Go beyond the coffeehouse with the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System. This brewing system gives you the ability to brew hot, flavorful cups of coffee and tea or over-ice beverages, all powered by Advanced Thermal Flavor Extraction Technology with Auto-iQ. 2 Ways to Enjoy Over Ice Coffee and Tea – Choose between smooth, naturally sweet Cold Brewed coffee or tea and vivid, authentic flavored Hot Brewed iced coffee or tea that’s never diluted. Specialty Coffee and Tea Favorites – Combine super-rich coffee and tea concentrates with hot or cold frothed milk to create delicious coffeehouse-style drinks.
Coffee Machines
Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brewed System, Tea & Coffee Maker, with Auto-iQ, 6 Sizes, 5 Styles, 5 Tea Settings, 50 oz Thermal Carafe, Frother, Coffee & Tea Baskets, Dishwasher Safe Parts, Black
$4.40
| Asin | B07FX73Y7H |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.01"D x 11.81"W x 15"H |
| Weight | 11.73 pounds |
| Manufacturer | SharkNinja |
The DINK –
*CAVEAT – I’ve been making loose leaf tea a certain way for 15+ years and that is what I’m used to. I’m a bit of a tea snob that tends to buy more expensive, high-grade teas. Taste is subjective, and someone without my tea drinking background will undoubtedly have a different view of things. I do not drink coffee, so I have no opinion on that side of things.*
The first thing I would say is that, yes, it works. I’ve had this thing for about a day now, and have drunk a lot of tea. My tea drinking habits lend itself well to how this operates. I usually do one mug at a time, so this thing is perfect for me in that respect. So far I have tried a green, 2 oolongs, 3 blacks, and an herbal chai. Most of what I’ve made has been made on the ‘Classsic’ setting. I’ve not tried the specialty, cold, or over ice brewing methods yet. My old way was to use an electric kettle that heated water to a specific temp based on the type of tea, steeping basket in the mug, and steep for a set amount of time depending on tea.
Forget the scoop thing when making tea. I applaud the effort and idea of having a scoop nested in and held on the side of the unit, but it’s entirely too big for a single cup of tea. It has suggestions on the back of the scoop for how much to use for tea. Whoever came up with it has no idea how to make tea. For a single cup of tea, use 1 teaspoon – I think that’s why it’s called a *tea*spoon. The small side of the scoop is closer to tablespoon sized. The suggestion on the scoop says one scoop for a cup. It will make a cup of tea that is really, really strong – I tried it just to see how it would do.
I am definitely looking forward to using the fold out frother for my matcha. That should make that process a whole of whisking the matcha a lot quicker and easier, but this unit does not have a water only option so it’s still going to take some time as I’ll have to run a green preset without any tea in it or break the kettle back out if I want a cup.
Everything not permanently attached to the unit itself is dishwasher safe (except the thermal carafe if you get that version), so cleanup is simple. There is also a cleaning routing in the machine itself that is supposed to clean out mineral deposits from the insides…have to wait and see if it works.
There is some noise when you run it, but that’s to be expected. The first run it sounded horribly loud, but I’ve either gotten used to the noise or it’s quieted down some. The end of cycle beep isn’t terribly loud, but I can hear it from about anywhere in my house, so it’s good enough. It does eventually auto shutdown if you don’t mess with it.
There are different steeping baskets for both tea and coffee with permanent filters for both. Having 2 baskets will prevent the coffee or tea tastes from bleeding over to one another. I do occasionally see a bit of tea leaf that manages to slip past the permanent filter, but can’t say that the leaf bits haven’t been the result of my quick cleaning of the basket rather than it actually getting around the filter while brewing. It also automatically detects whether you have the tea basket or coffee basket in and selects tea or coffee, which is nice.
The water reservoir on the side has a little flip up lid so you can pour into it, and it has a plastic bit that sticks out at the maximum fill level, so it’s easy to see when you’ve hit the mark. Alternatively, you can just pull the whole reservoir off and carry it to the sink or wherever to fill.
The brew baskets swing out from the front, so you don’t have to raise a lid to access them. Which is good, as this thing is just barely able to fit under my cabinets.
Of the things I’ve tried, the chai was the best (remarkably given the temp- more on that later), followed by the oolongs, and closely by the green. The black tea suffers for not being hot enough. I’m finding that the ‘Rich’ setting gets things closer to what I’m used to flavor-wise than the classic. Almost everything I’ve tried benefits from taking your time and savoring the tea. This thing makes tea that is more of an experience to slow down and enjoy than something just to drink. The flavors are smoother than what I’m used to, but I find the flavor…different – it isn’t bad, just…slightly different. I’m not sure exactly why that is, but I think it’s the steeping method and temperature used.
My only problem with the machine so far is I find myself wishing that it made the tea hotter …if it was just a bit hotter…just a bit – it doesn’t make *hot* tea, it makes very warm tea. For the oolongs, whites, and greens, that isn’t a problem as they are supposed to be steeped at lower temperatures. But black and herbal teas are supposed to be steeped at or near boiling. What comes out with the black and herbal setting is nowhere near boiling. If I could adjust the temperature more to my liking, I think I would love this machine. As is, I think it’s something that I will get used to in time, but am not completely thrilled with right now as it’s just different from how I’ve always made tea. There is a high altitude calibration method. I may run it just to see if it makes a difference.
People who like their hot tea scalding are definitely going to be disappointed, but I think most people will be happy with this machine. Easy to use, fairly quick, consistent results (so far), easy to clean, and can do a variety of sized cups and mugs (albeit, there is no way to adjust for anything other than the preset sizes). It is a good machine overall. Just needs a few tweaks to go from good to great.
Bottom line. Would I recommend it? Yes, with some small reservations.
*Update* I thought a quick update was in order since I’ve been using it for a week and found a few things that should be mentioned. The temperature thing seems to be related to the single coffee mug size. I have a travel mug, and the temperature is pretty much perfect in that doing the small travel mug size. I think it’s the combination of the room temp mug and the small amounts of tea it releases during the steep cycles.
Also, watch your mugs if you’re using it for single cup stuff. I’ve learned the hard way that some of my mugs are smaller than others. I have 2 mugs that will overflow s little and one that goes right to the very top doing a Rich with the small mug size.
Anonymous –
This is my second brew system from Ninja. The first lasted probably 6-7 years and died while my mother, old school pot of coffee every morning era. We didn’t die but it was a lot of work pressing it to continue to brew an ounce at a time haha
On to the new machine. She’s muuuuch prettier than the first model I had and I was so hopeful! It has improved the bloom of the grounds initial function over previous with the auto lock system to let those grounds truly bloom with a small amount of water. Works very nicely I feel. Brews a hotter pot of coffee, could be my old one failing so don’t hold me to that.
I’m intrigued by the tea specific options although that’s rare for me it could be helpful for guests.
But. The hot plate. It shuts off after 30 minutes and expects the carafe to keep it hot for 2 hours. It does not. This truly is a tragic injustice. Having to hear later cups of coffee in the microwave is awful. It changes the flavor of the coffee. For me anyway, I know that’s not true for all people. I typically brew over ice so this won’t force me to return it. But it does ruin those mornings where I want a coupon of cups of hot coffee without brewing each individually. I could brew less than a half pot before, when done dial over to the half pot option and press keep warm. I can’t do that now. Yeah each subsequent cup will be freshly brewed. It still breaks my heart.
I, along with others, have found the drip stop is faulty. It closes too early and incompletely so drip drip drip. You’d think they’d have nailed that simple feature before putting it out for purchase. It’s not brain surgery. IJS
They’ve been making this brew system for a hot minute now. It’s time to resolve the faults. Ninja, do better.
Knoobee –
This is a terrific coffee maker. I have had several over the years, and my last one was just a basic Mr. coffee because I have never been very impressed with the $50-$70 line of coffee makers.
I was in the market for a new one, and decided, well, I’m gonna get a good coffee maker this time. After reading a bunch of reviews, I decided to go with this ninja at 180.00, which to me is a tremendous amount of money for a coffee machine that is not a pressurized cappuccino maker or some thing.
One of the decisions I struggled with was whether to get the steel or the glass carafe. The steel carafe was $30 more, and the coffee maker with the steel carafe does not have a heating element for the carafe. The carafe is insulated, and apparently stays warm for three hours or so.
