tray emptying due to its 1.3-liter tank.
