Ninja Specialty coffee maker review: a delight in your hands

Why choose Ninja Specialty coffee maker over others?

Ninja has done a spectacular job with its coffee makers. The company has implemented robust and sophisticated technology to brew delicious coffee in various styles in most of its machines. Therefore, if you are comparing Ninja Specialty coffee maker against Ninja CE251, Ninja Coffee Bar single serve or Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System, you will make a good decision with any of those coffee makers.

What sets Ninja Specialty coffee maker from other Ninja coffee machines are 1) the price, and 2) increased flexibility in brewing delicious coffee.

Although the machine is a bit more expensive than other drip coffee maker, Ninja Specialty coffee maker is one of a kind. It offers a lot more than a simple drip-coffee making. Therefore, we believe that the price is more than fair for what Ninja Specialty coffee maker can do.

Furthermore, the machine offers unparalleled opportunity to brew 5 styles of coffee in 6 different sizes. In this machine, we can brew latte, macchiato, cappuccino, iced coffee and drip coffee/single cup. Whether I need a cup of coffee, a full travel mug, or a full carafe, Ninja Specialty coffee maker can brew it for me.

Just like some other Ninja coffee makers, this machine comes with the patented Flavor Extraction Technology, which allows to brew richer, more delicious and flavorful coffee. However, Ninja Specialty coffee maker does not come with 24-hour programmability.

Who is Ninja Specialty coffee maker perfect for?

As we were testing the product for this Ninja Specialty coffee maker review, we really wanted to understand who would most likely fall in love with this product.

This coffee machine is great for coffee lovers who are looking to invest in a versatile machine that can brew more than just one type of coffee drink. This machine comes with a foldable milk frother, so it is great for people who like to add milk in their coffee.

Since Ninja Specialty coffee maker can brew large quantities of coffee at a time, it is also great for people who like to take their coffee with them (it can brew coffee in a travel mug size), or for people who like to host guests.

To summarize, we feel that Ninja Specialty coffee maker might be a compelling choice for those who are looking for:

✓Stylish, modern and elegant coffee maker

✓ Easy machine with sophisticated features for unforgettable coffee

✓ Flexibility with coffee styles: from latte and macchiato to a regular carafe of drip coffee

✓ Rich and delicious coffee thanks to a variety of controls and the Flavor Thermal Extraction technology

✓ Solo, couples or families who need various sizes of coffee

✓ Desire for hot and iced coffee

✓ In-built milk frother for perfect coffee with milk foam

Who is Ninja Specialty coffee maker NOT perfect for?

Just like with other coffee maker reviews, we would love to remain honest in this Ninja Specialty review. We think that there are a couple of examples where where Ninja Specialty might not be a perfect choice:

✗ Compatibility with k-cups, capsules or coffee pods

✗ Desire for coffee delivered in just a couple of seconds

✗ A simplistic drip coffee maker

✗ Espresso lover (though the machine can deliver great lattes, we recommend best espresso machines under $200 for espresso lovers!)

Ninja Specialty coffee maker Review and Evaluation 🕵️

→ Appearance

As one of the evaluation criteria in our Ninja Specialty coffee maker review, we want to draw your attention to the external appearance and design.

Just as most other Ninja machines, Ninja Specialty coffee maker has a black design with stainless steel accents.

The filter basket, pouring outlet and control panel are all visible from the front of the machine. The design indicates that Ninja had a customer in mind when incorporating different functionalities and convenience. Here are a couple of examples why The filter basket slides out of the basket chamber like a drawer. A 50oz water reservoir is removable and easily pull-able. Makes it very easy to clean.

The control panel consists of the following:

• control dial for size selection,
• 4 buttons for coffee style selection (Specialty, Over Ice, Rich and Classic),
• power button,
• clean button,
• delay Brew button, and
• drip stop and stay warm indicators.

The control panel also has a digital clock that we can set up to show the time, but that we can also use to pre-set the Stay Warm function. The clock can display certain messages at times, like Add Wtr (add water) and Cln (when descaling is necessary).

On the right side of the machine, there are a foldable milk frother and a storage space for the measuring scoop.

The machine comes with a glass carafe, but it can also accommodate travel mugs and even single coffee cups, thanks to the single serve cup platform that can be folded up when not needed.

