Ninja's new coffee machine has an unusual take on traditional coffee - will it change the way you brew?

Drip coffee might once have made you feel like you were in an office, a diner, or over in America, but over the last few years, I've noticed a trend. As technology has improved, so has the design and flavours brewed by these machines and they're stealing spots in our kitchens.

You might be surprised to see Ninja's name on one of the best coffee machines for this style of brewer. Their air fryers and blenders tend to steal the spotlight and yet they've actually been making coffee for over a decade. Their machines are simple yet smart, offering thoughtful features like brewing over ice or setting a delayed start so your morning coffee is ready when you are.

So, whilst dip coffee might still seem a little unfamiliar to British tastes, this one could easily win you over, especially if you get through several mugs a day. And the best bit is that there’s a clever little twist to this machine. And it comes in pod form.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine review

Who would Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine suit?

Drip coffee machines have some very obvious advantages: you can brew a lot of coffee in one go, you can set them to have coffee ready for when you wake up, and you can drink multiple cups without overdoing the caffeine. The Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System ticks all of these boxes, with some extra elements that make it stand out to specific coffee drinkers.

The first is that this doesn't just make drip coffee. Whilst that is its primary function, the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System also has a pod machine integrated, so you can get punchier, richer shots of espresso, double espresso, and ristretto if you need something that will wake you up a little more. There's also a milk frother on the side, which can texture hot and cold milks of every kind (almond, oat, and soy included), so it's like a do-it-all machine masquerading as something more simple. It's very clever.

Drip coffee is characteristically lighter in flavours, so the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System suits those who are looking for something mellow and easy to drink. The beauty of this design is that you can brew it cold (over ice) or a little richer if you're not quite used to the lightness of drip coffee and the flavours stay spot on.

Unboxing the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine

Ninja is one of the best brands when it comes to how they send their appliances and the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System is no exception. Their box is as compact as it would be reasonable to have and where it’s physically possible, the packaging is recyclable.

Lifting the machine onto your counter, you might feel as though you’re missing something, whether it’s your scoop or your filter, but you’re not. This is all slotted neatly into the side of the machine for perfect storage. In the case of filters, you’ll find them lying on top of the machine. Ninja’s paper ones are great and they’re likely the ones you’ll opt for when thinking about easy cleaning. However, it’s worth noting that you can get reusable filters that you wash and dry, if you are that way inclined.

What is the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine like to use?

It’s almost impossibly easy to work the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System - what else would you expect from the kitchen icons? You fill up the water tank on the side with as much filtered water as you want to use for your coffee, place your carafe underneath and then you can select one of three different brewing styles: classic, rich, and over ice. You don’t really need any more options when it comes to filter coffee because it’s so light and smooth already.

There’s also a section at the side for your coffee pods, so if you wanted something a little different, more like the kind of coffee you’d brew in a Nespresso machine, you can pop a pod in and let the machine read what kind of drink it’s going to make.

Finally, you have a milk frother on the side, which is easy to pull out, angle, and texture your milk with. It’s a true multitasker. We’ll get into the details of taste, time, and temperature further down.

Test 1: making drip coffee

If you’re investing in this machine, it’s because filter coffee is your favoured brew. This works like any other machine. You place your filter in the top (some people like to wet it first to get a maximum amount of coffee oils coming through) and then use the scoop to add ground coffee to the filter. The scoop provided by Ninja has quantity suggestions etched on the handle, which is really helpful if you’re new to ground coffee, or if you just want an easy guide and they match up to standard measurements (one part coffee to fifteen parts water).

Then, once you’ve selected a function, the machine brews directly into the carafe, which stays warm on the hot plate. You can set it to brew for specific times, like when you wake up for example, or you can just delay it by an hour if you have guests coming over and it'll stick to this guide. I checked mine against my watch and the Ninja was spot on with all of my requests. Fresh coffee first thing in the morning without any button pressing was certainly my favourite of them all.

On the classic function, I was surprised at how quickly my coffee came pouring through. I was concerned that this might make it a touch too light for my liking, but it came out well. I could taste the nuttiness of my coffee, with all the aromas nicely extracted, but it still had that characteristic lightness of filter coffee.

Good drip coffee should be brewed between 90°C to 96°C and this was a perfect 94°C. Each day, there was a little variation, but only by a few degrees and if I didn't poke a thermometer into my carafe each morning, it wouldn't be notable.

The iced function also really impressed me. It’s tricky to get the same balance and depth of flavour when you’re not using higher temperatures to brew coffee, but the Ninja faultlessly pulled it off. This tasted identical, still mellow enough to fit the filter coffee brief, but with enough flavours to please the espresso-drinking barista in me.

The test that impressed me the most was the rich brew. I'm known for liking my coffee as intense, rich, and as punchy as they come. That doesn't often blend well with filter coffee, but having that special function that makes the coffee more syrupy and powerful. Don't get be wrong, it was still very much filter coffee, but if the classic brew is a 5/10 for strength; the iced function is a 4/10; the rich is an 8/10. So, there's a big difference, which is what you want when you're asking for more from your cup.