I ultimately decided on the glass carafe, because I figured I would want to have a pot of coffee that I could leave on a warmer, and the glass carafe was dishwater safe, unlike the stainless steel one which is recommended to keep out of the dishwasher.
If I had to do it over again, I would probably get the steel carafe. The reason is, this coffee maker basically makes one cup at a time when you want to cup of coffee rather than a whole pot. Sure, you can make a half or a whole carafe, but a fresh cup in my opinion is the best. It is kind of like a Keurig, but I think the coffee tastes better out of this. This requires no pods either.
Anyway, that’s what I’ve been doing with it, and liking that a lot. I certainly can make a pot, but rather, I use my big coffee cup, and fill up to the extra large travel size which is a nice big cup of coffee. It’s usually all I want, but if I want another one, I will just make another fresh cup.
Another feature that I really like is the removable water tank. I just pop it out and fill it up with filtered water out of the refrigerator. The tank is very easy to get in and out.
I’ve only had it about a week, but the coffee is delicious, and I’m enjoying learning to use the machine. All in all, it is pretty simple and user friendly, but it does have some nice features that are worth figuring out.
I also really enjoy the milk frother. It doesn’t steam, but you don’t need it too, it is much less messy this way, and you can just heat the milk up in the microwave prior to frothing.
If you’re on the fence about blowing close to $200 for a coffee maker, but you really like coffee, jump over the fence and pick this up, I’m glad I did.
Update
OK, I have now had it for a couple of weeks, and I absolutely stand by my review. Neither my wife nor I have bought a cup of coffee anywhere and both love it. In addition to regular coffee, I have made the cold brew which is awesome, the “specialty” which is just like a shot of espresso (with a little frothy half-and-half on the top like a latte), and tonight I made hot tea in it for the first time, which was also terrific. If we continue to not buy coffee drinks out of the house, this thing is going to pay for itself relatively quickly and eliminates the waste of cups and lids. I still kind a wish I had gone with the steel carafe. It would be nice to bring the pot of coffee in the living room, but hey, we can all use the steps.
book worm –
When I started shopping for a new coffee maker, I’d originally been thinking of some kind of single-cup pod/disk system as I most often only drink one or two coffee/tea beverages per day, but I am relatively picky about flavor, need to limit my caffeine intake, and have some ingredient intolerances and health issues — as a result, I liked the idea of having a greater measure of control and more options (it’s also nice to have the option to brew a full or half carafe when I have company). So when I saw this machine, I got kind of excited! I liked the idea of having a variety of brew size options and an easy way to create specialty drinks — all in a single machine.
And the fact that this also provides tea brew options made trying this product too tempting to resist. Previous to this coffee/tea maker, I was using an old iced tea machine without adding ice to make tea concentrate for my favorite drink (iced decaf chocolate chai made with a high-protein alternative milk — yum!), but this Ninja CP307 makes a tea brew of far superior flavor and makes just the right amount, so I can create a drink that tastes better than my local coffee and tea place at a cheaper price and with more nutritional value.
This machine has dedicated baskets for coffee and tea, which are color-coded orange for coffee and green for tea, and I like that since it means those flavors and aromas don’t mix (I confess that I wish I could buy an extra tea basket on Amazon, too, since I tend to make particularly fragrant teas — chai and mint — and would like a dedicated basket for each, but that has no bearing on the quality of the product, and replacement/extra baskets are available on the Ninja website). The baskets are very easy to remove and clean, as is the water reservoir. And I love the double-sided measuring spoon that nests in the side of the machine since it makes it so easy to get the right amount for each size of drink.
I will say that the first few times I made coffee with this machine, I sometimes had a bit of leakage issue and not all the water had dripped from the basket upon the end of the brewing cycle, leaving a sort of “well” in the center of the grounds, but I discovered that the problem was the coffee itself, which came ground and was supposed to be the correct grind for the machine, but clearly wasn’t quite right. When I switched to another brand after that previous bag was empty, I never had another problem. So the machine IS a wee bit persnickety about the coffee grind — something that might be an annoyance to some consumers — but I’ve found a brand that both I and the machine like, so it performs perfectly now, and I didn’t find that early issue to be off-putting enough even at the time to ruin what was otherwise such a fantastic machine and which made such fine drinks.
