Comparison · Espresso machines
Ninja Luxe Café Premier vs Pro: is the lever tamper worth it?
Ninja Luxe Café Premier (ES601) vs Pro (ES701): the tamper, drink settings, froth presets and the UK prices we found on 3 Oct 2026, when some Pro finishes cost less.
This Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier vs Pro UK comparison starts with the headline difference: how you tamp. The Premier Series (ES601) comes with an assisted tamper you press down yourself, while Ninja lists the Pro Series (ES701) with a built-in tamper you work with a lever. The Pro also gets more drink settings and a fifth froth preset. On 3 Oct 2026, the black and white Pro finishes were £549.99 at Currys, £30 less than the £579.99 Premier. We haven’t tested this in person. Our verdict is based on Ninja UK’s and Currys’ listings, the Guardian’s bean-to-cup roundup (April 2026) and UK prices checked 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
For everything the two machines share (Barista Assist, the grinder, cold brew and what the Guardian found), see our Ninja Luxe Café review. This page sticks to what’s different.
Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier vs Pro UK: the short answer
Choose the Pro Series if you can get it for the same money as the Premier or less, as you could on 3 Oct 2026. You get the lever tamper, more drink settings and an extra-thick froth preset for no extra cost.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who’d be paying the full £729.99 at Ninja UK just for the lever and a few more settings. That’s £150 more than the Premier.
Choose the Premier if you find it cheaper than the Pro on the day you buy. The core machine is the same idea: grinder, scale, Barista Assist and automatic frothing.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who finds tamping a chore. You still press the coffee down yourself with the supplied tamper.
What they cost right now
These are the prices we found on 3 Oct 2026. They move often, so check the model code as well as the price.
Premier Series (ES601):
- Currys: the silver and black ES601UK and the black ES601UKBK were both in stock at £579.99. Prices can change. See the ES601UK at Currys
- Ninja UK: the ES601UK was £579.99 but shown as out of stock. Check price at Ninja UK for the black ES601UKBK and the Cyber Space ES601UKCY, which were both in stock.
Pro Series (ES701):
- Currys: the black ES701UKBK2 and the white ES701UKWH were both in stock at £549.99. The silver ES701UK was £549 but out of stock. Prices can change. See the ES701UKBK2 at Currys
- Ninja UK: the silver ES701UK was £729.99 and shown as out of stock. Check price at Ninja UK for the Oat White ES701UKWH and the Black on Black ES701UKBK2.
A separate model: the Ninja Luxe Café Pro by David Beckham (ES771UKBK) is a black and gold edition, in stock at £879.99 at Currys on 3 Oct 2026. It’s not the same listing as the standard Pro Series, so don’t use its price to judge the ES701.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a single “right” price. Finish and retailer change the figure by up to £250.
Tamping: assisted vs built-in lever
On the Premier, the grinder doses into the portafilter and you press the grounds down with the assisted tamper. The Guardian notes that you still adjust the grind yourself as instructed, tamp and slot the portafilter in.
On the Pro, Ninja lists an integrated tamper that “provides even pressure for the perfect tamp at the push of a lever”. The Guardian described the ES701 as swapping manual tamping for a big lever that makes the process feel more immediate.
Who it isn’t for: anyone hoping the Pro is push-button. You still move the portafilter from grinder to brew head yourself.
Drink settings
- Premier: Ninja lists 19 drink settings: 4 espresso styles, 4 coffee styles, 7 drink sizes and 4 froth presets.
- Pro: Ninja’s Pro listing gives 25 drink settings: 9 espresso styles, 4 coffee styles, 7 drink sizes and 5 froth presets. Ninja’s own comparison chart says 29, so the figures don’t agree. Currys lists 25.
Currys lists the Pro’s drink types as espresso, ristretto, lungo, americano, cold brew, cold pressed espresso, filter coffee, iced coffee, cappuccino, latte, flat white, latte macchiato and hot water.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who drinks the same flat white every day. Extra espresso styles add little if you never change your order.
Milk
The Premier has Ninja’s Dual Froth System with 4 presets: steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth and cold foam. The Pro has what Ninja calls the Advanced Dual Froth System with 5 presets, adding extra-thick froth, and comes with an XL froth jug. Both steam and whisk at the same time, according to Ninja.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who mostly drinks espresso or black coffee. The froth upgrade won’t matter.
In the box and size
- Premier: Ninja lists a portafilter with single, double and Luxe baskets, the assisted tamper, a funnel, a froth jug with integrated whisk, a cleaning brush and starter and cleaning kits.
- Pro: Ninja lists a portafilter with single, double and Luxe baskets, an XL froth jug with integrated whisk, the built-in tamper, a cleaning brush, a cleaning and starter kit and a recipe guide.
- Size and weight (Currys): the Premier is 370 x 340 x 330mm (H x W x D) and 11.7kg; the Pro is 371 x 351 x 333mm and 11.56kg.
- Shared specs (Currys): a 2-litre water tank, 1,650W, and a bean container for up to 250g on both.
Who it isn’t for: anyone short on space. Both are large, heavy machines, and the Pro is slightly wider.
Downsides
- Confusing range: Premier, Premier Plus, Pro and the Beckham edition share the name, and prices change by finish.
- Not push-button: neither model grinds, tamps and brews without you moving the portafilter.
- Inconsistency: the Guardian found coffee and milk temperature could vary on its Luxe Café review unit.
- Conflicting figures: Ninja gives the Pro both 25 and 29 drink settings.
Where to go next
If you’re not sure you want an assisted machine at all, our guide to bean-to-cup vs espresso machines explains the trade-off. If you want true one-touch milk drinks, see Philips 5400 vs Ninja Luxe Café. If you’d rather learn espresso manually, compare Sage Barista Express vs Ninja Luxe Café.
FAQ
What’s the difference between the Ninja Luxe Café Premier and Pro? The Pro has a built-in lever tamper instead of an assisted tamper, more drink settings (25 against 19, by Ninja’s listing) and a fifth froth preset, extra-thick froth.
Is the Ninja Luxe Café Pro more expensive? At full price, yes: £729.99 at Ninja UK against £579.99 for the Premier. On 3 Oct 2026, though, the black and white Pro finishes were £549.99 at Currys, £30 less than the Premier there.
Is the David Beckham Ninja Luxe Café the same as the Pro? It’s a separate listing, the ES771UKBK, in black and gold. It was £879.99 at Currys on 3 Oct 2026.
Do both make cold brew? Yes. Ninja describes both as 3-in-1 machines for espresso, filter coffee and cold brew.