Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro ES701 Espresso Machine Review

Introducing the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro ES701 Espresso Machine

Building off the success of the majorly successful Luxe Cafe Premier ES601, Ninja has just released the updated model ES701! Let’s start off with what the ES701 offers over the ES601:

1. Integrated Tamper
2. Hot Water Outlet (not in ES601US model)
3. Single basket (not in ES601US model)
4. Thicker 1/2″ steam wand, with ‘non-burn’ feature
5. Ratio settings of 1:2, 1:2.5 and 1:4
6. Lungo and Ristretto drinks additionally

Espresso on the Ninja Luxe Cafe?

The brand new Luxe Cafe Pro does not disappoint. Straight away I can say it makes real espresso. It uses standard, non-pressurized baskets. None of that pressurized faux crema stuff. And it comes with a proper portafilter and a very convenient integrated tamper. It has temperature and pressure monitoring, and the results is an actual, real espresso.

To be honest, I am really surprised what the Ninja can do for just $749. They are ahead of their competition with their heated brew group and grind by weight scale. But more on that later.

Below you see the included baskets. From left to right, we have the Luxe, Double and Single baskets. They can fit 40, 18, and 9 grams respectively. They are keyed, so you can only put them in the right way, and the machine recognizes which one you have installed. Pretty cool!

Integrated Tamper on the Luxe Cafe Pro

I know what I was most curious about was how the integrated tamper will work. Is it worth the extra $150 for the ES701 over the ES601? How well does the tamper tamp, and how convenient is it?

Well, what I can say so far is, that the tamper works well, and the metal tamper lever feels really nice. It tamps the puck properly, and I think it’s pretty consistent, when you tamp twice, like the machine requests.

Below you can see the tamper in its home position on the left, and extended on the right. The tamper lever actuates two gears, that move the tamper downwards.

You are also able to remove the tamper cover, kind of like on the Barista Touch Impress. This gives a cool view to the moving tamper and gears, and also gives access for cleaning when needed.

Design and HMI

The Luxe Cafe is a pretty cool looking machine, as one would expect from the tech giant, Shark/Ninja. It is formed nearly like a cube, and you’re immediately met with the large black and stainless steel HMI interface, broken up into 4 sections:

1. Grind – this shows your current grind setting and the recommended setting, for the selected drink. I find that the ‘recommended’ setting gives you a pretty good ballpark estimate of where to set your grind, but you can also deviate from it if you want.
2. Espresso Drinks – here you can choose between:
   1. Ristretto (small drink)
   2. Espresso
   3. Lungo (large drink, like a coffee crema)
   4. Americano &
   5. Cold pressed espresso
3. Coffee Drinks – choose between:
   1. Classic Coffee (normal ratio)
   2. Rich Coffee (stronger ratio)
   3. Over Ice (less coffee, to not melt the ice)
   4. Cold Brew
4. Froth – here is where you can choose your froth amount:
   1. No froth, or manual mode
   2. Low froth, for latte art
   3. Medium froth for cappuccino
   4. High froth for extra thick cappuccino
   5. Cold froth for nice cool drinks
   6. Bonus: you can also select the milk type as animal or plant based.

As you can see above, the Luxe Cafe gives you a ‘recommended’ grind setting, based on how long your last shot took to extract. Grind too fine, then it will take too long, and suggest you grind coarser (higher number). If your shot is too fast, it will ask you to set the grinder finer.

You will also notice above that you can set the strength, in 3 steps. This refers to the ‘ratio’ or the amount of yield in the cup vs the beans in.

For example, the dose for a double basket is 18 grams, weighed out with the integrated scale. If you choose a ‘strength’ of 1, then it will give a longer 1:4 ratio, resulting in 18*4 = 72 grams out. I normally choose a ‘strength’ of 3, which gives me a 1:2 ratio drink, and therefore it’s strong.

You can also use the bottom row buttons to turn the machine off, to start the descaling process, to clean (or backflush) the machine, and to purge the steam wand.

Features

The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier already had some really cool features, my favorite of which is an included scale, that measures out each dose! Another excellent inclusion is an automatic frother that includes a spinner inside, ensuring that the milk will froth up properly. What I really like also is the cute little cubby hole to store accessories.

The new Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro ES701 also includes a couple of new features, such as LED lights below the machine, and the aforementioned tamper.

What does the Luxe Cafe come with?

Thankfully, the Luxe Cafe finally comes with just about everything you need to get started on your espresso journey. All that is really lacking is a knock box. The machine comes with the following:

• Single basket for 9 grams
• Double basket for 18 grams
• Luxe basket for up to 40 grams
• XL milk pitcher with spinner
• Descaler, cleaning tablets, water hardness test
• Backflushing disk

The Grinder on the Luxe Cafe Pro

The grinder is a 40mm stainless steel, 5 bladed conical grinder, very reminiscent of those found in the Barista Express type machines. It does its job well for a small conical, the main gripe about these types of grinders being sometimes a lack of consistency. In this setting however, I think it’s really well suited for its purpose.

This grinder has 25 adjustment settings, and I find I am generally on 10-12 for espresso, and 23-25 for coffee brews. Luckily for new users, the machine suggests a grind, based on the brew method. Very convenient.

Do you have to use the Grinder?

So many people have been asking if you must to use the grinder, in order to pull a shot. I’m happy to report, you can bypass the grinder. This does not affect the Barista Assist function.