Of course, this machine is probably overkill if one is just a hot, black coffee drinker, but if you like a variety of coffees and teas and appreciate the ability to enjoy a good specialty drink at home, this might be a good option for you. I know it has been for me!
mac girl* –
I used to have a job as the manager of an espresso shop. I am snobby about my coffee (and tea). Anyone who knows about the intricacies of balanced drip coffee flavor knows that a great deal depends on the TEMPERATURE of the brew. An ideal coffee brew should be brewed between 195 F and 200F. This machine delivers. Brewed at the perfect temperature, you can brew cheap coffee grounds or high-end fresh ground beans and both come out with outstanding well-balanced flavor.
I used to own the previous version (CF091 model) and I upgraded to this CP301 because I drink a lot of Tea as well. I’ll give several model comparisons. I have found the CP301 to brew at more consistent temperatures (and hotter) than the CF091. Very pleased.
Teas are also especially sensitive to temperature. While Herbal teas can be brewed with boiling water, some of the more delicate teas require a slightly lower temperature to enjoy the full bodied flavor without scorching. This machine makes exceptional tea as well and has temperature variation for tea temps. You won’t need to adjust your machine, just select the kind of tea you are brewing and it adjusts the temperature accordingly.
Herbal 208F, Black Tea 189-205F, Oolong 185-199F, White Tea 180-190F, Green Tea 165-178F
Some details on the machine:
–11" (deep) including carafe handle x
12" (wide) with frother folded [extended frother adds 4.7" to width of unit] x
15" (high) **note: this unit is TALL and may not fit under low cabinets. You will not want to operate this unit under cabinetry because it does release steam and may damage your cabinetry. Also, the water reservoir needs to be lifted UP to remove and fill, so you will require extra few inches height clearance to operate and fill the machine.
–the water reservoir is 9.5" high when removed. This is taller than the CF091 model. The old model was short enough to fit under my water cooler spout, this one is a little too tall.
–single serve brewing is fantastic and offers a lot of options for cup sizes. The included measuring spoon takes out the guess work and I found that using their guide yields both perfect coffee and tea as long as you make the scoops heaping. Coffee measurements on front of scoop, loose leaf tea measurements on the back of scoop in green. The scoop shows all the different cup and carafe sizes offered in the machine. This is a great option if you are used to a Keurig machine as you can single serve brew for yourself at a fraction of the cost.
–There are multiple options to make adjustments to your brewer: High altitude setting to adjust for boiling point, warming plate can be set to off, or adjust your time up to 4 hours with auto shut off at the end. Default setting is 2 hours with HOT set plate. Can be changed to WARM set plate to avoid scorching your coffee left for long periods of time. There is a "delay brew" option you can set to the time you want it ready in the morning.
–Use #4 paper cone filters or included wire mesh permanent filter (included) [I use paper filters for both coffee and tea because I find the clean up easier] I find the mesh coffee filter lets through too much sediment for my fine grinds. The tea insert comes with its own filter and works great, but I still prefer to use a paper filter with loose leaf teas because clean up is a breeze.
–DISHWASHER! The glass carafe, brew-through lid, permanent filters, removable filter holders, water reservoir, flip-top lid, frother whisk, and scoop are top-rack dishwasher safe. [this is according to the manufacture guide]
–FROTHER– the milk frother folds away when not in use. It works REALLY well. It does NOT heat the milk & is not a steamer, only froths. For warm drinks, I fill my mug with a little milk and sugar, place in microwave for 30 seconds, then froth. You can operate the frother and maker at the same time. Coffee can be brewed directly into that cup, or poured from the carafe. For cold drinks and iced coffee with cream, simply froth cold milk and add to iced coffee, it gives a perfect velvety texture to your drinks. You can even use the frother with liquid whipping cream! For whipping cream, be sure to use a very cold glass cup. (store one in the freezer.)
–A simple half twist removes the frother attachment. I just twist and immediately run under hot water after each use and it stays clean. If you allowed milk to dry on it, simply twist off and place in dishwasher to sanitize and you’re back in business. You can use any kind of milk with the frother (almond, soy, non-fat, etc.) Non-fat dairy milk will give you the most foam. If you like lots of foam, hold the frother at an angle just at the surface of the milk and your milk will double or more in size.
