Guide · Espresso machines
Ninja coffee machines: which Luxe Café model to buy
Ninja's UK coffee line-up runs from a capsule-and-filter brewer to fully automatic bean-to-cups. Here's which model suits which job and budget, with prices checked 3 Oct 2026.
Ninja coffee machines now cover three quite different ways of making coffee: a capsule-and-filter brewer, the Luxe Café espresso machines that guide you through each shot, and the newer AutoBarista bean-to-cups that do it all at the press of a button. On 3 Oct 2026 the machines we priced ran from £199.99 to £949.99 at Ninja UK, though both of those were shown as out of stock. This guide sorts them by job and budget. We haven’t tested this in person. Our picks are based on Ninja UK’s published specs, retailer listings and UK prices checked 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
Ninja coffee machines: the short answer
Choose the Prestige DualBrew if you want filter coffee by the jug and the odd capsule espresso, without paying for a grinder.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants fresh-ground espresso or proper steamed milk. It uses capsules or pre-ground coffee and froths with a whisk.
Choose the Luxe Café Mini if you want guided espresso from fresh beans in a smaller machine, and you’re happy to steam milk yourself.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants cold brew. Ninja lists the Minis as 2-in-1 machines, for espresso and filter coffee only.
Choose the Luxe Café Premier Plus or Pro if you want espresso, filter coffee and cold brew from one machine with hands-free milk. When we looked, both undercut the original Premier in some colours.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants to press one button and walk away. You still tamp and set the grind yourself.
Choose the AutoBarista if you want Ninja’s drinks menu with no portafilter at all.
Who it isn’t for: anyone on a budget under £750, or anyone who enjoys the manual side of espresso.
Three families, three different jobs
The names overlap, so start by splitting Ninja’s UK coffee machines into three groups:
- Prestige DualBrew: a filter coffee maker with a capsule espresso slot. There’s no grinder.
- Luxe Café: portafilter espresso machines with a built-in grinder and scale. Ninja’s Barista Assist recommends a grind size and adjusts the brew, but you still fill, tamp and lock in the portafilter.
- AutoBarista: fully automatic bean-to-cup machines. Ninja says these set the grind, dose and froth for you, and weigh each dose with a built-in scale.
If you want a hands-off machine, no Luxe Café will give you that, however much you spend.
Under £300: Prestige DualBrew
Prestige DualBrew CFN803UK. £259.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change). This is the version with a permanent filter. Ninja UK listed the CFN802UK as out of stock when we checked, so check price at Ninja UK.
Ninja’s CFN802UK listing describes filter coffee in 3 styles and 10 sizes from ground coffee, plus capsule espresso in 4 styles. Ninja says it takes Nespresso Original capsules and other compatible brands. It comes with a 1.8-litre glass carafe and a fold-away whisk frother. Currys lists a 1.8-litre tank for the CFN803UK.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who mostly drinks lattes or flat whites. A whisk frother won’t do what a steam wand does.
£400 to £500: Luxe Café Mini and Mini Plus
These are the smaller Luxe Café machines, and the least expensive way into the Luxe Café range that we found.
Luxe Café Mini ES301UK. Check price at Ninja UK, and £429.99 at Currys (prices can change), both checked 3 Oct 2026. Currys showed it at £479.99 from 19 August to 15 September. Ninja lists 60 grind sizes, a built-in scale, an assisted tamper and a manual steam wand. It brews espresso and filter-style coffee, hot or over ice.
Luxe Café Mini Plus ES352UK. Check price at Ninja UK, and £479.99 at Currys (prices can change), both checked 3 Oct 2026. The step up is the milk. Ninja lists a temperature-controlled steam wand with 3 hands-free froth presets, so it textures milk without you holding the jug.
Ninja gives both as 26.01 x 30.91 x 34.11cm (L x W x H), at 8.6kg for the Mini and 8.8kg for the Mini Plus. Currys lists a 1.4-litre tank for both.
Who it isn’t for: anyone short on budget who’d be happy with pre-ground coffee. At around £400 to £480, they cost far more than a manual machine such as De’Longhi’s Dedica, which was £149 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change).
£500 to £600: Luxe Café Premier, Premier Plus and Pro
These full-size 3-in-1 machines add cold brew to espresso and filter coffee. Our Ninja Luxe Café review covers the Premier and Pro in detail, so here we’ll stick to which one to buy.
