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Ninja Coffee Bar Review {Plus Two Minute Mocha}

My Ninja Coffee Bar review contains my own opinions. Ninja Kitchen provided me with a unit for review, but I was not otherwise compensated.
Ninja Coffee Bar review

December was an ugly month for me. I was working almost nonstop, and that doesn’t count the obligations to family and friends (which I am happy to have) getting ready for the holidays, and of course being a mom to two active kids. Needless to say, my poor blog was sorely neglected, for the most part.

Do you know what kept me going day after day? Coffee. Well, really, the caffeine in the coffee in the morning and the ritual of enjoying a lovely sip of my decaffeinated brew later in the day.

Because of course (shhh, don’t tell!), I don’t actually like coffee. I like the hint of coffee, but I like my coffee to taste like, well, something else. With my schedule (and budget), I can’t just run out to the local coffee shop all the time, so my new Ninja Coffee Bar has been my happy new best friend. Seriously.

Enjoying the Ninja coffee bar

I love that I can brew as much or as little coffee as I want, and that unlike some other coffee systems, it uses traditional ground coffee and comes with a built in filter, which is so much more environmentally friendly – and I think it tastes much better, too. My husband who had been brewing his coffee on the stove in an old fashioned Italian pot agrees. Even he’s switched to using the Ninja Coffee Bar.

I love how easy it is to make, and the folks behind Ninja Coffee Bar have a ton of ideas and recipes to make great recipes with your machine. When I mentioned I was looking for something to make with my homemade marshmallow fluff, their social media team quickly recommended a chocolate mint recipe that was to-die-for. Because I did make it immediately upon returning home, and wow was it good.

My personal favorite is a quick two minute mocha.

Ninja Coffee Bar Two Minute Mocha Latte

Two minute homemade mocha latte with the Ninja Coffee Bar

Two minutes? You bet. I add six or seven chocolate chips (high quality, dark chocolate) to the bottom of my cup and select the specialty brew.

While it’s brewing, I add a quarter cup or so of cream (or milk, depending on what’s in the house that day) to the glass Easy Frother and heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds. When it comes out, I froth it twenty pumps and set it aside.

As the coffee finishes brewing, I stir it to ensure the chocolate melts and gets distributed within the coffee before pouring the frothed milk into the coffee. Seriously, watching the cream disperse into the coffee and make those beautiful patterns is so soothing to my soul.

Two minutes, and I’m sipping on my delicious two minute mocha latte that I made at home with my Ninja Coffee Bar. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me.

Ninja Coffee Bar Features

The Ninja Coffee Bar comes with everything you could possibly need to make traditional coffee or a specialty brew, and I love that it’s an all in one tool.

Features of the Ninja Coffee Bar

  • Glass carafe (or Double-Walled Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Carafe, depending on which version you purchase) so you can brew enough coffee for everyone, just as you would with a “traditional” coffee pot
  • Travel mug with lid that allows you to take your java on the go with you. It includes a lid that is easy to use to avoid spills, too
  • Easy Frother for when you’re making those specialty drinks with warm milk that creates a beautiful foam and layers to your drink. Do you see the yumminess in the beverage above? So much happiness!
  • Built In Brew Basket to make it easy to add the coffee. It pulls all the way out for easy cleaning and pops right back in, too. No feeling guilty for excess waste or more expenditures than necessary.
  • Water reservoir that holds your water and easily twists in and out. The water is pulled for brewing only when you start making your coffee, so you know your water is fresh, which helps ensure your coffee tastes great every time.
  • Coffee scoop (not pictured) with two sizes and notations of exactly how much coffee to add to the brew basket depending on how much coffee you’re making so even coffee novices (*cough* me *cough*) do it right every time.

Brew the coffee you want when you want with Ninja Coffee Bar

I mentioned that I select the specialty brew on my Ninja Coffee Bar when I’m making my two minute mocha latte. This machine is smart enough to brew different strength coffee depending on what you select and how strong you make it. If I’m just adding creamer, I may choose the classic brew, and that’s what most of my friends ask for, especially those who like it black.