–Intuitive: One of the things I was curious about before getting the machine was if it would remember my settings. It does! When I put in the tea filter holder, it remembers my last used setting for TEA. When I put in the coffee filter holder, it remembers my last used setting for coffee. This is fantastic, and makes the machine practical for switching between brew types.
–Iced: You can brew iced coffee or tea over ice directly into the included glass carafe or make one cup at a time. I did not think I would use the "cold brew" feature, but once I tried it, I was HOOKED. I no longer go to Starbucks any more. I brew iced coffee right at home and it is smooth, sweet and delicious (not bitter at all.)
PROs: makes great iced and hot coffee and tea with a multitude of sizing options. Cheaper than buying pods with better results from a fresh grind. Permanent filters included for both coffee and tea or use #4 paper cone filters. Separate coffee and tea filters & holders ensure no mingling flavors. Milk frother is easy to clean and use- the perfect accessory if you love velvety coffee house drinks. Auto shut off can be programed to run from 0-4 hours. Smaller overall footprint than the CF091. The largest travel size mug you will be able to clear is 8" high (my Yeti 30 ounce clears, but just barely.) This has eliminated a great deal of gadgets in my kitchen. I got rid of two milk frothers, tea balls, tea pot, tea strainers, French press, and pour over coffee maker. I purchased (separate) the Ninja double wall plastic pitcher and can brew a fresh pot of drinkable iced tea in about ten minutes. I brew straight into the pitcher and store it in my fridge. No more waiting all day for sun tea or waiting for tea to cool to drink iced. Ninja Coffee Bar 50-Ounce Double-Wall Tritan Over Ice Carafe for Iced Coffee and Tea (CFICE50W)
CONs: It’s really tall and needs an open space on your countertop to function properly. The drip-stop is automatic ONLY at the end of the brewing cycle. If you want to pause during brew, you need to press the drip stop button before and after removing/replacing carafe to pause and resume brewing. The glossy black surface is prone to fingerprints and won’t match all kitchens. I would have preferred a matte neutral surface (or stainless) on the majority of the appliance.
Hope this review and photos are helpful to your purchase decision. Willing to answer questions if you post a question to my review. 🙂
Amazon Customer –
I bought this coffee maker after my old Cuisinart stopped working. I had seen some other Ninja models but the Ninja logo and some of the designs didn’t appeal to me. After doing a lot of research, I bought this coffee maker and I am so glad that I did. It is one of my favorite products that I own. I am a picky coffee and tea drinker and wasn’t anticipating that I would really use this for brewing tea because I have a Teavana system that I really like, but I have switched and now use this for making tea, too. I promise you, your tea will not have the slightest coffee taste because the filter and compartment holding the filter is completely different than what is used for coffee. The permanent filters for coffee and tea come with this product, so you do not need to purchase additional filters and these filters are wonderful and do not allow any particles to slip by. The materials used are good quality and it looks very nice sitting on my kitchen counter. When the maker is off, only the time is displayed but when you turn the power button everything else lights up. The maker knows what you are brewing by the type of filter (either tea or coffee) you have placed in the maker. The display then shows the options you have for the type of tea (green, white, black, etc.) you are brewing, your brewing preferences (rich, over ice, cold brew, etc.) and size of container (small, extra large, tumbler, half-carafe, etc.) If you are making a pot of coffee, the warming plate automatically turns on and you can customize it to shut off after a particular length of time up to four hours. There is a red light that illuminates on the warming plate so that you know that it is on. I read some reviews that suggested that the glass pot was a better option than the stainless steel one and I am really happy with the glass pot. It pours very nicely without dripping onto a surface outside of your cup. Some reviews said it was difficult to wash because you can’t fit your hand into it, and although it is true that you can’t fit your hand in it, I have not found coffee sediments building up on the glass like I have had in other coffee pots. I just put it in the dishwasher and it comes out perfectly clean. The water reservoir is detachable so that you can remove it so that you can fill it up with water rather than having to fill the pot and pour water into it and although you have to be careful not to drop the lid to the reservoir because it is a separate part that comes off completely, it has a great marker that shows you the maximum fill line when you look inside the tank. You can also see the correct fill lines on the outside of the reservoir for whatever size of container you are filling. It has a milk frother that I have used but don’t use very often and it works well with cold or warm milk. It is easy to remove for cleaning and the arm tucks away nicely on the side for storage. It also comes with a great measuring spoon that shows you exactly how much tea and coffee to use for the amount you are brewing. I have always just eyeballed it before, but really like using the spoon to help make a perfect cup of coffee. There is also a