Customer Ratings & Reviews

Let me preface this, I have Keurig, spoiled by it honestly. Sure pods are great, but what it costs for a pod versus buying a bag of coffee beans and grinding them and then brewing them. Let me say there is a world of difference here in terms of quality. I've not yet had the chance to try everything that this machine can do, but as for the several cups I've made for myself so far, I can actually taste the coffee. Before I could just taste the diluted water with coffee flavor. With brewing the coffee, it takes some time, not near as long as brewing a pot, maybe a minute or two for a travel mug, but it does take longer than a Keurig. I personally don't have an issue with this as good coffee is always worth the wait. Just to be clear here, the Ninja and the Keurig meet totally different needs. The Ninja is meant to replace the need of going to a coffee house plain and simple. It has a built in frother, so can make that similar quality of drink. You can truly make coffee house style coffee, latte's, cappuccino's, iced drinks and also Cocktails. There's even a nice 50 page recipe book that comes with it and I intend on trying some of these, especially their Double Shot White Russian. I can certainly say that the systems they use to filter the water through certainly can get you a near french press level of coffee strength. If you want something simple and easy to use to replace your daily/weekly trip to your local coffee house, get this machine. It has truly been a delight to use.

I opened this up and gave it a go....It is a good coffee maker and does what it is supposed to do.....the only thing I wish it had, was a clock and a timer. If it did, it would be a 5 star review. I had my hopes up that it would have a clock and timer, because I find myself wanting the coffee ready when I come down to go to work......but, it is what it is. Okay, for the good stuff. It has a frother arm, which does a good whipping up the cream. It has buttons for classic brew, rich brew, speciality drinks of 2 different sizes, and 4 cup sizes when using the regular and classic sizes. It has a drip stop lever, which is great! So, when your brewing is done, you slide it over to drip stop and can remove it to take it to dump the grounds in the trash if using paper filters (it uses cone #2 filters, no samples included) or you can use the reusable one that comes with it. You have a removable water reservoir, an easy to swing out basket for the grounds, a removable frother arm, and a separate folding cup holder for when using a smaller cup vs. a travel cup - with the little cup holder folded up, you can stand a tall travel cup under the brewer basket. There are 4 brew sizes - small cup, large cup, regular travel cup, and large travel cup. Does it brew a great cup of coffee? YES! Is it cool looking? YES! Does it have all the things you'd want in a small coffee pot? MOSTLY, except for a clock and timer feature. There are other cool things, like a pre-heat button, and a reminder beep and light if you leave the drip stop engaged and try to brew a cup of coffee; very smart! Otherwise your brew basket would runneth over! So, would I recommend it? Yes. I may not use all of the features, but I like the product lines from Ninja and am happy with the quality so far. It works, it doesn't feel cheap, and I like the way it works.

This is by far the best single serve coffee maker I have ever owned. It does away completely with the expensive pods and makes great coffee. This Ninja is a single serve drip coffee maker that makes 4 sizes of coffee, small~9oz, large~12oz, travel~16 oz, and XL MULTISERVE~20oz. There is also a specialty 4 oz brew and a Cafe Forte 8oz brew. As a basic drip coffee maker maker it works perfectly. Just fill the reusable filter based on the scope number that is indicated on the included double sided scope, turn the dial to the size you want and select either classic brew or rich brew depending on how strong you want the coffee. If you already have the pot powered on, the water is already preheated and will quickly make your cup. Where this machine really shines is the specialty drinks. It comes with a recipe full of tons of coffee drinks and includes step by step instructions. The machine has an attached milk frother to make a drink with some milk foam. (This will not heat your milk, still need a microwave for that). This is where the specialty and cafe forte brews come into play. These brews try to copy the flavor of an espresso and do a pretty good job. The drinks taste amazing. This feature is like nothing on any other single server coffee maker. My biggest complaint about this product is the same complaint I have with all single serves. Making coffee for multiple people is still not easy and takes to much time. Cleaning the included filter is definitely easier than cleaning a pod but, I would still rather be able to make an entire pot. Overall if you are looking for a single serve coffee maker and don't need to make many multiple cups in a short period of time, this is your coffee maker! If you think you may need a pot of coffee too, Ninja makes a very similar product that also includes a full size coffee pot as well.

Although it seemed like a great idea not practical at the time of purchase!

