Ninja Pods & Grounds Single-Serve Coffee Maker, Compact Design

What an utterly disappointing experience. It is beyond me as to why Ninja would sell ANY of their coffee makers on the Amazon UK site when they come with AMERICAN PLUGS! There is no mention of this in the listing anywhere. Selling a product no one can use….what is even the point. Don’t let the reviews fool you, they are all from the Amazon US site just plastered on this UK posting to make it look good. Ninja makes great machines but not for users in the UK. Also, Amazon Customer Service is absolutely worthless. They said this machine could be used with a power adapter. It CANNOT. If you live in the UK and you need a very large paper weight, this is the right product for you.

Flavored ground coffee blends gum up the innards of sophisticated, expensive grind/brew/pour espresso and coffee machines. I have a Nespresso machine for wonderful espresso and lungo pours and I have a De’Longhi that grinds and then gives me all kinds of pour choices. But this Fall I wanted pumpkin spice, and some Barnie’s blends and an interesting Mexican chocolate flavored coffee that I found. So I went looking online for a machine–not too expensive, but not too cheap either–that would provide me with the means to make a consistently hot, very rich, cup of flavored coffee with cream, worthy of drinking.

I found this machine and I already love it. And it sits nestled between my Nespresso and De’Longhi machines on my coffee bar. In fact–and maybe because it is a novelty for me to be able to have wonderful flavored coffees at my fingertips–I have been using it more often than my other two, more expensive machines. But beware, or be aware: The price you pay for more flavorful coffee, will not be the one-time cost of this machine. It will be the fact that you will go through a bag of ground coffee way quicker than you ever imagined. I accept that. Because this machine makes the best cup of flavored ground coffee that I’ve ever had.

This machine covers all the bases: Using the included filter in the brew basket, and with an ample water reservoir (56oz) at its back, it brews whatever ground coffee your heart desires, whatever grind, however much grounds you add to the filter, and however much water you press the button for. It has three lighted buttons for choosing a milder (Classic) or stronger (Rich) or even iced coffee. It makes for almost overwhelming opportunities to get the exact coffee you are looking for.

And, hey, if those choices do overwhelm you, you can use the pod adapter in the brew basket and insert any kind of K-cup (not paper though), and just choose the amount of water for a single-serve. (But I don’t use K-cup very often, so my review will not be addressing that feature.) And, the machine senses whether you have the filter or pod adapter in the brew basket and proceeds accordingly.

I also have not tried the iced coffee feature. But from witnessing all the different ways this machine can provide you with the perfect strength coffee, I’m positive the iced coffee feature works well. Just use a vessel that can tolerate both hot and cold and fill it with ice, hit the proper button and let the hot coffee trickle into it.

From reading reviews and the manuals that come with this machine, I assume that this is a relatively new product for Ninja. The manuals talk of a 4 ounce pour and a frother arm–both of these features are not included on this machine. And that is not an issue for me, the person who already has both of those features on other machines, but it might make a difference to you. So, to be clear this machine does not create froth (from your own heated milk in your own cup, which will be available on another model), nor does it give you the opportunity to make a 4 ounce pour.

I am plenty okay with the 7 choices (of 6 ounces to 24 ounces) of water volumes. As this is a single pour machine, (then clean the grounds out of the filter basket), I will use my own quality carafe if I want to make enough coffee for a few morning cups or if I am entertaining a guest or two. But, and this is a possible fault: 24 ounces only stretches to three 8 ounce cups of coffee or 4 six ounce cups of coffee with cream, for instance.

And, I’m adding this to my original review: I’d like to find a thermal carafe that fits under the spout of this machine. One that has a pour spout and a lid and no handle. Because I’ve been using a double-walled stainless steel travel mug and of course those do not have pour spouts–so it’s a very messy pour from travel mug to coffee cup. The carafe without its lid would need to be no more than 8″ tall and hold at least 26-28 ounces to the rim. I find several on Amazon, but none show the height without the lid. Nor is it obvious if the handle is part of the lid, because I’m thinking a handle would not allow the carafe to fit close enough to the machine’s dispenser.

What else I’ve experienced so far:
–This machine makes coffee that is plenty hot, so hot that I can only take a tentative sip at first (and that is with cream included.)
–It takes longer to brew than a Nespresso machine. It takes less time to brew than a drip machine. And the more water you use, the longer the brewing time. The reason: This machine allows the hot water to sit and stew in the grounds to provide a stronger, richer, flavor. Some quicker machines use pressure to build flavor and richness. But then machines built on the use of pressure do not allow ingredients other than coffee beans, so no flavored coffee grounds.
–Brewing is done in stages that appear as lighted bars on top of the machine. It is nice to be able to see the progress.
–The cup tray raises and lowers easily to accommodate different size vessels. The coffee does pour rather close to the machine. And the spout does not push in or out. It is a bit restrictive if you use certain uniquely-shaped vessels.
–The pod adapter and filter both fit in a storage bin on one side of the machine.
–The included spoon hangs from a hook on the other side of the machine.
–Speaking of spoons and spoonfuls: You may be surprised how quickly you go through a bag of coffee…..
–You will need to make decisions about how much grounds and how much water and what size vessel. You will need to know the volumes of your different cups. Or, if that is something you don’t want to do, use the K-cup feature and you’ll only need to decide on the water amount and the cup size.
–Cleaning is relatively easy, just the brew basket and filter or pod adapter.
–Descaling is easy too: 16 ounces of white vinegar or a descale solution and water and a 2 quart vessel and push a button. It takes 75 uninterrupted minutes.

 Muy práctica y excelente calidad.

This is my first Ninja product and it’s the best coffee pot I’ve owned in years. Most importantly, the water hearts in seconds; the coffee is hot, hot, hot and stays hot longer. Uses pods or grounds. It’s also compact; has tool storage on board and easy setup. Even the stone color of the machine is unique. Thank you Ninja and Amazon.

I was sure at how well thought out everything was on it. Has two functions, can use pods or ground coffee. Comes with a scoop that attaches to the side. Also has a neat compartment to hold either the pod unit or the coffee grounds unit. Unit isn’t the right word but has two different types of coffee holders. I followed directions carefully and washed each item including the water container. Then did a cleaning with just water. Then made my first cup of coffee with the pod unit. It has different sizes for amounts you make including a 12 ounce sip and go type. And you set the cup at different levels to avoid splatter. It’s a cool feature. I purchased the lighter colored version and it’s gorgeous. Now I have choices of which type of coffee I want . POD or ground. The coffee was hot and tastes really good. I’m happy with it so far.