→ Features and technical specs

Voltage: Ninja Specialty coffee maker is made for 120V, and can be used in Canada and the US only. The warranty becomes void in case any defects or damages happen while using a converter for non-US/non-Canadian power outlets.

Basket size: Ninja Specialty coffee maker comes with a permanent metal mesh filter, but I can also use cone paper filters (I need to remove the metal mesh filter first).

Beverage size: Ninja Specialty coffee maker can brew coffee in 6 different sizes:

• Cup (8.7-9.5oz)
• XL Cup (10.3-11.5oz)
• Travel (13.2-14oz)
• Multi-serve (16-18oz)
• Half carafe (25oz)
• Full carafe (50oz).

The manufacturer recommends to use a container large enough to accommodate proper amounts of coffee.

Depending on the preferred style of coffee, these custom sizes will give me different coffee volumes. For instance, a Cup size will have 9.5oz of coffee with the Classic option, and 8.7 oz of coffee with the Rich option (the machine uses less water to brew the Rich style coffee, in order to create a stronger flavor).

The Specialty brew will always yield 4 ozof coffee, unless I adjust the volume of the coffee.

Weight: Ninja Specialty coffee maker weighs about 12 pounds. This is a fairly light coffee maker given its size and capabilities. The stainless steel that covers the machine and the glass carafe contribute a lot to the overall weight.

Unit size: Ninja Specialty coffee maker is 12 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 15 inches tall, so it is a bit large.

Water reservoir: The removable water reservoir has a capacity of 50 ounces. It has a flip top lid for even faster water filling. The tank is easy to remove and to clean, and it is also dishwasher safe.

Carafe: Ninja Specialty coffee maker comes with a 50oz glass carafe. The carafe weights 3lbs, should be used only with this coffee machine. It is very easy to wash with water, and the carafe should NOT be washed in a dishwasher.

Additional perks: We were so excited for this Ninja Specialty coffee maker review. The coffee maker comes with really nice (and unique) features.

✓ Stronger, richer and more complete coffee flavors with the hot expert brewing technology. Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker comes with the Thermal Flavor Extraction Technology. This machine has the ability to extract the full flavor out of the coffee grounds, for a full bodied, rich and flavorful coffee experience. In order for the coffee grounds to get evenly saturated with water, the machine will start the brew, but then it will stop brewing at different times throughout the process. This gives water time to infuse the coffee grounds evenly. After this short pause, the brewing starts again.

✓ Multiple brewing styles to fit the unique you. Ninja Specialty coffee maker comes with 4 custom brewing options: 1) classic for a typical cup of coffee, 2) rich for stronger and more flavorful cup of coffee, 3) over ice for iced coffee, and 4) specialty for espresso and espresso-based beverages.

✓ Built-in frother for more delicious milk froth. Ninja Specialty coffee machine comes with a built-in frother able to froth both hot and cold milk. This frother cannot heat up the milk though. If I want to add hot froth to my coffee, the milk will have to be heated up separately, before frothing.

✓ 50oz glass carafe with Intelligent Warming Plate. This coffee maker comes with its own glass carafe that can maintain the coffee hot for longer, especially when placed on top of the Intelligent Warming Plate that can be programmed to stay warm for up to 4 hours.

✓ Drip stop toggle for mess-free coffee brewing. The toggle is located right under the filter, above the pouring outlet. When the toggle is moved to the Drip Stop position, it blocks the coffee flow. This function can come handy if, for instance, I am in a hurry and I cannot wait for the last drops, if I want to change the cup, or if I realize that the coffee container I chose is too small for the brew size I have selected.

Furthermore, Ninja has added a couple more features in the Ninja Specialty coffee maker:

• Removable water reservoir with easy access.
• Measuring scoop. This scoop takes the guesswork out of measuring. The manufacturer recommends one scoop of coffee grounds per each cup of coffee. The included measuring scoop is the equivalent of one tablespoon.
• Permanent reusable filter.

→ Performance

Brewing time: While preparing the Ninja Specialty coffee maker review, we noticed that Ninja Specialty took a bit longer to brew coffee than what coffee makers should typically take. This is actually on par with other Ninja coffee makers. The Thermal Flavor Extraction Technology ensures full saturation of coffee grounds with water, which translates directly to better, richer and tastier flavors.