Pros: Fast Easy to use More cost effective than using Kuerig Cons: No ability to use a heat plate/carafe No clock/scheduled auto on Cleanup of coffee grounds from basket (recommend using paper filters) The machine is straight up a good single serve brewer with several brew options and the ability to do specialty drinks. I love this because with a blender i was able to do my own frappuccino with ease. The only negative thing I'd say is that even though it comes with a nice basket for coffee grounds it really isn't super easy to clean up like the Kuerig. If you're looking for a Kuerig replacement that is more economical this will work so long as you know that there is more cleanup involved between each cup. For specialty drinks, the machine is awesome as it has a built-in frother that works great. All in all it's an alright machine but for me with it having no auto-on for something to wake up to and the cleanup, I'm not yet fully convinced it's the machine for me.

its pretty much like a regular coffee machine but more fancy.

its alright id rather use my kurig but its cheaper to use

When I get up in the morning, the first thing I want is a cup of coffee. And my news of course. However sometimes I don't feel like a full pot of coffee. All I want is one cup of coffee. When I got this coffee maker. I was a bit skeptical at first. Seeing the TV informercials I ask, can it be that good? When I got open up the box, I was able to use it right away. Poured water inside and then put my coffee in. When my cup was done, I sipped on my coffee. The coffee from this coffee maker tasted hot and fresh, just like I would get it out of a well known place where you buy coffee! My boyfriend also had a cup from this machine and said its strong coffee. That's just how we like our coffee. What's great is that after you make your coffee, the unit is easy to clean, it includes a re-usable filter that you wash in the sink, or you can use your own paper filters. There is also a recipe book in case you want to try and make your own. I'm just impressed, the coffee tasted real good using this unit and I've already used it quite a few times since opening it up to drink coffee. Really great product that makes the perfect cup of coffee each time.

This is not a coffee maker that you take out of the box and plug in and use. There are many settings, but once you read the quick start guide you're on your way to a great cup of coffee. It's not complicated...but the variety of type of cups you can make are numerous! You have the option of it functioning as a standard drip coffee maker to make 1 cup to 4 cups. You can also determine the strength of the brew, and even allow for added ice or creamer/flavoring! It's much smaller than I thought it would be based on the pictures available! You can use the permanent filter or a disposable, and the water storage is sufficient for many cups. In addition you can select to pre-heat your water prior to brewing like a commercial drip unit instead of it heating while brewing like a traditional home coffee maker. It does not take coffee pods of any type, but you can make 1 cup at a time. There's also a drip stop lever in case you want to make multiple cups at once to be able to switch cups. It has a built in "frother"...but I'm a black coffee person so I haven't had the chance to use that yet!

Coffee quality is no better than an average coffee maker. The frother is fair at best. If I could do this again, I would just use my Keurig and buy a frother to accompany it.

Earlier this year my wife and I had a discussion about our k-cup machine. We recognized how expensive per cup it was, while also realizing that it produced ~ok~ coffee. This especially became important when she started drinking coffee. We tried a couple coffee machines, until we found the Ninja Coffee Bar. We bought it with the metal carafe, and couldn't be happier. That was until we received the new fancier version. What's different comparatively? Well, let's start with what hasn't changed. Compared to the original Coffee Bar, they both feature the 'Thermal Flavor Extraction' technology, they both can brew a single cup, and larger amounts of coffee. They both have removable water tanks, and accept wedge style filters. You can froth milk with both and brew cappuccino style beverages from normal coffee grounds. They both come with excellent service, and a book full of recipes to try. The coffee is flavorful and tastes great, probably better than many brewers in this price category. Where they differ is really how you use/drink coffee. The original begs you to use the carafe. The metal carafe version is excellent, keeping coffee warm for hours. While you can brew a single cup, I found the best balance brewing a pot. This version brews a single cup as fast as you'd expect from a k-cup maker. I found I went back to it to brew more coffee, and took more 'creative' liberties than I did with the old model. The brewer also comes with a reusable coffee filter, which is a nice addition to the package. Oh, and unlike many single cup brewers, you'll fit almost any coffee mug underneath. As for specialty drinks - they're pretty dang good! Are they exactly like coffee house drinks? No, but they are close considering you're using normal coffee grounds. I brewed on the Cafe Forte setting with about 4oz of milk and was impressed how close it tasted to a coffee house style beverage - and this was bargain basement original Folger grounds. The included milk frother is motorized and easy to use and clean - removing my complaint from the original version (which included a manual frother that was less convenient). The frother portion detaches for easy cleaning. I found myself more willing to play with making specialty brews with frothed milk. I think this highlights what Ninja was trying to do with the original model, and it's clear they're really pressing the capabilities here to show its value. The build quality of course is excellent, just like the original. The materials are solid, the design is thoughtful, and even the coffee scooper has a snap attachment to the side of the unit. The frother folds away when not in use which is super. If you're looking to replace the old k-cup maker to reduce cost and get more flavorful coffee, this is a great model to explore. I was a huge fan of the original Ninja Coffee Bar, and this just highlights the original's strengths. Brewing single cups of any size with standard coffee supplies is a lot cheaper than the cups and produces a lot less waste. This maker has a ton of flexibility and produces pretty compelling coffee house style beverages. This is a great improvement on the original concept with the only limitation being brewing coffee for larger groups. Still, the fact it brews so quickly from startup is a pretty good argument even against this limitation.

If you're in a hurry, this won't be a good replacement for one of those single-serve coffee makers with the throw-away cups. But if you take a lot of interest in crafting the perfect cup of coffee, this is the machine for you. You can make a lot of adjustments to get your coffee just right, and if you're an iced coffee lover, there's capabilities there too. It comes with a reusable filter, so if throwing away all those single-serve plastic cups bothers you, you can brew a more sustainable cup of coffee. One drawback is that the frother is not a steamer, so you have to heat the milk separately, but for iced coffee, that's actually a plus. Finally, it's very easy to disassemble for cleaning. Overall, a great kitchen tool, but one that's going to require a little more effort per cup.

I have been using a competitor coffee machine for quite some time. I was excited to get this one cause you can use your own coffee grounds. First off the look: a nice sleek looking machine, perfect colors with black and chrome to match any kitchen decor. Slim profile so it doesn't take up much room on your counter. Also lightweight. I love the fact you can make the right cup of premium coffee Starbucks style. This is the first coffee bar that made an amazing cup of iced coffee. I usually drink a cup of coffee 3-5 days a week with my old machine, I have made a cup everyday since I started using the ninja. This is a must have if you love coffee.

I really like the following 10 features - 1 pod free single serve 2 fast brewing cycle - uses their "Advanced Thermal Flavor Extraction" 3 frother functionality - smooth results and easy to clean 4 4 different capacity settings that use the proper amount of water - Auto-iQ 5 quality of construction - lives up to the Ninja blender reputation 6 recessed coffee measuring scoop - hard to lose or misplace 7 filter drip cut off that locks out brewing when engaged 8 does not need to be pulled out from under cabinet to fill water or add/remove coffee grounds 9 ample power cord length 10 good warranty Despite the fast speed of the brewing cycle the flavor and lack of bitterness of the coffee was great. It is a great machine for that single (or double) cup of coffee. The design is pleasing to the eye (mine anyway). A true time saver for a fast cup of coffee and quick, easy clean-up.

Was too hard to set up so sent back got Keurig. Looks good

I also have a Keurig 2.0, so I'll compare and contrast these two devices. They have a great deal of the same functionality, though the Ninja has some additional settings which may or may not be helpful to you. First, I like that the Ninja appears classier/more elegant than the Keurig 2.0. The Keurig is all plastic, while the Ninja looks like a stainless steel appliance. Both devices allow you to make drinks of different sizes and strengths. However, the Ninja has a little more fine-grained control over how you're brewing as there are also separate settings for iced drinks or specialty drinks (which basically take your coffee and brew it concentrated like it's espresso). This is good for different drinks which they provide a nice recipe book for. I find the devices to be comparable, as the regular brewing on the Keurig is equivalent to the "classic brew" here. Selecting "strong" on the Keurig is like selecting "bold brew" here. The "iced coffee" setting here can be accomplished on the Keurig by selecting a smaller cup-size and "strong". By and large, the functionality of these brewers are the same. What makes these different are the way things are brewed and the size of the reservoir. The Ninja has a larger reservoir which is easier to fill, and is therefore more convenient. However, the Ninja also brews at a higher temperature than the Keurig. This results in the coffee having what I'd consider more of a burned flavor. If you're a big fan of Starbucks coffee, this may be for you, but if you like a more mellow, smooth flavor, go with the Keurig. The addition of the milk frother is largely vestigial. Frothing milk and steaming milk are two very different things. Yes, it can fluff up the milk a bit. However, the milk will just re-condense within a minute or two (definitely before the cup finishes filling with coffee). Consequently, I find the frother to be useless. Overall, this is a nice device. It is very comparable to the Keurig 2.0 in functionality, but has a nicer style. If you're not that picky about flavor, go based on price. If you prefer a smoother cup, get the Keurig. If you're only interested in a bolder flavor, go with the Ninja.