I tested leaving my carafe on the hot plate for an hour and coming back to it. The trick here is to keep the coffee warm without burning it, a skill that most coffee machines are yet to master. However, the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System was fantastic. My coffee was piping hot and, whilst the flavours were a little subdued (through the fault of science, not Ninja), they were still notable and not at all burnt.

Test 2: texturing milk

I'm used to steaming milk on my espresso machine, so when I swung the milk frother out from the side of my coffee machine, I was a little sceptical. However, the Ninja Prestige DualBrew did a seriously impressive job. It won't heat your milk, so you'll need to get warmth from the microwave or the hob, but it manages to achieve some seriously silky results.

Normally, you'd get an air bubble and less of a smooth taste, but even with my almond milk, this looked like it had come straight out of a proper milk frother. It gets my seal of approval for definite.

Test 3: pod coffee

For all that the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System can extract a rich cup of filter coffee, sometimes you'll want something more akin to the kind of coffee you order from the shop and carry around in your takeaway cup. That's where the clever extra comes in. At the side of the filter machine is a little lid that lifts up, revealing a place to pop your pods. These will need to be the same as Nespresso's older shaped pods (the originals), but that's pretty standard across the industry, so they're not hard to find.

There's an adjustable stand for you to pop your coffee cup on and then you can choose what kind of coffee you want, although these are limited to smaller, punchier, more shot-like kinds of coffee. That works in your favour though, because it's the same kind of coffee you'd get from an espresso machine. If you want yours a little weaker, you can add hot water, or you can add milk for something a little creamier. It's really simple.

The flavours in each pod were well extracted and standardised well too, so you can definitely rely on this little extra for consistency and a little more of a hit from your coffee.

Cleaning the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine

Knowing how to clean your coffee machine is important for keeping it in top condition. Luckily, Ninja makes it really easy for you. For filter coffee, the holder lifts right out, you can dispose of your grounds, and the plastic filter can actually go in the dishwasher, although it’s really easy to hand wash.

The carafe, although elegant, is robust and easy to disassemble to clean out any stray coffee grounds and, as with the filter, this can also go in the dishwasher.

Your milk frother comes off, which makes cleaning that really straightforward too and the pod bin (which fits about 6 pods) also slides out and rinses.

Naturally, there is also a setting that lets you run water through the system and I’d recommend doing this every fortnight, but you don’t have to.

How does the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine compare?

I used to test American coffee machines for one of our sister magazines, so I’ve seen exactly how they have perfected their brewing across the pond. I’ll happily put Ninja’s flavours up amongst the best drip coffee machines, especially if you’re new to drinking it. The stand-out feature of the Ninja is the milk frothing and pod function, which, according to my research is yet to have been replicated. For sheer versatility and ease of use, you sacrifice some of the more technical, pretty features that filter coffee royalty is more famous for, which is why I’m talking about the Technivorm Moccamaster KBG Select Coffee Machine.

This stylish drip coffee machine is far more eye-catching than the Ninja, which is both a blessing and a curse. With the Technivorm Moccamaster KGBV Select, you can choose from a rainbow of colours and lean into its charmingly retro aesthetic, whereas Ninja’s design is more understated, blending easily into most kitchens.

The Moccamaster certainly looks more technical, and that’s because it is: handmade in the Netherlands, it uses a precise copper heating element to maintain the ideal brewing temperature and flow rate for barista-level results. From a taste perspective, the Technivorm delivers greater depth and clarity in every cup, extracting more of the coffee’s natural oils and aroma. It also offers more control over brew volume and strength, giving you the freedom to fine-tune your coffee just how you like it.

For filter coffee purists, you'll get 10 cups of exceptional coffee from the Moccamaster and you'll enjoy the nitty gritty more. For those who want a little more versatility, you'll still get 10 cups of great coffee, just with some extra features too.

Should you buy the Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System Coffee Machine?

I'd recommend trying out some filter coffee before you buy any of these machines, because they're a little different to how we traditionally brew at home. However, the beauty of the Ninja Prestige DualBrew is that it offers you the option to switch things up and go for pod coffee when you want it. So, if you want versatility and simplicity brewed into your coffee machine this is great.

How we test coffee machines

At woman&home, we have a series of standardised tests that we put our coffee machines through. The Ninja bucks the trend a little, because it makes larger quantities of coffee with slight differences, rather than different drinks. With that in mind, I looked at the nuances in each different style of filter brewing, picking up on flavour notes and temperatures, so I could check that they deliver on their promises.

The pod machine tests and milk frothing follows a similar process to how we test all of our pod machines: looking for flavour, consistency, and freshness. Beyond that, I also look at aesthetics, price, build quality, and what a coffee machine is like to use. By the end of my tests, you should have a really good idea of what this machine is like to use and whether it will suit you. If you don't email me and ask. I'm always happy to talk about all things coffee.

You can also find out more on our dedicated page for how we test coffee machines.