Luxe Café Premier Plus ES655UK. £599.99 for the silver version at Ninja UK and at Currys, and £499.99 for Oat White (ES655UKWH) at both, checked 3 Oct 2026 (Currys prices can change). Ninja lists 25 grind sizes, an assisted tamper and an Advanced Dual Froth System with 5 presets, including an extra-thick froth, plus an XL froth jug. Ninja gives it as 11.9kg.
Luxe Café Pro ES701UK. For the Oat White ES701UKWH, check price at Ninja UK; it was £549.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change). Currys also had the black ES701UKBK2 at £549.99. Its main difference is a built-in tamper rather than an assisted one.
Luxe Café Premier ES601UK. £579.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change). It has 4 froth presets rather than 5. It was the value pick among assisted machines in the Guardian’s bean-to-cup roundup (April 2026).
So at Currys on 3 Oct 2026, an Oat White Premier Plus (£499.99) or Pro (£549.99) cost less than the original Premier (£579.99), prices can change, and came with more froth presets. Compare exact model codes before you buy.
A black and gold Pro designed by David Beckham (ES771UKBK) was £879.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change).
Who it isn’t for: kitchens with low wall cupboards. Ninja gives the Premier Plus as 37.21cm tall, so measure the gap first.
£750 and up: AutoBarista and AutoBarista Pro
AutoBarista AE1001UK. Check price at Ninja UK, and £849.99 at Currys (prices can change), both checked 3 Oct 2026. This is Ninja’s answer to the classic bean-to-cup. Ninja lists 10 one-touch drinks, including cold brew and filter coffee, 50 grind settings, a 250g bean hopper, 4 froth presets and 2 user profiles. Currys lists a 2-litre tank.
AutoBarista Pro AE1051UK. £949.99 at Ninja UK, checked 3 Oct 2026, but shown as out of stock. Ninja lists 13 one-touch drinks, 5 froth presets and two swappable 340g bean hoppers, so you can keep two different coffees on the go.
Ninja lists both at 45.24cm long (front to back), against 34.29cm for the Premier Plus, so check your worktop depth.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who mostly drinks black coffee. You’d be paying for milk presets and drink programmes you won’t use.
Ninja coffee machine, Sage or De’Longhi: who Ninja suits
Ninja’s difference is the middle ground. The Luxe Café machines sit between a manual espresso machine and a push-button bean-to-cup: they help with the grind and dose, then froth milk for you. The full-size models also brew filter coffee and cold brew.
- Choose Ninja if you want help making espresso, plus filter coffee or cold brew, and you don’t want to buy a separate grinder or scale.
- Choose Sage if you want to learn espresso by hand, with a manual steam wand. Our Sage Barista Express vs Barista Pro comparison covers its popular grinder model, and Sage Barista Express vs Ninja Luxe Café puts the two head to head.
- Choose De’Longhi if you want a fully automatic machine for less. The Magnifica S was £299 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, against £849.99 for Ninja’s AutoBarista there. Our De’Longhi coffee machines guide covers the whole range.
For more push-button options from every brand, see our bean-to-cup machines hub.
Who it isn’t for: anyone after a traditional espresso machine, as Ninja’s are built around presets.
Downsides of the Ninja range
- Confusing names and codes: Premier, Premier Plus, Pro, Mini and Mini Plus differ in ways that aren’t obvious, and colour versions of the same model can differ by £100, as the Premier Plus did.
- Prices move a lot: check price at Ninja UK on the day. On 3 Oct 2026 the DualBrew CFN802UK was out of stock.
- No push-button bean-to-cup below £750: every Luxe Café still needs you to tamp and change the grind.
- Heavy, deep machines: Ninja gives the Premier Plus at 11.9kg and the AutoBarista models at 45.24cm long.
- No grinder in the DualBrew: it relies on capsules or pre-ground coffee.
FAQ
Which Ninja coffee machine has an automatic milk frother? Of the machines here, the Mini Plus, Premier, Premier Plus, Pro and both AutoBaristas have hands-free froth presets, according to Ninja. The Mini has a manual steam wand, and the DualBrew uses a whisk.
Does the Ninja DualBrew take Nespresso pods? Ninja says it takes Nespresso Original capsules and other compatible brands.