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Ninja Coffee Bars and Ninja Coffee Makers are specialty coffee systems that offer lattes, cappuccino and many other options. But those drinks are made from espresso, so can you make espresso in a Ninja coffee maker?
Because they don’t use high pressures, Ninja coffee makers cannot make true espresso. This specialty coffee is actually a coffee concentrate created by slowing down the brewing process. While you can still make your favorite lattes with it, it won’t taste anything like an espresso made from real espresso machines.
This article will describe how Ninja’s specialty beans are made. I’ll also show how to make espresso in Ninja Coffee Bars.
Do Ninja Coffee Makers Make Espresso?
Ninja’s coffeemakers cannot make real espresso. They don’t use espresso machines to pressurize their water, but they can make drip coffee. Real espresso needs at least 9 bar pressure. The top espresso machines use at most 15 bar pressure.
Ninjas are able to brew more than a regular drip coffee machine. The best Ninja coffeemakers can brew four types or coffee.
- Classic
- Rich
- Over Ice
- Specialty
Specialty coffee means their espresso-style, brewed coffee. This can be used to make lattes and cappuccinos as well, and for macchiatos and other coffee drinks that normally use espresso.
Ninja’s specialty beans are stronger than regular drip coffee. Instead of high pressures, they rely on a slower, lower-temperature brewing process to concentrate their specialty coffee. The flavor difference will be obvious if you have it as a shot espresso. However, it’s good enough to use in lattes.
How to make Espresso in a Ninja Coffee Maker.
If you want to make mock coffee with your Ninja coffee bar then you will need a Ninja which has the specialty brew feature. In my Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker Review, you can find my top pick. The Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System offers the most advanced features of any Ninja espresso machine.
Instructions are provided by your Ninja for how to make specialty espresso (their version) coffee. These are the three most important steps to remember:
- Use 2 scoops (4 teaspoons) from your Ninja smart-scoop. This may be different for specialty drinks recipes, such as caramel macchiato.
- Ignore the size settings. The specialty brew button always makes a 4-ounce cup of coffee.
- To begin the brewing process, click the specialty button.
This gives you a specialty base coffee that you can use in all your Ninja coffee recipes. You can find many more on the internet, as well as a few recipes in the Ninja manual. You could also try adapting your favorite espresso recipe to make Ninja specialty coffee.
How to Make Espresso Without an Espresso Maker
Here are some other ways to make imitation espresso with a Ninja espresso maker if you haven’t decided yet.
AeroPress espresso
AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee makers are affordable, portable coffee makers that can make the best coffee you will ever drink. Their downside is that they’re manual coffee makers so are not as user-friendly as the Ninja.
AeroPress brewers share a lot in common with espresso machines. They use pressure to heat water and have a quick brewing time of 1-2 minutes. The AeroPress is an obvious choice when you want to make mock espresso.
If you already have an AeroPress, you can use a simple AeroPress espresso recipe to brew a concentrated coffee that is just as good–if not better–than Ninja’s espresso. This process requires finely ground coffee as well as the inverted AeroPress technique.
However, it isn’t true espresso because the AeroPress can’t achieve anywhere near 9 bars.
AeroPress accessories like the Fellow Prismo filter can make it even easier. The AeroPress’s original paper filter can be replaced by the Prismo. It makes espresso brewing a lot simpler.
Moka pot stovetop espressso
Moka pots are a classic way to make stovetop espresso. These pots can be compared to an espresso maker with steam pressure, but they are stovetop percolators.
Moka Pot vs AeroPress: You really don’t have to choose between them. Both make a rich, concentrated cup of espresso with lower pressures than an ordinary espresso maker. Ninja still wins out for ease of use, but traditionalists will love the Moka pot’s imitation espresso.
French press espresso
I kept the worst for last. Yes, I meant it. French press espresso can’t compare to the options I mentioned above.
You will instantly notice the difference between AeroPress and French Press espressos. The French press does not produce the same pressure as AeroPress and relies on coarser grounds. If you have a French Press and want to experiment with a new recipe, this is the best option.
Espresso Like a Ninja
Ninja specialty Coffee is a fantastic alternative to espresso. These drinks can be enjoyed even if you don’t already own a Ninja.
But what if the real thing is espresso? The Ninja is unable to help you. A cheap espresso machine can be purchased for as low as $200. Some of those machines even have milk frothers for lattes and cappuccinos.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Deluxe, which is more convenient, is my recommendation. These pod coffee makers use the same high pressures as regular espresso machines, but they are much easier to operate. Check out my head-tohead comparison of Ninja Vs Nespresso.