You can use pre-ground espresso, or espresso from another grinder, and pull a shot. In fact, the machine is so smart, that it does not adjust its “Barista Assist” grind size recommendation, since it knows that you didn’t use the grinder for that shot. Very clever.

So how does the Luxe Cafe perform for Espresso?

I am very much liking the espresso that the Luxe Cafe is delivering. It has given me nice intense shots with good body, and generally with a nice balance.

I think this comes down to two factors, and advantages the Ninja has over other machines:

1. The brew group and portafilter are heated. Ninja placed the heater right over the brew group – resulting in a nice and even, hot temperature for the extraction, all the way down to the portafilter.
2. The temperature and pressure are monitored. Using a temperature probe, the temperature can be held more steady, and it seems the pressure is regulated to not get too high.

Getting a shot with loads of crema is no problem for this machine!

The Steam Wand

The steam wand on the Luxe Cafe is designed for auto milk steaming, and in combination with the included spinner in the milk carafe, it works extremely well. It heats the milk up very hot (up to 62 degrees C on the middle temperature), and it is able to texture the milk well too, whether thin for a flat white, or thicker for a traditional cappuccino. Something to keep in mind is, the included milk pitcher is quite large, and is not ideal for pouring latte art. For that, I’d suggest a pitcher like this.

Cheat code for Manual Steaming!

At first, I was quite disappointed that manual milk steaming was apparently not possible. I tried everything intuitive to me, to try getting it to steam. Then, I looked in the directions, duh!

To steam manually, pull the steam wand out, select the lowest froth level, hold the START FROTH button in for 3 seconds, and then you can steam manually! I have gotten some excellent, silky milk using this method, and it’s better than the auto milk steaming in my opinion.

I made the cappuccino below with latte art, using the manual steaming.

What about a solenoid, pre-infusion, PID and flow control?

Upon starting the machine, and also during various operations, one can hear solenoid valve(s) firing. That tells me that there is a 3 way solenoid to release pressure off the puck after extraction – a very nice feature for a machine of this price range. This is also the reason for the included brew group cleaning tablets, and back flushing disk.

The machine also claims to “constantly monitor brew pressure and temperature” so I am strongly assuming that there is temperature management like a PID. I am not sure how they monitor the brew pressure, but it does seem to be regulated well. So far, I have not had a stalled shot, or a shot that sprays all over, either.

Looking inside the Ninja Luxe Cafe

Inside the Luxe Cafe sits a thermoblock, right on top of the brew group. This is good news, as the brew group will get heated along with the thermoblock, over time.

The machine itself does look a bit cramped inside, and not easily serviceable until more parts are removed. I just removed the top here, and loosened the display.

The water connections are done with either rubber hoses for the low pressure run-offs with metal spring clips, or with braided hoses and single use clamps for the high pressure lines.

As for grounding, I found the following to be grounded:

• Thermoblock
• Outer metal fascia of the machine and grinder
• Backplate of the machine

Ninja Luxe Cafe vs Breville Barista Express and Touch Impress?

I do think that Ninja aimed squarely to compete with the Breville Barista Express, and that at a lower price point. Compared to the Barista Express, this includes a grind by weight dosing system, as well as the option to make coffees and cold brews. So, this machine is very versatile!

If I am comparing the espresso quality, I think that the Ninja and Breville Barista models are very similar. They can both make espresso with good body, and pull out the chocolatey and sweet notes out of the beans, with proper puck prep. That being said, the Ninja is actually easier to work with, as I’ve never choked it, nor had espresso spraying all over. The suggestion system in the Ninja Luxe Cafe works really well!

Regarding milk steaming, I also find that the auto milk steaming works better on the Ninja than the Barista Touch Impress, but the manual milk steaming is quite similar between the two. The Touch Impress does have a slightly nicer steam wand, but not by much. They are both ‘non-burn.’

All in all, I think the Luxe Cafe is a very nice option, especially for the price. I’d say the machines are neck and neck for me, if they’d be the same price. But if you want brewed coffee and cold brew, the Ninja is pretty much a no brainer.

Pros and Cons of the Luxe Cafe

This is a pretty great espresso machine, at least so far. I think we will have to wait some months and years, to see how the longevity is. But the machine itself and its function, is great.

Specifications

Here are the specs of the machine:

• 13.39 in L x 12.48 in W x 14.84 in H
• 1650 Watt thermoblock
• 25 click stainless steel grinder with weight based dosing
• 27 pounds in dry weight
• 70 ounce water tank
• Immediate start up time
• Temperature and brew pressure control
• 1 year warranty in the USA
• Made in China

Verdict

I honestly think that Ninja hit a home run with the Luxe Cafe Pro ES701, primarily for what the machine offers at the price of $750. It’s quiet in operation, delivers real espresso, it’s fun to use, and it can make espresso, brew coffee and cold brew. For me, a no-brainer recommendation.

Which other Models are Available?

For the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro ES701, Europeans will be happy to know that this model is already available. It can be ordered directly from Ninja.

In fact, it even looks like the Ninja Luxe Cafe will be delivered to Europe in 3 options:

1. ES501 – Luxe Cafe without cold options
2. ES601 – Luxe Cafe ES501, plus cold drinks
3. ES701 – Luxe Cafe ES601 plus with integrated tamper and professional steam wand.

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