Review on ☕ Ninja CM401 Specialty 10-Cup Coffee Maker - Brews 4 Ground Coffee Styles, Water Reservoir, Fold-Away Frother & Glass Carafe - Black by Lisa Wilson

A few years ago I worked as a barista in the most popular coffee shop on every corner. This scene was fun to work with and I learned how to make all the signature drinks. I was excited to get the opportunity to test this product and wanted to see if I could recreate these drinks with this home bar. Turns out I absolutely could! Rating: What I mean by this rating is that this is a home cafe and should not be compared to an industrial bar. I also wanted to focus on the signature coffee drinks that you can make with this bar and that's the reason to get them! Sure, he's good at brewing coffee, but that's not the most enjoyable part of his ownership. Water tank: It can be opened and removed easily. It's easy to clean and you can make as many as you like. It has a flat base, making it easy to leave it in the sink or on the counter unattended while it fills with water. This is not a tip. The only thing I would like are the actual dimensions (in ounces) on the outside. Instead, it displays the amount of coffee you want to make (cup, travel mug, ½ carafe, etc.). Cup Platform: This is an ingenious invention. If you only want to brew one cup, you can lower the cup platform which raises the cup to avoid splashing. I love how easy it is to make just one cup of coffee and you have the option to insert cups, glasses, carafes etc. Permanent filter: I am in favor of the permanent filter as it is the most environmentally friendly option. I didn't feel any tapping in the dropper. If you prefer to use a paper filter, that is also an option, you just have to remove the permanent filter. The filter is surprisingly easy to clean. I just poured out the crumble, which did almost all of the cleaning, and then rinsed it under the tap for a few seconds. Drip Stop: Another great feature! This serves two purposes. If you're brewing a large batch and don't want to wait for the entire pot to be empty, you can flip the dripper, pour yourself a cup, then unwrap it and let the brewing process continue. Another goal is to make sure it doesn't drip after the coffee is brewed. No mess! Interactive Menu / Brew Settings: This is the part of the machine that appears to be of very high quality. There are multiple brew settings, each of which will light up as you turn the dial to the desired setting. You also have the option to brew in different volumes and styles: classic, rich, iced, or signature (similar to an espresso shot). Again, I want to show the exact measurement (in ounces). The peelable sticker actually shows the dimensions, but the faceplate underneath doesn't. It's easy to spot by the icons though, and they match the water tank icons. Foamer: The foamer works great and can create voluminous foam, but the instructions here are a bit off the mark. First of all, it says here that you can make both cold and hot foam. I had my doubts about the cold foam setting as I hadn't seen it before. Following the directions, I was able to froth my 2% milk to about three times the original volume, but it immediately emptied within a minute. It didn't really bother me since it's not something you find in specialty drinks anyway. Also, when making "hot froth" it cools to just above room temperature because so much air is forced into it. Making hot foam is the most fun thing to do when you own this machine. This foam held its shape for about 40 minutes. I used ⅓ cup of 2% milk and was able to get 5 times the original amount out of it. First you need to microwave the milk (I did this for 30 seconds) to allow it to hold air. To get a good foam, you need to slowly move the cup up and down under the whisk for about 2 minutes. When finished, you should use a spoon to catch the "rich froth" on top and add it to your drink. This will be a thick foam that will hold its shape and hold any toppings or sauces. There is always milk froth at the bottom of your cup. So if you pour all of the foam into your drink, you'll end up with a lot of milk, which will dilute your drink. to save space. It also detaches from the machine so you don't have to worry about drips. They really thought of every feature! Bottom line: I'm in love with this signature Ninja coffee maker and can't stop recommending it to everyone I know. It's nice to be back for the coffee bar and it's a really fun way to impress friends and family. You can prepare all your favorite drinks that you find in cafes, from cappuccino to macchiato, latte or even just a cup of coffee. It comes with a recipe book, but you can also just do a simple internet search to find out exactly how to make your favorite drinks. As a former barista I can only recommend this! I will update my review if my opinion on this product changes.