Flavor: Ninja Specialty coffee maker comes with settings for four brew styles:

• Specialty: for super rich coffee concentrate that we can pair with frothed milk to create lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos and other coffee house-style drinks.
• Over ice: for hot coffee brewed over ice. It tastes great and is never watered down.
• Rich: uses less water than the Classic setting to brew coffee, which creates a cup of stronger, more flavorful coffee.
• Classic: brews regular coffee.

Temperature: With its sophisticated technology, Ninja Specialty coffee maker reaches a nearly perfect brewing temperature. In our measurements, coffee was about 175-180 degrees, though Ninja advertises 185-190 Fahrenheit degrees.

Noise levels: The machine did not yield any unexpected noises or sounds.

Cleaning: We will summarize performance of this Ninja Specialty coffee maker review with cleaning. Cleaning is extremely easy and convenient.

Maintenance and cleaning are overall easy, though they may take a bit of time. The Clean button will illuminate when a cleaning cycle is recommended for this machine. When the indicator illuminates, it means that descaling is necessary because calcium scale buildup could be affecting the flavor of the coffee. The manufacturer recommends that only white vinegar should be used to descale this coffee maker.

The glass carafe and its lid, the permanent filter, the removable filter holder, the water reservoir and its flip-top lid, the frother whisk, and the measuring scoop are all top-rack dishwasher safe. Despite this dishwasher safe seal, we do NOT recommend washing a glass carafe in a dishwasher. The carafe is made of glass and may break easily.

Customer-reported technical issues

As we were preparing this Ninja Specialty coffee maker review, we did not encounter any breakdowns while testing and using the product.

We noticed that users of Ninja Specialty coffee maker appreciate the technology and performance of the machine.

The machine comes with a 1-year limited warranty, only if you purchase from an authorized seller, such as Amazon, Walmart or Wayfair. The warranty does not cover accidental damage at home or during transit, or natural wear

There are just a few common complaints:

• Error message on the clock display
• Does not last long

If the error message appears on the clock display, we recommend that you should get in touch with Ninja customer support. It’s likely that the machine is manufacturer defective, and you should request a free replacement.

As far as durability is concerned, Ninja coffee machines are infamous for shorter life span than other similar machines in the US. That is likely due to more advanced technology, which wears out more quickly overtime.

→ Health and safety

The product is made with various materials. The boiler is made with aluminum, a carafe with glass, and there’s some plastic (BPA- and BPS-free, according to Ninja).

One of Owly Choice’s tenants is health and safety. We take it very seriously, and we vet coffee machines from the perspective of materials included in the machine.

Although Ninja declared the Specialty coffee maker to be BPA- and BPS-free, we are still unsure whether any other potentially dangerous materials are in this coffee maker.

Reports show that many manufacturers replace BPA or BPS with other types of plastic. These types include but are not limited to BHPF (fluorene-9-bisphenol) and  TPP (triphenyl phosphate). The exact health effects of the BPA substitutes, such as BHPF or  TPP, are unknown at this point.

→ Price to value: is Ninja Specialty coffee maker worth the money?

Ninja Specialty sells at a $$$-price point. It is lower than some other Ninja machines, such as Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System, but higher than others, such as Ninja CE251.

This price point makes perfect sense, and it fits right in the portfolio of Ninja coffee makers. It is more technologically advanced and comes with more features than the CE251, but slightly less sophisticated than the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System.

Ultimately, the machine can brew coffee in 6 different convenient sizes, offers 4 styles of coffee (and can brew espresso and espresso-based drinks), and comes with a Flavor Extraction Technology for tastier coffee. In addition, the machine is equipped with a milk frother that can add deliciously frothed milk to any coffee beverage of my choice.

Should I buy Ninja Specialty coffee machine? Owly’s verdict! 🔨

As we attempted to show in this Ninja Specialty coffee maker review, this is a coffee maker that balances great price with features that allow to brew awesome coffee.

This Ninja machine is not just a single-purpose machine. In fact, it combines a drip coffee maker, a single-cup coffee maker and some elements of an espresso machine. It has quite a few sophisticated settings for different brew sizes and brew style. It is easy to use, can froth milk, and has an interesting design, too. If you appreciate the flexibility of the coffee machine and quality of your coffee beverage, then Ninja Specialty might be your best go-to.

Will you get Ninja Specialty coffee maker? What was your experience with Ninja Specialty? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, under this Ninja Specialty review!