Ever wished you could make lattes or cappuccinos from your own home without buying an expensive espresso machine?
Then you’ll be pleased to know that’s entirely possible. It’s even easy when you purchase a Ninja coffee maker.
So how do you know which Ninja coffee maker to get? As an illustration, we’ve created this guide to put two great Ninja models against each other: Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System vs Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker.
This is what we’ll focus on:
- Qualities similar between the Hot and Cold Brewed System and the Specialty Coffee Maker
- What's different between these machines
- How you can figure out which one is better for you
Quick Summary
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Attribute | Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System | Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker |
|---|---|---|
Image |
|
|
Number of Brewing Styles | 5 | 4 |
Iced Drinks | Yes | Yes |
Cold Brew Coffee | Yes | No |
Carafe Brewing | Yes | Yes |
Carafe Capacity | 50 oz (10 cups) | 50 ounces (10 cups) |
Single-Serve Brewing | Yes | Yes |
Ideal Uses | Home | Home |
Pricing |
The Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System excels at providing a wide range of hot and cold drinks. Get this coffee maker if you want something that can make you teas or prepare your favorite cold brew coffees.
If your focus is going to be on milk-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos, you can’t go wrong with the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker. Choose this one if you just want to make some barista basics from home.
Similarities
Milk Frothers
One of the keys to making a good cappuccino or latte is adding milk foam to your coffee.
For this reason, both these Ninja coffee makers come with milk frothers. Simply hold a cup of milk under the frother and press the button on top to make milk foam.
One thing to note here is that these frothers do not heat your milk. You will need to warm up your milk in advance if you want to top your drink with warm foam.
No need to worry about the frothers taking up too much room, either. The frothers can fold into the side on either Ninja model.
Pod-Free
Coffee experts will tell you that you need to use freshly ground coffee to get the best flavor.
To ensure you’re getting the most flavorful cups, the Hot and Cold Brewed System and the Specialty Coffee Maker are pod-free. You need to use your own grounds on either one of them.
While this may not be as easy as pods, it means that your options are unlimited. You can choose any kind of coffee grounds you like.
Carafe or Single-Cup Servings
Do you like being the host with the most when you have guests over?
Then you’ll adore the serving sizes on these Ninja coffee makers.
Both these machines will allow you to brew single-cup servings or entire 10-cup carafes at once. In brief, this means you get flexibility.
When you’ve got a whole table of people, you can brew a carafe to serve everyone at once. But when you’ve got just one or two guests, you can quickly brew them their own cups.
The beauty of brewing one cup at a time is that it’s precise. Everyone gets what they want this way.
But it’s always wise to have more options, and that’s what the carafe is for. Make a batch for a group, or use it to sip on over the course of a few hours.
The choice is yours.
Removable Water Reservoir
Just about everyone’s least favorite part of any appliance is the maintenance.
Most likely, you’d rather spend time actually using your appliance than cleaning it. So then when it comes time for routine maintenance, it’s better if it’s quick and easy.
That’s why the water reservoir is removable in the Hot and Cold Brewed System or the Specialty Coffee Maker. It makes cleaning and refilling your coffee maker a breeze.
Just pull out the water tank to refill or clean wherever is most convenient for you. When it’s done, you can slide it back into your coffee maker and get back to the fun part: making your favorite drinks.
Programmable Delay Brew
Wouldn’t it be easier to get out of your cozy bed in the morning if you knew there was a fresh cup of your favorite drink waiting for you?
With the Hot and Cold Brewed System or the Specialty Coffee Maker, that’s entirely possible. Both come with programmable delay brew settings.
In other words, you can tell your coffee maker to make a drink for you in advance.
The night before, you can program either of these Ninjas to make a cup or carafe for you by itself to simplify your morning routine. Or you could set it up to make your drink for you in the afternoon just before you get home from work.
In any event, this feature can save you a ton of time.
Intelligent Warming Plate
When you make a whole pot of coffee, you want it to stay warm for as long as possible.
These coffee makers help keep your coffee toasty with their intelligent warming plates. They work by providing a heated platform to set your pot on.
So what makes a warming plate intelligent?
For one thing, these warming plates will automatically come on when you make a Half or Full carafe batch. No need to remember to turn the plates on yourself.
On top of that, the warming plates will self-adjust their temperatures for you so they don’t burn your coffee. Traditionally, this has been an issue with coffee makers of the past, and this problem is completely eliminated by these Ninja models.
So take your time enjoying each batch of coffee – these Ninjas will keep it delicious and warm for you.
Differences
Number of Brew Styles
For the most part, both of these Ninja coffee makers excel at specialty coffee drinks. Either one will make it easy for you to enjoy a creamy latte right at home.
The main difference here is that the Hot and Cold Brewed System also lets you make cold brew. This feature can be fantastic on hot summer days or whenever you just need to cool down.
At the same time, it is possible to brew any single cup over ice on both these machines. So if all you’re looking for is an iced tea or latte, both will do the trick.
However, for rich cold brew coffee, you can’t do better than the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System.
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System Smart Basket Recognition
This is one feature that makes the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System unbelievably easy.
It comes with specific coffee and tea brewing baskets. Depending on which one you use, the coffee maker will recognize the basket and show you the appropriate coffee or tea beverage choices.
It’s great for those who don’t want to poke around in the coffee maker’s settings too much. All you need to do is put the right basket in, and it will display the right options for you.
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System Automatic Drip Stop
Need a cup for yourself before the carafe finishes brewing?
No problem – both these Ninja systems will let you pause the brew cycle to pour out a mug for yourself. However, how they both work is a little different.
The Specialty Coffee Maker requires you to slide the drip stop closed yourself with a lever. After 6 minutes, if you still haven’t opened the drip stop, the carafe will be cancelled.
It’s a little bit easier on the Hot and Cold Brewed System, which just requires you to push a button. Once you’ve finished pouring a mug for yourself, just push the drip stop button again to finish brewing.
The Hot and Cold Brewed System will also cancel your carafe for you if you leave the brew cycle paused for 5 minutes or longer.
So Which One Should You Buy?
The Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System and the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker are honestly a lot alike. Their similarities can make it hard to choose between them.
With this in mind, you’ll need to focus on their few differences to make your choice
Think about what kinds of drinks you’re going to be making.
Do you like cold brew coffee? Then the Hot and Cold Brewed System is a good pick for you.
If you’re planning on brewing a lot of tea, you’ll probably enjoy the basket recognition on the Hot and Cold Brewed System. It simplifies brewing either coffee or tea by knowing if you’re using a coffee or tea basket.
On the contrary, if all you’re looking for is espresso essentials, like lattes, then you’ll be satisfied with the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker.
This is our suggestion:
Get the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System if you’re an avid tea drinker or if you’ll want to make cold brew coffee for yourself. Its coffee or tea basket recognition system and cold brew capability are crucial for those uses.
But the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker is better for you if you just want the basic features you need to make a good cappucino without all the bells and whistles.
You can dig a little deeper into the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System or the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker here:
