Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus: barista features in a more compact format

SharkNinja continues to strengthen its presence in Spain with an increasingly broad catalog and a strategy that goes far beyond the categories with which the company made itself known to the general public. Under the Ninja brand, one of the areas in which it is paying special attention is coffee, a segment that in recent years has gained prominence among those seeking to move part of their business home. the experience of a specialty coffee shop. Their latest proposal in our market is the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus, with which it tries to bring some of the features of its most advanced models to a more compact format.We have been able to test it for several weeks and one of the things we liked the most is precisely its approach. Ninja bets on a 2-in-1 solution capable of preparing espresso and authentic filter coffee, maintaining part of the ritual associated with a semi-automatic coffee maker, but automating those processes that usually require more experience. In addition, it integrates the grinder, a precision scale and the milk frothing system into the equipment itself, reducing both the number of necessary accessories and the space occupied by the entire set.

Precisely the size has seemed to us to be one of its main arguments. The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus is 30 percent more compact than the Ninja Luxe Café Prowith dimensions of 26.01 x 30.91 x 34.11 cm and a weight of 8.8 kg. In daily use, this reduction is especially appreciated, since it is much easier to find a permanent space for it on the countertop. It also has a 1.3 liter water tank and a container with capacity for 250 grams of coffee beansso, despite its dimensions, it maintains reasonable capacities for everyday use.

EASE OF USE WITHOUT LOSING CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

One of the functions that we have used the most during these weeks is the Barista Assist technology. Getting a good espresso depends on different variables and grinding is one of the most important. In this case, the system provides automatic recommendations, adjusting parameters to facilitate a consistent result. Added to this is the integrated scale, which allows you to obtain the appropriate dose of coffee without having to resort to a separate device. We have found it especially useful for those who want to take a leap in quality compared to a simple coffee maker without having to learn to manually control all the parameters.

That doesn’t mean the ability to personalize disappears. The MINI Plus incorporates single and double espresso filters, three intensity levels and three temperature settingsas well as a control panel with a progress bar. In the box we also find the filter holder, a funnel and an assisted tamper. After using it for several weeks, we believe that this is precisely one of its greatest successes: there is real user participation during preparation and a certain feeling of making the coffee, but the machine provides enough help so that the learning curve is not particularly steep.

The other main protagonist is the milk system. AutoFroth technology uses an automatic steam wand to transform milk or vegetable drinks into a soft and creamy microfoam without the need to manually control the process. It has four predefined settings to adapt the foam to different preparations and includes a milk jug.

VERSATILITY, POWER AND A DESIGN TO LIKE

We have also especially appreciated the possibility of preparing filter coffee from the same machine. It is an important difference compared to many domestic espresso machines and considerably expands its possibilities of use. In our case, being able to alternate between a short espresso and a cup of filter coffee without changing equipment seemed especially convenient. Ninja thus manages to gather different ways to prepare coffee avoiding having several devices taking up space in the kitchen. All this is supported by a power of 1,650 W.

There are also small details that we have valued more with use. Removable parts are dishwasher safe and the steam wand is designed for easy cleaning. As for its more compact design, it maintains a construction that is visually closer to a semi-professional coffee maker than to a conventional small appliance.

Obviously, this reduction in size also implies some sacrifices compared to the higher models of the family. The MINI Plus do without, for example, Cold Brew available in the Ninja Luxe Café Premier and Pro, and offers four foam settings compared to the five of the Pro. The 1.3 liter tank can also be a little tight if many consecutive drinks are prepared, and we would have liked to find a little more capacity without compromising too much on its dimensions.

In any case, with a price of 499.99 euros, the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus seemed to us an interesting gateway to Ninja’s most advanced coffee range. It is not intended to compete solely by being smaller, but rather to concentrate a good part of the functions that make the most complete coffee makers attractive. At a time when preparing a good coffee at home is a trend, SharkNinja seems to have found a particularly interesting terrain to continue growing in Spain.

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