I'm enjoying all of the perks that come with upgrading your coffee machine this week with my new installation for testing: the Ninja Luxe Café Pro (available for £699.99 from Ninja).
It's the upgraded version of the sellout Ninja Luxe Café espresso machine that came out last year (which earned five stars in my review) but with even shinier features and a whole host of new upgrades.
My thoughts a week in? There are some serious improvements with this Pro version, from the vastly improved steam wand to an easier clean up process that makes it a contender for the title of best bean to cup coffee machine.
As for my favourite features, given the gorgeous weather lately, it's been hard to overlook the ones designed to improve your iced coffee game. Here's a look at how I've been using them.
Marked changes to the OG Ninja Luxe Café model include an improved control panel, upgraded hands-free milk wand and an integrated tamper.
I'm a big iced latte fan, so I was so excited to try out the new and improved milk wand on the Ninja Luxe Café Pro, which steams and whisks at the same time for better results.
What's also great about this machine is the capability to steam plant milks too, so if your regular order is an iced oat cappucino, you're covered without needing to invest in one of the best iced coffe makers.
The cold foam setting has produced some seriously impressive results for me. The milk frothers that I've used in the past are capable of creating chilled, slightly whipped milk but this is a true foam, which holds its own on top of your iced coffee.
The XL milk jug (which is another upgrade) is great for this purpose too, as you can make two iced coffees at the same time – great for busy households.
I've been loving the cold brew setting too – which creates coffee extracted without heat and then served over ice. You make it the same way as you would a shot of espresso on this machine, except for turning the dial to the cold brew setting.
The cold brew itself is very smooth, so much so that I've ended up overing my caffeine intake regularly over the past week.
The other thing that has immediately struck me about this machine is that it's easier to clean than it's predecessor. One of the things I noticed about the OG Luxe Café in my feature on the things I wish I knew about it before testing it was that the water reservoir filled up quickly with water and coffee grinds and the milk wand, being thinner, was a bit tricky to keep clean.
That's all changed with this Pro version. The integrated tamper means that there's far less excess grounds and less water from purging the milk wand. The thicker milk wand is also far easier to maintain with a quick clean with a microfibre cloth.
So far, I've been simply loving my experience with the Ninja Luxe Café Pro, with my full review coming soon. Do these iced coffee settings tempt you to upgrade your coffee machine station?