For all of us who don't like those wasteful, expensive, environmental-unfriendly, variety-limiting single-serving pods, the Ninja Coffee Bar - Single Serve offers a welcome alternative. Let me confess at the outset that I do not drink coffee – I've never had a cup. What I do drink is tea, and, although I am not an expert who adheres to precise brewing times and temperatures, I am picky enough to want to use loose tea, which is different from the tea that comes in tea bags. I also like being able to take a quick break to make a single serving of tea without going through all the usual steps of brewing it. This Ninja brewer has given me what I want. If you read Ninja’s own description of this product and substitute “tea” everywhere it says “coffee,” that’s pretty much what I have found. I can use any variety of tea, including herbal teas, and vary the amount of leaves I use. The Ninja’s different settings vary the steeping time and water temperature, so I can choose among them depending upon the type of tea I am using and whether I will be adding cream, lemon, or anything else. And, of course, an Over Ice Brew is just as useful for tea as it is for coffee. The Ninja states on its buttons how many ounces of coffee to expect at each setting. However, tea leaves don’t absorb the same amount of water as coffee grounds, so I began by brewing at each setting into a Pyrex measuring glass. Glad I did. The Café Forte setting states “8 oz.”, but for me it was 11 ounces and would have overflowed my regular cup. I am continuing to experiment with amounts and types of tea and the various settings, but so far I have not had a bad cuppa. One caveat: If you ever use the Ninja for coffee, you can’t go back to using it for tea unless you enjoy coffee-flavored tea or want to go through an intense cleaning process. (This is not peculiar to the Ninja, but applies to pretty much every other brewer on the market.)

As always, im going to give my honest review. I really like Ninja Coffee Bar, but honestly, I find that with the excitement of having it has passed, and knowing that I personally will not be using some of the features, i feel like it is too much for me (someone who drinks a daily cup of coffee and has been to a coffee shop maybe 5 times my entire life.) Being a Ninja, it is definitely top of the line, but taking it out of the box and finding it is taller than my other brewer was, looking at the brewer and trying to figure it out, and brewing a classic cup, it all gave me a little bit of anxiety. I tried out a couple of brews and the coffee was great! I also like that it can brew over ice and I can froth myself if I choose! I recommend that anyone who buys this, read over the instructions first, or you will be sitting there scratching your head trying to figure it all out. If you have various people with varying coffee preferences using this, you won't have to worry about anything or anyone if you buy this as I have yet to find cup of coffee that it can't brew and has many settings and options. If it's just you and you are happy with a simple cup of black coffee, this may not be suited for you. Either way, at the end of the day, im just telling you my opinion and you get to make the final decisions.

The first thing I noticed when I picked it up out of the box was how lightweight it was. I went on a trip once with a Keurig K10 Mini Plus and, even thought it was small, it was heavier than this Ninja unit is. This would be great for those who travel/vacation in RVs. As for the machine's performance...I will preface this by saying that I returned a Ninja full size coffee maker because I didn't like the coffee as opposed to the Bonavita maker that I had. I wasn't sure what to expect from this model. While I love fancy coffee drinks, I don't have a lot of occasion to make them at home. I do appreciate the built-in frother, though. I mostly drink good ole' brewed coffee. For this review, I used Costco Colombian Whole Bean Coffee. The Rich Brew function is close in taste to my Bonavita maker's quality. It certainly is a more robust brew than the Classic. If you like coffee along a bitterer taste, use the Classic setting. The Rich Brew is a smoother taste. This is recommended for those who like cream and sugar in their coffee. It is just as slow of a brew as a full size maker - the difference is the amount of coffee it brews. Being used to the near-instant dispensing of a Keurig 2.0, that was a little frustrating. It does have a "finish" beep, but I could hardly hear it. There is no timer or clock on the unit, though. This is something that I would have appreciated being on this maker. All in all, it's a good coffee maker.

After doing quite a bit of research, I purchased this product as a gift for my husband. He was not a fan of the keurig. Now, that he has the Ninja coffee bar, he makes himself a coffee every morning.