Rich brew is slightly more intense, and a bit strong richness in the flavor than classic brew. When you select over ice, that’s perfect to ensure your iced coffee doesn’t taste watered down as the ice melts. The concentration level is 2 times that of classic brew, so your iced deliciousness turns out perfect every time. Specialty is a much more concentrated brew that is 3 times the concentration and richness of the classic brew and also brews a much less in terms of volume than the other versions to account for the cream and other flavors that you may be adding to your specialty brews. This is what I choose when I make my two minute mocha latte.

Note that I didn’t share how much the various strengths brew. Why is that? You choose how much coffee you plan to brew. Are you making just a quick cup? There’s a setting for that. Making a travel mug to take on the road with you and need a little more? Just flip the switch up a notch. Making coffee for yourself and your spouse for the morning? Brew up a half carafe. Or flip the switch to the full carafe setting and you’ve got coffee for a crowd. The Auto-IQ One-Touch Intelligence knows exactly how to brew the coffee to get the right strength and create the right amount. It’s pretty awesome.

And if you’re like me and need your coffee ready and waiting for you, there’s a delay brew feature so you can set it to brew up to 24 hours later. Wake up and smell the coffee. Literally.

Every coffee pot gets dirty after being used regularly – and you’ll be using the Ninja Coffee Bar regularly, trust me – but I know remembering to clean it isn’t always top of mind. Simply use a descaling solution or white vinegar and water and press the clean cycle button. Eight minutes later, your Ninja Coffee Bar is ready to brew the great, rich coffee for you again.

More features of the Ninja Coffee Bar

If you’re like me, when you brew a carafe, it doesn’t get drunk all at once. A cup or two goes, then a little more. then a little more. The Ninja Coffee Bar keeps it warm for up to two hours with the warming plate that adjusts its temperature to keep your coffee at the ideal temperature – more smart technology. If you finish your coffee early, you can easily turn the warming plate off when it’s no longer needed.

And that cup platform? Oh so smart. Rather than brewing a cup and having the coffee brew and fall further, simply pull out the cup platform and set your cup on it so the coffee has no chance to splash out. When you’re brewing a travel mug or carafe, simply tuck it back up into the back of the machine and set them on the base of the Ninja Coffee Bar. So simple but such a smart innovation.

More smart features? The stop brew slide. Let’s say it’s Saturday morning and I’m brewing a carafe for myself and some friends I have coming over. But once it starts brewing, I realize I need my caffeine before the carafe will finish, fast as it is to brew. That’s where the stop brew slide comes in handy. Simpy slide it from left to right, and your coffee will stop so you can pull the carafe out, pour yourself a cup, and return it to its place before sliding the stop brew back to the left.

I love that there is a built in filter, as well. I don’t have to buy new paper filters for every pot I brew. Or panic when I’m out, for that matter. The built in filter allows coffee oils to be preserved and will give small coffee particles in your brew to give it a more robust flavor, just like you would get when using a French Press. That said, if you prefer coffee with a traditional paper filter, you can pull the permanent filter and use a #4 cone filter instead.

Think you might be interested? I created a full video review showing exactly how the Ninja Coffee Bar works, which is great for those who are visual learners.

You can buy one for yourself on the Ninja Coffee Bar site for just $179.80 that includes the version with the glass carafe with the Easy Frother, a 40 recipe inspiration guide, and the Nutri Ninja Single Serve Blender. Score!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go brew a nightcap. It’s never the same thing twice, thanks to all the amazing coffee recipes Ninja Coffee Bar has collected.

What would you brew with your Ninja Coffee Bar?

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  1. Judith Ann Worlds says:

    My cleaning message came on and I have cleaned it over and over but message will not go away. I love the machine but would like to know how to make the message go away until it’s time to clean again. HELP!

    • Michelle says:

      I have not ever run into this. When I go through the clean cycle, it turns off (and I still use this coffee maker today!) Try reaching out directly to the brand, as this isn’t an issue that I’ve encountered. Good luck!

  2. Tori says:

    This mocha is SO GOOD. I make it every morning thank you!

  3. Tom Santelli says:

    Exceptionally well done write up and visuals.

  4. […] in. It’s part of why the Ninja Coffee Bar is perfect for both of us – and really, go read my review on all this fun machine can […]

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