button to stop brewing so that you can remove the pot or cup and not have a single drop spill onto the warming plate. You can also turn off the warming plate at any time by simply pressing one button. The coffee maker is programmable so that you can set a time for your maker to start brewing. If you are making a cup or a glass, there is a small shelf that swings down over the warming plate to hold your cup or glass. If you are brewing cold brew or something over ice, the warming plate stays off. There is also a cleaning feature so that you can deep clean your maker when needed. I drink a lot of coffee and was a little concerned that the carafe might be too small for when we have people over, but I don’t think that is going to be an issue and it’s a perfect size for our family on the weekends and when I am drinking coffee while working at home during the week. I didn’t anticipate that I would use the single cup feature much, but I do and I have found that I love it! So much better than a model that uses a pod. When brewing tea, you can use loose leaf or tea bags and it works great either way. Seriously, there is not one thing that I would change about this product and if you are considering buying this item, I would highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.
DanNMI –
This “brewing system” was a bit of a compromise: For many years I have had the all-in-one devices where they store, grins and feed the coffee beans to the filter basket and brew the pot of coffee all in one shot. But they keep getting more and more expensive and, from the reviews, less long-lasting and a real pain to clean.
So I gave this one a shot as it looked to have some nice features, especially adding some nice options for teas. And I’ve got to say it has been very good. Very quick and easy to use, reliable performance (you can dial in the strength of the brew by varying the amount of coffee you load it with and then it is consistent each time) and even pretty fast. My wife has praised the tea basket operation tho she has not used it a lot yet.
The ability to brew directly into a sup or even a tall travel thermos is very nice. We’ve only used the frother a couple times but it seems quite functional. It is also surprisingly nice to be able to keep the measuring spoon right on the side of the machine.
The only cons are kind of picky but real. There are a set number of options for sizes from a small extra-strong dose meant to be used with other ingredients for a specialty coffee, a couple different cup sizes and then half and full carafe. I mean, you kind of have to just fit yourself in there somewhere. I always start with a half carafe but somewhat often end up doing another brew of a smaller size later in the day.
The water reservoir doesn’t drain completely, so it is always wet (has to lead to mold eventually doesn’t it?!) unless you remove it and drain it manually.
The carafe is, at best, very average as far as keeping the coffee hot for a long time. That isn’t a huge deal for me as I don’t have to have my coffee super hot all the time but I know it is for some people. Also it pours a bit erratically–a slight increase in how far you are tipping it can result in a big wide gush of liquid that may well miss the container, especially if you are using a container with a narrower mouth than a coffee cup.
With those caveats I can absolutely recommend this item.
Amy Spencer –
I read a lot of good reviews and then after ordering I read a lot of bad ones. First off, people have issues with it leaking from the water tank. I always leave it in place and don’t remove it to fill it so I think that has a lot to do with it. So I think removing it and then putting it back on full of water causes the spot where the water would come out to get pressed filling that area with water causing it to leak. Just my take on this. So when I eventually remove the tank after I do the clean cycle to rinse the tank out I am making sure there is no water whatsoever left in the tank by pressing up from underneath where the water comes out and holding that and turning it upside down to get all of the water out. I did that with my previous Ninja. Then I will make sure it’s all dry before I replace the tank. Some people said that adding an o ring fixed the issue so maybe the o ring is getting worn from removing the tank so much to refill it. Again, just my take on this. Now, about the basket not draining completely when using a paper filter. My previous 2 Ninja coffee makers had a manual drip stop lever under the basket and I would have to close it after the coffee would stop dripping for a minute or so and then open it back up for the rest of the coffee to drain. I was used to doing this so no big deal. With this one I just open the drip stop when it’s done and let the rest of the coffee out. Again, no big deal. If you use the permanent filter you may not need to do that. I’m sure since I don’t use that. I don’t like sediment in my cup. I like my coffee bold so I always use that setting. I made a carafe of the cold brew coffee and use that for iced coffee. I just keep it in the fridge and drink that in the afternoon. It tastes so smooth and perfect. I also made a cup of hot herbal tea on the bold setting so that it would steep a little longer. It came out perfect. So much easier to do it this way than to have to heat water and time it myself. I would sometimes forget about it and have awful tea. No more of that. If I end up having issues with the coffee maker leaking or anything I will update my review. But for now I am loving this way more than my previous 2 Ninja coffee maker.
Mahdi Grace –
After over 5 yrs using this coffee maker, I can test that it’s one of the best machines I’ve ever had. It brew the coffee with the right temps and taste, and keep it warm. I have been using it almost daily and sometimes multiple times a day. That is over 2000 times of usage. It still functions as expected beside the minor break in the milk frother.
Amazon Customer –
Coffee and Tea Back to Back:
So… a lot of times when you hear about coffee makers that also make tea, all I think about is the awful taste of having coffee grounds in your tea >_<. Tea is often an afterthought for a lot of manufacturers. That’s not the case with this machine.
They really thought this design through and I am able to use it for both coffee and tea back to back without any extensive cleaning. The trick? The entire brewing basket comes off and they have two separate brewing baskets, one for coffee and one for tea. At no point will the water will touch any component that has touched any coffee grounds when you have the tea basket in, and vice versa. I’ve seriously made a cup of tea immediately after my husband brewed a cup of coffee without having to clean or even rinse anything. I just swapped the baskets.
Tea Basket:
So, one thing I will say is that the tea basket is a pain in the ass to clean when brewing loose leaf tea. There’s a filter that clips into the bottom to prevent tea leaves getting into your cup, but it doesn’t do that great of a job at keeping the leaves out. Granted, I’ve been brewing maté that’s been cut very fine so that is definitely a factor. I’m sure if you were brewing green tea or earl grey, it’d be fine.
The other problem is that the brew basket does fill most of the way up, and the tea will tend to float up with it, then stick to the sides when it drains. This is what makes it hard to clean. They don’t really concentrate on the bottom (again, this also may be more pronounced with the maté) so you really have to clean the whole thing, and dumping the tea can be difficult.
However, I did come up with a great solution that fixes all of this. I just remove the filter at the bottom and use my old tea infuser in the basket. This solves all of these problems completely. No mess and no leaves in my cup. I just dump the tea from the infuser straight in the trash when done and then rinse the infuser and basket. Way, way easier to clean and it’s how I recommend brewing cups of tea in this machine. If you’re brewing a half carafe or a full carafe, then the cleaning hassle would be worth it for that large quantity.
Coffee:
We bought this machine after a lot of research when our Keurig broke. We were done having to buy pods. I We definitely didn’t feel good about the amount of plastic we kept having to throw away (we don’t have recycling where I live) and it’s also much more expensive. However, I don’t think, with the cost of this brewer, we’re going to make up the cost of pods anytime soon.
It brews a great cup of coffee, though. We found that the reuseable filter it came with doesn’t do a good job, so we switched to unbleached paper filters instead and we have been able to reproduce the consistency and flavor that we liked from our K-cups with it. My husband drinks his coffee black, no sugar, and very much enjoys the flavor of the coffee now with the paper filters. For the record, we were a big fan of the Dunkin’ Original, medium roast k-cups and are using the same brand and flavor ground coffee from a bag.
The paper filters also make it easier to clean. Just throw the filter out and rinse the basket. It’s only slightly more inconvenient than using a pod because we have to scoop out our own coffee, but even then, the included scoop makes that super convenient as well.
Features:
This machine has a ton of great features. I’ve used all but the cold brew feature with both tea and coffee and it works great. Want an iced tea? You can have it in minutes. Same with iced coffee. It’s really simple to use and everything works as advertised. We bought the version with the thermal carafe because we’re not big fans of how coffee tastes when it’s been sitting on a burner for a while and the thermal carafe does a great job at keeping the coffee warm for a while.
Overall:
I highly recommend this brewer. I find it worth the $200 we paid for it and its been a huge upgrade to our mornings.